onto

onto
on to, onto
On to is recorded in continuous use as a complex preposition from the late 16c, and the one-word form onto from the early 18c. In modern use both forms are found; onto has become more common in recent years but has still not achieved the dominance enjoyed by into (which goes back to Old English):

• French windows opened from the breakfast-room on to the terrace and large walled garden —Penelope Lively, 1981

• The blue sky threw its light down onto the fields below —L. Norfolk, 1991.

Note that in some uses on is used as a full adverb and needs to be spelt separately: They drove onto the beach means ‘they parked the car on the beach’, whereas They drove on to the beach (with the sentence falling into two parts between on and to) means ‘they continued their journey until they reached the beach’. Care also needs to be taken to retain the identity of on in phrasal verbs when these are followed by to: It was some time before she cottoned on to what he meant.

Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • onto — W2S1 also on to [ ɔntə before vowels ɔntu $ a:n , o:n ] prep 1.) used to say that someone or something moves to a position on a surface, area, or object ▪ She watched him walk onto the platform. ▪ Don t jump onto (=into) the bus while it s moving …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • onto- — ♦ Élément, du gr. ôn, ontos « l être, ce qui est ». onto élément, du gr. ôn, ontos, l étant, l être, ce qui est . ⇒ONT(O) , (ONT , ONTO )élém. formant I. PHILOS., LING. Élém. tiré du gr. , , part. prés. substantivé au neutre du gr. «je suis»,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • onto, on, on to — Onto and on are sometimes used interchangeably, but onto more strongly suggests movement toward something. The dog jumped on the table may mean that he was already on the table, jumping. The dog jumped onto the table clearly indicates that he… …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • onto — Element prim de compunere savantă cu sensul de fiinţă , existenţă . [< fr., it. onto , cf. gr. on, ontos]. Trimis de LauraGellner, 27.06.2005. Sursa: DN  ONT(O) elem. fiinţă, existenţă . (< fr. ont/o/, cf. gr. on, ontos) …   Dicționar Român

  • onto- — word forming element meaning a being, individual; being, existence, from Gk. onto , from stem of on (gen. ontos) being, neuter prp. of einai to be (see ESSENCE (Cf. essence)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • onto — or on to [än′to͞o] prep. 1. to and upon; to a position on ☆ 2. Slang aware of or familiar with, esp. aware of the real nature or meaning of [they re onto our schemes] …   English World dictionary

  • Onto — On to, prep. [On + to. Cf. {Into}.] On the top of; upon; on. See {On to}, under {On}, prep. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • onto- — [dal gr. ṓn óntos, part. pres. di eimí essere ]. 1. (filos.) Primo elemento di parole composte in cui significa essere, esistenza, ente (ontologia ). 2. (biol.) Primo elemento di parole composte dove significa essere vivente, organismo vivente… …   Enciclopedia Italiana

  • onto — 1580s, as on to, from ON (Cf. on) + TO (Cf. to). Appeared much later than parallel INTO (Cf. into). As a closed compound (on analogy of into), first recorded 1715 …   Etymology dictionary

  • onto- — elem. de comp. Exprime a noção de ser, criatura (ex.: ontogênese).   ‣ Etimologia: grego on, onthos, particípio presente de eimi, ser …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • onto- — DEFINICIJA kao prvi dio riječi označava ono što se odnosi na biće, bitak, postojanje [ontologija] ETIMOLOGIJA grč. ón <G óntos>: ono što jest, biće ← eȋnai: biti …   Hrvatski jezični portal

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