Where does “whatnot” come from?
Whatnot derives from English what combined with not, from Middle English nat and Old English notu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ne meaning negation.
whatnot (English): A small unspecified object; bric-a-brac; Other...
Definitions
- A small unspecified object; bric-a-brac; Other...
Ancestry of “whatnot”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | what | Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used... |
| 2 | Middle English | what | — |
| 3 | Old English | hwæt | what; why; how many or how much |
| 4 | Old English | -ing | Forming nouns from verbs, indicating action,... |
| 5 | Old English | -tūn | — |
| 6 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 9 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 10 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |