Concerning or relating to something; or approximately, not exactly.
From Old English *abutan* or *onbūtan* meaning “around, on the outside of,” combining *on* and *būtan* “outside.” It originally focused on physical surroundings before taking on more abstract meanings.
‘About’ started as a word for physical space—being around something—and then slid into mental space, like ‘thinking about it.’ That shift from outer to inner is common in language, showing how we reuse spatial words for ideas and feelings.
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