Where does “a whole nother” come from?
a whole nother (English) comes from English another, from Middle English anoþer, from Middle English oþer, from Old English ōþer, from Proto-West Germanic *anþar, from Proto-Germanic anþeraz, from Proto-Indo-European ánteros — other.
a whole nother (English): An entirely different; a whole other; intensified...
Definitions
- An entirely different; a whole other; intensified...
Ancestry of “a whole nother”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | another | One more/further, in addition to a former number;... |
| 2 | Middle English | anoþer | Alternative spelling of another |
| 3 | Middle English | oþer | other |
| 4 | Old English | ōþer | other, second |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *anþar | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | anþeraz | second; other |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ánteros | other |