Where does “keinerlei” come from?
keinerlei (German) comes from German kein, from Middle High German kein, from Middle High German nechein, from Old High German nihein, from Proto-Germanic nehw ainaz — nor one.
keinerlei (German): no … whatsoever, no … at all
Definitions
- no … whatsoever, no … at all
Ancestry of “keinerlei”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | kein | no; not a; not one; not any |
| 2 | Middle High German | kein | — |
| 3 | Middle High German | nechein | — |
| 4 | Old High German | nihein | no |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | nehw ainaz | nor one |