Part of speech: prefix
rarely has a collective sense; oft has intensative force; prefixed to v-s, conveys the sense of completed action or perfective aspect; the original meaning: “together”; later developing into “completely, entirely”
Etymology
[Mod E A-, E- ← ME i-, y- ← Prot-Germ *ga-; Goth ga-; O Fris je-, ie-, ge-; O Sax gi-; Dt ge-; OHG gi- (Mod G ge-); O Icel g- ← Indo-Europ *kom-; Lat com-; O Ir con-; O Slav съ- (Russ co-)]
