Where does “numnam” come from?
numnam (Latin) comes from Latin num, from Latin quid, from Proto-Italic kʷid, from Proto-Indo-European kʷíd, from Proto-Indo-European kʷís, from Proto-Indo-European kʷi- — interrogative base.
Ancestry of “numnam”, step by step
numnam traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin num
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | num | now; a particle usually expecting a negation;... |
| 2 | Latin | quid | neuter nominative/accusative singular of quis;... |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | kʷid | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷíd | neuter nominative/accusative singular of *kʷís |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷís | who, what; who, which, that; which, what |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷi- | interrogative base |