German word meaning 'without' or 'lacking'. Used to indicate absence or exclusion of something.
From Middle High German āne, from Old High German āno, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *aneu. The word has maintained its basic meaning of 'without' throughout Germanic languages for over a millennium.
This little German preposition is incredibly versatile and appears in countless compound words and phrases, from 'ohne Zweifel' (without doubt) to the famous philosophical concept 'Sein ohne Zeit' (being without time). It's one of those fundamental words that reveals how different languages conceptualize absence - while English uses 'without,' German's 'ohne' carries a slightly more absolute sense of complete lack.
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