none
/nʌn/
pronoun
Origin
Old English
ne ān — not one
Overview
Meaning Now
- not any; not one
- not at all; in no respect
Literal older meaning
not one
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → Modern English
Earliest form
nān
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word 'none' is a classic example of linguistic contraction, having evolved from the Old English 'ne' (not) and 'ān' (one). Throughout its history, it has served both as a pronoun and a determiner.
Evolution
- Old English
nān
“not one”
Contracted form of ne ān.
- Middle English
non
“not one”
- Early Modern English
none
“not one”
Spelling stabilized to modern form.
Connections
Word parts
non-
prefix
not
-e
suffix
one
Related across languages
German
nein
no
Dutch
neen
no
Related words
Explore next
Related to none
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.