no¹

"negative reply," early 13c., from Old English na (adv.) "no, never, not at all," from ne "not, no" + a "ever." First element from Proto-Germanic *ne (cf. Old Norse, Old Frisian, Old High German ne, Gothic ni "not"), from PIE root *ne "no, not" (see un-). Second element from PIE *aiw- "vital force, life, long life, eternity" (see aye (2)).

As an adjective meaning "not any" (c.1200) it is reduced from Old English nan (see none), the final -n omitted first before consonants and then altogether. As a noun from c.1300. Phrase no can do "it is not possible" is attested from 1827, a locution of English-speaking Chinese noted 19c. in China, Australia and West Coast of U.S.

We repeated our advice again and again, but got no answer but a loud horse-laugh, and their national maxim of No can do: Europe fashion no do in China. ["Reminiscences of a Voyage to and from China," in "Paxton's Horticultural Register," London, 1836]

Construction no X, no Y attested from 1530s (in no peny no pardon). No problem as an interjection of assurance first attested 1963. No way as an expression meaning "it can't be done" is attested by 1968.

In addition to the idioms beginning with no

• no accounting for tastes, there's
• no buts
• no call for
• no can do
• nodding acquaintance
• no dice
• nod off
• no doubt
• no end
• no flies on one
• no fool like an old fool, there's
• no go
• no good
• no great shakes
• no hard feelings
• no holds barred
• no ifs or buts
• no joke
• no kidding
• no longer
• no love lost
• no man is an island
• no matter
• no matter how you slice it
• none of one's business
• none of the above
• none other than
• none the wiser
• none the worse for
• none too
• no news is good news
• no offense
• no pain, no gain
• no picnic
• no problem
• nose about
• nose in
• nose in a book, have one's
• nose in the air, have one's
• nose into
• nose out
• nose out of joint, have one's
• nose to the grindstone, keep one's
• no shit
• no sir
• no skin off one's nose
• no smoke without fire, there's
• no soap
• no sooner said than done
• no spring chicken
• no stomach for, have
• no strings attached
• no such thing
• no sweat
• no telling
• no thanks to
• no time at all
• no time for, have
• no time like the present, there's
• no two ways about it
• no use crying over spilt milk
• no use, it's
• no way
• no wonder

also see:

• all talk (and no action)
• all work and no play
• by no means
• close but no cigar
• come to an end (to no good)
• cut no ice
• do any (no) good
• feel no pain
• hell has no fury
• hold no brief for
• in no case
• in no time
• in no uncertain terms
• leave no stone unturned
• less than (no time)
• long time no see
• lose (no) time
• make no bones about
• make no difference
• make no mistake
• money is no object
• none of one's (have no) business
• point of no return
• pull no punches
• rolling stone gathers no moss
• shadow of a doubt, no
• take no for an answer
• there's no telling
• to little (no) purpose
• to no avail
• under any (no) circumstances
• up to no good
• yes and no