anyone English · revision 3631

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=15th century (Middle English any on)}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈen.i.wʌn/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound, [[af|en|any|one]],^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) written separately in Middle English, as [[m|enm|any on]] or [[m|enm|eny on]].^(MWU 2024) Old English used [[m|ang|ǣnigmon|t=any man]] in the same sense.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Any person: as two words since Old English according to Etymonline,^(Etymonline) and in the 15th century according to Merriam-Webster, who dates the pronoun to about 1500.^(MWU 2024)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The pronoun was written as two words for centuries;^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) the Shorter Oxford finds the one-word form from the early 18th century,^(SOED 2002) and Etymonline from 1844.^(Etymonline) It has the same meaning as [[anybody]].^(SOED 2002)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 15th century – Middle English ''any on''.^(MWU 2024)

+ * early 18th century – written as one word.^(SOED 2002)

+ * 1844 – one word, according to Etymonline.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # Any person at all; [[anybody]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[anything]]

+ * [[anywhere]]

+ * [[no one]]

+ * [[nobody]]

+ * [[everybody]]

+ * [[everyone]]

+ * [[somebody]]

+ * [[someone]]

+ * [[any]]

+ * [[one]]

+ * [[anybody]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The American Heritage Dictionary distinguishes ''anyone'', “any person”, from ''any one'', “whichever one of a group”: ''anyone may join'' admits everybody, ''any one may join'' admits a single person, and only ''any one'' can be followed by ''of''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}