Where does “οὔτε” come from?
οὔτε (Ancient Greek) comes from Ancient Greek οὐ, from Ancient Greek οὐκί, from Proto-Hellenic oyuki, from Proto-Indo-European (ne) h₂óyu kʷid — ever, on your life; not ever, not on your life.
οὔτε (Ancient Greek): and not; neither...nor
Ancestry of “οὔτε”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | οὐ | not |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | οὐκί | Epic form of οὐ |
| 3 | Proto-Hellenic | oyuki | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (ne) h₂óyu kʷid | ever, on your life; not ever, not on your life |