Where does “no” come from?
no (Middle English) comes from Old English nā, from Old English ne, from Old English ealles, from Old English -es, from Proto-Germanic -as, from Proto-Indo-European -ēs, from Proto-Indo-European -ess, from Proto-Indo-European -os — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...
no (Middle English): no
Definitions
- no
Ancestry of “no”, step by step
no traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English nā
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | nā | no |
| 2 | Old English | ne | not; or, and not; "ne... ne..." is used to mean "... |
| 3 | Old English | ealles | completely, wholly, entirely; totally,... |
| 4 | Old English | -es | possessive marker, indicating that an object... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -as | used in formation of adverbs |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |
via Middle English nan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nan | none, not any |
| 2 | Old English | nān | none, not any; not one, not any, none; no, not... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | nain | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nainaz | not any |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | nē | not |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | aiwaz | long time, age, eternity |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |