Where does “nān” come from?
nān (Old English) comes 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.
nān (Old English): none, not any; not one, not any, none; no, not...
Definitions
- none, not any; not one, not any, none; no, not...
Ancestry of “nān”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | nain | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | nainaz | not any |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | nē | not |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | aiwaz | long time, age, eternity |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |