Rien
/ʁjɛ̃/noun
A French word meaning “nothing,” also used in English in certain French expressions.
Did you know?Rien developed from Latin rem, meaning “thing,” because Old French speakers commonly used it in negative constructions equivalent to “not a thing,” gradually turning it into “nothing.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reh₁-
“A reconstructed root associated with property or possessions”
Classical Latin
Latin
rēs
“A thing, matter, affair, or property”
Classical Latin
Latin
rem
“The accusative form of rēs: “a thing””
9th–12th Century
Old French
ren
“A thing, especially in negative expressions such as “not a thing””
12th–14th Century
Old French
rien
“Nothing; the meaning shifted through frequent use with negation”
Modern French
French
rien
“Nothing; anything in certain negative or interrogative constructions”
Modern English
English
rien
“A French loanword used mainly in expressions such as “rien ne va plus,” meaning “no more bets””