ähnlich

From Middle High German anelich, enlich (“alike”), from Old High German *analīh (attested in derivatives), a contraction of anagilīh, from Proto-Germanic *anagalīkaz, from *ana (“on”) + *galīkaz (“like”), that is “almost identical”. Compare German angleichen. Cognate with Middle Dutch aenlijck, English alike, Old Norse álíkr.

The contemporary form is possibly from a merger of Middle High German anelich with East Central German einlich, but it is uncertain whether the latter is from ein (“one”) +‎ -lich (“-ly”) or merely an alteration of the former. The form may also have been reinforced by interpretation as Ahn (“ancestor”) +‎ -lich. While this is a folk etymology that ignores the actual origin of the word, it isn't without its own merits. A semantic shift from "resembling your ancestor" to "resembling anything similar" Isn't far fetched, since due to a multitude of reasons (such as genetics), a person's ancestors are the people they are most alike to in terms of outward appearance, hence why this term could be thought of as a compound of Ahn (“ancestor”) +‎ -lich, despite such an interpretation being unetymological.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛːnlɪç/, [ˈʔɛːn.lɪç], [ˈʔeːn-]

• Audio (Germany):

  (file)

• Audio (Germany):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ähn‧lich

ähnlich (strong nominative masculine singular ähnlicher, comparative ähnlicher, superlative am ähnlichsten)

1. similar, alike, resembling [with dative or wie (+ case of preceding noun) ‘to someone/something’]
   • 2017, Neuer Zürcher Zeitung, (headline), 6 April:

     Facebook behandelt «Revenge Porn» fortan ähnlich wie Kinderpornografie.

     Facebook to treat "revenge porn" similarly to child pornography.

   auf ähnliche Weise ― in a similar manner

• “ähnlich” in Duden online
• “ähnlich” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache