Where does “not” come from?
Not derives from Middle English nat, Old English notu and nyht, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European nókʷts and the negative particle ne.
not (English): Negates the meaning of the modified verb; To no...
Definitions
- Negates the meaning of the modified verb; To no...
Ancestry of “not”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nat | Alternative form of not |
| 2 | Middle English | noght | Alternative form of nought |
| 3 | Old English | nāht | nought, nothing |
| 4 | Old English | nōwiht | — |
| 5 | Old English | ne | not; or, and not; "ne... ne..." is used to mean "... |
| 6 | Old English | ealles | completely, wholly, entirely; totally,... |
| 7 | Old English | -es | possessive marker, indicating that an object... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -as | used in formation of adverbs |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |