Where does “cannot” come from?
cannot (English) comes from English not, from Middle English nat, from Middle English noght, from Old English nāht, from Old English nōwiht, from Old English ne, from Old English ealles, from Old English -es — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...
cannot (English): Can not; Be forbidden or not permitted to;...
Definitions
- Can not; Be forbidden or not permitted to;...
Ancestry of “cannot”, step by step
cannot traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English not
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | not | Negates the meaning of the modified verb; To no... |
| 2 | Middle English | nat | Alternative form of not |
| 3 | Middle English | noght | Alternative form of nought |
| 4 | Old English | nāht | nought, nothing |
| 5 | Old English | nōwiht | — |
| 6 | Old English | ne | not; or, and not; "ne... ne..." is used to mean "... |
| 7 | Old English | ealles | completely, wholly, entirely; totally,... |
| 8 | Old English | -es | possessive marker, indicating that an object... |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | -as | used in formation of adverbs |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |
via English can
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | can | To know how to; to be able to; May; to be... |
| 2 | Spanish | can | dog, hound |
| 3 | Latin | Canis | a dog, a hound animal |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | δρόμος | race, running; racetrack; course, path |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -ός | Forms agentive or patientive adjectives and nouns from the o-grade of a verbal root |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | *-os | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ós | Creates agent nouns from verb stems, denoting... |