nan-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "nan"

Japanese

Romanization

nan-

1. Rōmaji transcription of なん

Old English

Alternative forms

• nā-, nō-

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *né

Proto-Germanic *ne

Proto-Indo-European *ís?

Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos

Proto-Germanic *ainaz

Proto-Germanic *nainaz

Proto-West Germanic *nain

Old English nān

Old English nan-

From nān.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɑːn/

Prefix

nān-

1. (rare) Denotes absence or lack

   nānan (“no one”, literally “none one”)

   nānþing (“nothing”, literally “none thing”)

   nānwiht (“naught, nothing”, literally “none creature”)

Usage notes

• The use of nān- seems to have given way to its reduced form nā-/nō-, which is much more commonly used.

Descendants

• Middle English: non-, no-, na-
  • English: no- (fossilised in noway, nobody, noman, nowhere, etc.)
  • Scots: na-, nae-
  • ⇒ Middle English: non- (merged with Old French non-)
    • English: non-
    • Scots: non-