Definition of the word no one

The phrase "no one" is a contraction of the words "not one." The word "one" here functions as a pronoun, meaning "anyone." In Old English, the term for "not one" was "nan nīeman" or "nānan Nīeman." "Nān" translates to "not," and "Nīeman" is the Old English equivalent of the modern word "anyone." Over time, the Old English term was abbreviated and transformed. The word "nieman" turned into "nyman" in Middle English, and later, into "nyhan." The prefix "nān," which originally meant "not," transformed into "no" by the 15th century. These words, "no" and "nyman," converged in the phrase "noo nyhan," which, in modern spelling, is "no one." The term "anyone" also has a fascinating etymology. In Old English, the phrase "ān acennan" referred to "anyone" or "anybody." In Middle English, "ān" became "an," and "acennan" transformed into "ennen." This linguistic evolution resulted in the Modern English term, "anyone." In summary, the phrase "no one" originated from the Old English term "nan nīeman," which was transformed into its current form via Middle English phonetic and grammatical changes. The term "anyone," too, has a rich etymological background, evolving from the Old English term "ān acennan" through Middle English phonetic changes.