Where does “nay” come from?
Nay comes from Middle English nai, from Old Norse nei, from Old Norse ne, from Proto-Indo-European ne, a negation particle.
nay (English): No; Introducing a statement, without direct...
Definitions
- No; Introducing a statement, without direct...
Ancestry of “nay”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nai | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | nei | no |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | nai | never |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | né | not; no |