Where does “nej” come from?
nej (Danish) comes from Swedish nej, from Old Swedish næi, from Old Norse nei, from Proto-Germanic nai, from Proto-Indo-European né — not; no.
nej (Danish): no; oh, oh no; imperative of neje
Definitions
- no; oh, oh no; imperative of neje
Ancestry of “nej”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Swedish | nej | no; "a negative answer"; a no, a nay; a negative... |
| 2 | Old Swedish | næi | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | nei | no |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nai | never |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | né | not; no |