no

no

1. No is used (1) as an adjective or (in the terminology of some linguists) negative determiner, with both singular and plural nouns, as in no house / no children / and no food, (2) as an adverb, as in They were no wiser, (3) as an interjection, as in ‘Did you hear that?’ ‘No, I didn't.’, and (4) as a noun (with plural noes), meaning ‘a denial’ or ‘a vote of no’, as in We won't take no for an answer and The noes have it (meaning a parliamentary motion has been defeated). It is not often realized that there are two words involved here: the first meaning comes from a Middle English word related to none, while the other meanings are of Old English origin.

2. In the first meaning, no can be used to form a negative statement instead of not, e.g. There are no wasps at this time of year instead of There aren't any wasps at this time of year. But note the difference in implication between He is not a teacher (= he is something other than a teacher) and He is no teacher (= he is not suited to be a teacher).

3. The idiom whether or no is an established though now somewhat dated alternative for whether or not, and tends to be found in the pages of romantic fiction:

• For whether or no she had been instrumental in the making of that despicable will, it was her presence here that had caused it to be made —E. Bailey, 1993.