Where does “non-U-ness” come from?
non-U-ness (English) comes from English non-U, from English non-, from Latin nōnus, from Latin novenos, from Latin novem, from Latin novo, from Proto-Italic nowāō, from Proto-Indo-European néweh₂ti — new; to nod, assent to.
non-U-ness (English): The state or quality of being non-U
Definitions
- The state or quality of being non-U
Ancestry of “non-U-ness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | non-U | Not U; not characteristic of the upper classes,... |
| 2 | English | non- | Used in the sense of no or none, to show lack of... |
| 3 | Latin | nōnus | ninth |
| 4 | Latin | novenos | accusative masculine plural of novēnus |
| 5 | Latin | novem | nine; 9; first-person singular present active... |
| 6 | Latin | novo | I make new, renew, refresh; I alter, change;... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | nowāō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | néweh₂ti | to renew |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | néwos | new |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | new- | new; to nod, assent to |