Where does “chan” come from?
chan (Scottish Gaelic) comes from Middle Irish nocon, from Old Irish nícon, from Old Irish ní, from Proto-Celtic nīs, from Proto-Indo-European ne h₁ésti — is not.
chan (Scottish Gaelic): not
Ancestry of “chan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Irish | nocon | — |
| 2 | Old Irish | nícon | not |
| 3 | Old Irish | ní | not; is not, isn’t; something, anything |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | nīs | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ne h₁ésti | is not |