Where does “kein” come from?
kein (German) comes from Middle High German kein, from Middle High German nechein, from Old High German nihein, from Proto-Germanic nehw ainaz — nor one.
kein (German): no; not a; not one; not any
Definitions
- no; not a; not one; not any
Ancestry of “kein”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | kein | — |
| 2 | Middle High German | nechein | — |
| 3 | Old High German | nihein | no |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nehw ainaz | nor one |