古英語のnaefre, never, neverから。ne-, nothing, no, aefre, foreverは、現在はeverと綴られる。
英語の語源
never (adv.)
Old English n?fre "never," compound of ne "not, no" (from PIE root *ne- "no, not;" see un- (1)) + ?fre "ever" (see ever). Early used as an emphatic form of not (as still in never mind). Old English, unlike its modern descendant, had the useful custom of attaching ne to words to create their negatives, as in nabban for na habban "not to have."
Italian giammai, French jamais, Spanish jamas are from Latin iam "already" + magis "more;" thus literally "at any time, ever," originally with a negative, but this has been so thoroughly absorbed in sense as to be formally omitted.
Phrase never say die "don't despair" is from 1818. Never Never Land is first attested in Australia as a name for the uninhabited northern part of Queensland (1884), perhaps so called because anyone who had gone there once never wished to return. Meaning "imaginary, illusory or utopian place" first attested 1900 in American English.
例文
1. Failure is never quite so frightening as regret do.
失敗よりも恐ろしいのは後悔だ。
毎日一言
2.「One thing you can never insure against is corruption among your staff."-"Agreed."
「永遠に防ぐことができないのは従業員内部の汚職だ」-「同意する」
3.The public never had faith in his ability to handle the job.
公衆は彼がこのポストに適任する能力があるとは信じていなかった。
4.He has never exhibited the self-confidence，bordering on arrogance，of his predecessor.
彼は前任者のような傲慢に近い自信を示したことがない。
5.He waited until all the luggage was cleared,but Paula 's never appeared.