Where does “nor” come from?

Nor derives from Middle English nor, from Old English nother, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ne meaning not.

nor (English): And not; A function word introducing each except...

Definitions

  1. And not; A function word introducing each except...

Ancestry of “nor”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishnauther—
2Middle Englishnoþer—
3Old Englishnāwþerneither
4Old Englishnāhwæþerneither
Every word from Old English nāhwæþer →Every word from Old English nāwþer →Every word from Middle English noþer →