Where does “온데간데없다” come from?

온데간데없다 (Korean) comes from Korean 데, from Middle Korean ᄃᆡ, from Middle Korean ᄃᆞ.

온데간데없다 (Korean): to be nowhere to be found

Definitions

  1. to be nowhere to be found

Ancestry of “온데간데없다”, step by step

온데간데없다 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 데

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean데—
2Middle Koreanᄃᆡ—
3Middle Koreanᄃᆞ—

via Korean 간

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean간for; between; salty seasonings
2Chinese奸—

via Korean 없다

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean없다to have none; lacking; nonexistent; to die
2Middle Korean없다—
Every word from Middle Korean ᄃᆞ →Every word from Middle Korean ᄃᆡ →Every word from Korean 데 →