Where does “nan þing” come from?
nan þing (Middle English) comes from Old English nān, from Proto-West Germanic nain, from Proto-Germanic nainaz, from Proto-Germanic nē, from Proto-Germanic aiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.
Ancestry of “nan þing”, step by step
nan þing traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English nān
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | nān | none, not any; not one, not any, none; no, not... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | nain | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | nainaz | not any |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nē | not |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | aiwaz | long time, age, eternity |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |
via Old English þing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | þing | event, meeting, court; matter, concern; thing,... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | þing | court session, lawsuit; affair, matter; thing,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þingą | appointed time; date; appointment; meeting;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | tenkó- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tenk- | to be solid, firm; to be suitable; to succeed,... |