2006-06-20 09:01:47 · 17 answers · asked by liljordan000 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
The sound of word that means "no" is not universal to all languages. For instance in arabic it is "la", in Japanese it is "ee-ay". Most European languages have a word similar sounding to the "no" of English.
Bharati, which is derived from Sanskrit, has a word "nahin" that sounds similar to "nothing" in English or "nein" in German. My feeling is that "no" might be a contraction of something like "nahin" in Proto-Indo-European.
2006-06-20 09:24:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
It probably derived from some language, such as latin, then got changed a little bit when people started to move to different places. It's most likely from Italy because most of the romance languages say "no" the same way, and the british probably decided to use it, and brought it to America.
Most words and languages were started in the old times where people talk about "cavemen" . It was there way of communication. One or two probably started it, and it just got to be the way it is today by constant travel and talk!
2006-06-20 11:35:45 · answer #2 · answered by ck55 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It comes from the first cavewoman, when Mr. Caveman wanted a little lovin'....
Seriously, if I have remembered it correctly, it is derived from the French word "non", which is pronounced like "no". It evolved to a point where the last "n" was dropped, making it simply "no".
Hope this helps.
2006-06-20 09:08:51 · answer #3 · answered by answerman63 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the meaning of a language.In some language the word no means yes in our language. On the other hand in Hebrew the word for no is " lo'
2006-06-20 10:07:18 · answer #4 · answered by goring 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"No" is a primal form of communication, it's not necessarily the word its the force behind it that makes us obey, I'm sure neanderthals had a universally accepted grunt that means "No"...and it just evolved into the forceful "No" every authority figure has come to misuse, every parent has uttered far too many times, and every child said to another little kid.
2006-06-20 09:50:37 · answer #5 · answered by chambers_a_m 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm just happy we have words that mean something and we can use them to express ourselves. good question though. i really don't know. there's too many words in the dictionary to start asking where each of them came from.
2006-06-20 09:08:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It all started in the garden of Eden. Adam was feeling frisky and Eve wasn't in the mood, so she yelled "NO!".
Men often hear this word to this very day.
2006-06-20 09:07:44 · answer #7 · answered by opjames 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know the origin, but it is the most powerful and understood word in our language
2006-06-20 09:06:49 · answer #8 · answered by RussReece 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
whoa thats a deep question. never thought of that. where did the word "word" come from?
2006-06-20 09:05:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
lol.. its just like asking where did your name come from, lol same thing.. its a word
2006-06-20 11:27:05 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋