Where does “ne'er” come from?

ne'er (English) comes from English Never, from Middle English nevere, from Old English nǣfre — never.

ne'er (English): Contraction of never

Definitions

  1. Contraction of never

Ancestry of “ne'er”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNeverAt no time; on no occasion; in no circumstance
2Middle Englishneverenever
3Old Englishnǣfrenever

Words derived from “ne'er”

Every word from Old English nǣfre →Every word from Middle English nevere →Every word from English Never →
ne'er — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer