Where does “ne'er a” come from?
ne'er a (English) comes from English a, from Middle English a, from Old English ān, from Proto-West Germanic ain, from Proto-Germanic ainaz, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.
ne'er a (English): Not a single; no; never a
Definitions
- Not a single; no; never a
Ancestry of “ne'er a”, step by step
ne'er a traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English a
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | a | The ordinal number first, derived from this... |
| 2 | Middle English | a | Alternative form of I; Alternative form of heo;... |
| 3 | Old English | ān | lonely; entirely alone, solitary, single; one |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | ain | one |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ainaz | one; some |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |