Etymograph

English

anyone

Anyone comes from Middle English eny on.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eny on1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1891anyone1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English anyone
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1891, George Bernard Shaw: “The liar's punishment is not in the least that…”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eny onWiktionary, English anyone
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1891anyoneWiktionary, English anyone. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1891, George Bernard Shaw: “The liar's punishment is not in the least that…”

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Today it means

pron Any person; anybody.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “anyone”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English eny on / anyone