nowhere English · revision 5499

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=971}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈnəʊ.weə/, /ˈnəʊ.hweə/, US /ˈnoʊ.wer/, /ˈnoʊ.hwer/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|nowher]], [[inh|ang|nāhwǣr|t=nowhere, not at all]], later nōhwǣr,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) formed from [[m|ang|nā|t=no]] and [[m|ang|hwǣr|t=where]].^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) See [[no]] and [[where]].^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In or at no place, not anywhere: 971.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ To no place is from the 13th century.^(OED 1989) ''Nowhere near'', not nearly, is from 1413.^(OED 1989) ''To be nowhere'', badly beaten in a race, is from 1755.^(OED 1989) The colloquial ''nowheres'' is from 1803.^(Etymonline) As a noun, a place that doesn't exist is from 1831, and a remote place from 1908,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) as in ''the middle of nowhere'', which Etymonline dates to 1848.^(Etymonline) ''A road to nowhere'' was a road leading to no destination by 1800, and a course of action leading to no result by 1891.^(Etymonline) The sense “a dull, insignificant person or thing” is from 1940.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 971 – in no place.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1413 – ''nowhere near''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1755 – ''to be nowhere'', beaten.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1831 – the noun, a nonexistent place.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1908 – a remote place.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Not in or to any place; not [[anywhere]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To no result: ''the talks got nowhere''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A remote or unknown place: ''the middle of nowhere''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A state of being unknown: ''he came from nowhere to win''.^(Collins 2023)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Nowheresville]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[anywhere]]

+ * [[anyplace]]

+ * [[everywhere]]

+ * [[everyplace]]

+ * [[somewhere]]

+ * [[someplace]]

+ * [[nobody]]

+ * [[no one]]

+ * [[nothing]]

+ * [[no]]

+ * [[where]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}