Where does “any” come from?

Any comes from Middle English any, from Old English ǣniġ, from Proto-Germanic ainagaz and ainaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European óynos.

any (English): To even the slightest extent, at all; At least...

Definitions

  1. To even the slightest extent, at all; At least...

Ancestry of “any”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishany
2Old Englishǣniġany
3Proto-West Germanic*ainagonly, sole

Words derived from “any

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *ainag