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

  1. none, not any; not one, not any, none; no, not...

Ancestry of “nān”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicnain—
2Proto-Germanicnainaznot any
3Proto-Germanicnēnot
4Proto-Germanicaiwazlong time, age, eternity
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eyu-vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ey-vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning

Words derived from “nān”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu- →Every word from Proto-Germanic aiwaz →