Where does “no” come from?

no (Serbo-Croatian) comes from Proto-Slavic nъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic nu, from Proto-Indo-European nū — now.

no (Serbo-Croatian): than; but, however; noh

Definitions

  1. than; but, however; noh

Ancestry of “no”, step by step

no traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-Slavic nъ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Slavicnъbut, however
2Proto-Balto-Slavicnu—
3Proto-Indo-Europeannūnow

via Japanese 能

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese能Noh, a form of classical Japanese musical drama;...
2Middle Chinese能talent, ability

Words derived from “no”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European nū →Every word from Proto-Balto-Slavic nu →Every word from Proto-Slavic nъ →