Etymograph

English

never

Never comes from Old English nǣfre ‘never’, a compound of ne ‘not’ and ǣfre ‘ever’.

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150nǣfre1‘never’
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500nevere2
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1601never2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Middle English nevere
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English never
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1601, Elizabeth I of England: “There is no jewel, be it of never so…”.

Lineage

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150nǣfreWiktionary, Middle English nevere‘never’
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500nevereWiktionary, English never
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1601neverWiktionary, English never. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1601, Elizabeth I of England: “There is no jewel, be it of never so…”

Every English word from Old English nǣfre

Today it means

adv At no time; on no occasion; in no circumstance.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “never”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Middle English nevere. 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 / Old English nǣfre / never

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