Do Not
/duː nɒt/noun
A verb phrase used to form a negative command or statement.
Did you know?English “not” developed from Old English nāwiht, literally “no thing,” while “do” ultimately descends from a root meaning “to put” or “place.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeh₁-
“To put, place, or set; the ancestral root behind “do.””
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dōną
“To do, make, or perform.”
Old English
Old English
dōn
“To do, make, or act.”
Old English
Old English
nāwiht
“No thing; the source of the later negative word “not.””
Middle English
Middle English
do not
“A developing auxiliary construction used to express negation or prohibition.”
Modern English
English
do not
“A standard negative command or auxiliary phrase, as in “Do not enter.””