† no mopron.1n.adj.1adv.1
In later use archaic and poetic. Obsolete.
A. pron.1 and n.
No greater or additional number or amount (cf. mo pron.1 and n.1). In Old English also with partitive genitive plural.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > [noun] > no more
no moOE
no moreOE
the world > existence and causation > existence > non-existence > [noun] > nothing > no more
no moOE
no moreOE
α.
β. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 527 (MED) Þe geans were alle aslawe þat þer ne bileuede na mo.c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. ii. 234 (MED) Saue Mede þe Mayde na mo [v.rr. nama, no moo; no man] durst abide.1447 O. Bokenham Lives of Saints (Arun.) (1938) 6588 Wych deed is ful longe ago, And but me chyldryn he left no mo.a1500 (?c1450) Merlin 56 (MED) At this counseile were no mo but Pendragon and Vter.1535 Bible (Coverdale) Eccl. iv. 8 There is one man, no mo but himself alone.1576 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent 192 In that day, there issued no moe, but these three, out of the place of paines.a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) iii. i. 36 There is no mo such Cæsars. View more context for this quotationa1626 N. Breton True Descr. of Unthankfulnesse in Wks. (1879) 24 Rare is the Bird, and though there be no mo, Yet you may finde hir when you are alone.1672 Chaucer's Ghoast 13 She againward also hot Him loved onely, and no mo.1699 M. Pix False Friend v. 51 Speak only this, and then no mo.1813 J. Hogg Queen's Wake iii. xvi. 269 My twenty men, I have no moe.a1846 G. Darley In my Bower so Bright in Poems of Late George Darley (1850) 181 I can tell no mo, But the tale was of woe, For the sounds were all lost in the sighing.OE Wife's Lament 4 Ic þæt secgan mæg, hwæt ic yrmþa gebad, siþþan ic up weox, niwes oþþe ealdes, no ma þonne nu.
OE Blickling Homilies 35 Ne bið þara fæstendaga na ma þonne syx & þritig.
OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 89 Sume naman syndon diptota gecwedene, þa habbað twegen mislice casus and na ma on gewunan.
OE Laws of Æðelred II (Claud.) vi. xii. §2. 250 Ne na ma wifa þonne an hæbbe.
lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) xxxviii. 115 Næfde he na ma scipa þonne an.
?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) i. 6422 A douhter had Dinoth & no ma.
a1500 (?c1450) Bone Florence (1976) 1104 Now my lorde ys fro me tane, Y wyll love no ma But hym that boght me.
1575 J. Rolland Treat. Court Venus ii. f. 32 In till hir Court (quod he) is thair na ma. Bot sex Ladeis!
?a1600 ( R. Sempill Legend Bischop St. Androis in J. Cranstoun Satirical Poems Reformation (1891) I. xlv. 373 Of honest men he had na mea.
1632 in J. D. Marwick Extracts Rec. Burgh Glasgow (1881) II. 11 To win na mae in thair lyme craig.
1725 A. Ramsay Gentle Shepherd iii. ii. 39 Only that Lad,—alake! I have na mae, Either to make me joyful now or wae.
1809 T. Donaldson Poems 40 Like her alake? I hae nae mae, Now Muffie's dead.
B. adj.1
No more in number; no additional or further (cf. mo adj.1).
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > [adjective] > no more
no moOE
no moreOE
α.
β. c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 24 The Princes heir heo was for he nadde children no mo.a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) 1271 (MED) Strokes was þer delt na mo.?a1425 MS Hunterian 95 f. 153 (MED) It nedeþ not to write no mo medicynes.a1475 Sidrak & Bokkus (Lansd.) (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Washington) (1965) 9341 (MED) Wonynge stedes ben þer no moo.1485 W. Caxton tr. Paris & Vienne (1957) 30 He had but hyr onely and no moo sones ne doughters.a1600 ( W. Stewart tr. H. Boece Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) 18657 He..Ane sone that tyme and no mo childer hed.1613 in A. Macdonald & J. Dennistoun Misc. Maitland Club (1842) III. i. 34 He had no mo company bot the sax that were with him.OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 94 Ne synd na ma naman speliende, buton þas fiftyne.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 91 Nefede he bern no ma.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 2269 Þe first [speech] bot an was and nama.
c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) 890 (MED) Sais ȝour maister, he make na ma [a1500 Trin. Dub. no moo] sandis.
?1570–1 G. Buchanan Admonitioun Trew Lordis in Vernacular Writings (1892) 31 Scho sould beir na ma childrene to debar yame fra ye croun.
1656 in J. A. Clyde Hope's Major Practicks (1938) II. 27 The lords wold admmitt no mae clerks in the session bot thre.
C. adv.1
1. No longer; not any more.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb] > never > never again
nevermoOE
no moOE
nevermorelOE
no morelOE
nathemoc1275
no (also not any) longer1766
OE Wærferð tr. Gregory Dialogues (Corpus Cambr.) (1900) ii. xxxi. 163 He na ma ne swencte þone ceorl mid þam tintregum.
OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Cambr. Univ. Libr.) i. ix. 44 Ða gesægdon Romane on an Bryttum þæt hi no ma ne mihton for heora gescyldnysse swa gewinnfullicum fyrdum swencte beon.
1486 Bk. St. Albans sig. evb And then So ho so ho, thries and no mo.
1679 in J. Fletcher et al. Queene of Corinth (new ed.) (song) iii. ii in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher 50 Comedies & Trag. sig. B3/2 Grief is but a wound to woe Gent'lest fair, mourne, mourne no moe.
a1770 T. Chatterton Compl. Wks. (1971) I. 112 Then clos'd myne Eyne on Erthe to ope ne moe.
1893 W. Pyott in Harp of Perthshire 343 An' they pressed the cup to her pallid lip, But the true heart throbbed nae mae.
2. In no greater degree, to no greater extent.
ΚΠ
a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 9 (MED) Hwa..mei..hors wectrien þe..nule drinken; Na ma ne mei me her god don, [etc.].
a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) 6204 Right no mo than Gibbe oure cat, That awayteth mys and rattes to kyllen, Ne entende I but to bigilen.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
no mo'adv.2adj.2pron.2
/nəʊ ˈməʊ/, U.S. /ˈnoʊ ˈmoʊ/ U.S. regional (chiefly in representations of African-American usage) and Caribbean.
A. adv.2
In negative contexts: any longer; any more.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > duration > [adverb] > for a long time > for a longer time
moeOE
lengc1000
lengerc1200
overmorea1450
farther1548
no mo'1855
1855 J. Davis Let. 16 July in Boston Investigator 1 Aug. Now sir you will pleas send them [sc. newspapers] no mo for I shall not take them out of the office nor pay for them.
1857 Frank Leslie's Illustr. Newspaper 15 Aug. 2/3 I..lef' Miss Tely with her eyes a shinin' as ef she never was gwine to sleep no mo'.
1880 ‘M. Twain’ Tramp Abroad xxiii. 225 Pap's so po' he cain't run me no mo', so I want to git a show somers if I kin, 'tain't no diffunce what.
1884 ‘M. Twain’ Adventures Huckleberry Finn xliii. 437 ‘Why, Jim?’ ‘Nemmine why, Huck—but he ain't comin' back no mo.’
1895 J. E. Campbell Cunjah Man in Echoes 41 An' now huh hens woan' lay no mo.
1901 J. W. Johnson & R. Johnson (title of song) I don't want to be no actor man no mo'.
1926 L. Hughes Fortune Teller Blues in Coll. Poems (1995) 70 If my man leaves me I won't live no mo'.
1975 S. A. Williams Finding of Nest Coming to Roost in Peacock Poems 61 I didn't take low, not no mo. I held out fo what I knowed I had to have.
2000 I. Khan in N. Hopkinson Whispers from Cotton Tree Root 119 This man can't make a livin at the trade no mo.
B. adj.2
In negative contexts: any more; any other.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] > greater in quantity, amount, or degree
moOE
moreOE
the more partOE
lessa1616
mo'1858
no mo'1858
1858 Southern Literary Messenger 26 388/1 All I cood doo I coodin taik no mo ingziety in it then the mud turkils afosed.
1900 ‘M. Twain’ Pudd'nhead Wilson (Electronic ed.) 188 En you ain't got no mo' feelin' den to come en tell me, dat fetched sich a po' lowdown ornery rabbit into de worl'! Pah! it make me sick!
a1906 P. L. Dunbar Coll. Poetry 165 W'en you don't feel no mo' sorrer Ez you t'ink erbout de grave.
1931 C. J. Correll & F. F. Gosden Here they are—Amos ‘n’ Andy 59 You ain't got no mo' windows you wants washed nowhere, is you?
a1967 L. Hughes Coll. Poems 149 De man come tellin' me they ain't hirin' no mo' colored—just white.
1994 I. Khan Shadows Move in Britannia Bar in S. Brown & J. Wickham Oxf. Bk. Caribbean Short Stories (1999) 116 The boy coil round on the ground till he couldn't bear no mo pain, and then he say, ‘Oh God..Oh God I sorry.’
C. pron.2
In negative contexts: any more (in number or quantity).
ΚΠ
1887 ‘O. Thanet’ in Harper's Weekly 15 Jan. 38/3 I'm done now; I won' stan' no mo' er they all's fool tricks.
a1906 P. L. Dunbar Coll. Poetry 133 I wush dese people 'd stop dey talkin', Don't mean no mo' dan chicken's squawkin'.
1940 L. A. Clarke Interview in Negro in Virginia (1992) 221 Workin' fo' half-share, I was. But Marsa Bob say 'cause de drouf dey want no mo' den half a share growed, an' dat half was hissen... Rather grow my own half-share.
1990 W. Coleman Afr. Sleeping Sickness 236 Debating On whether or no to go in and catch her show or go home Sit alone stewing in mah-man-of-woe-don't-want-no-mo.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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pron.1n.adj.1adv.1OE
adv.2adj.2pron.21855