Etymology Dictionary

N.  A few remarks upon this letter are necessary.  An initial n, in English, is very liable to be prefixed to a word which properly begins with a vowel; and again, on the other hand, an original initial n is sometimes dropped.   A. In the former case, the n is probably due to the final letter of an or mine; thus an ewt becomes a newt, mine uncle becomes my nuncle, and hence newt and nuncle, used independently.  Other examples occur in nickname for eke-name, and nugget, formerly niggot = ningot, for ingot.   In Middle-English, numerous similar examples occur, such as a noke for an oke, an oak (cf. John Nokes = John an-oaks, i.e. John of the oaks); a naye = an aye, an egg; thi nye = thin ye, thine eye; thi nynon = thin ynon, thine eyes; examples of all these are given in Halliwell, under noke, naye, nye, and nynon respectively.  In the case of for the nonce, the n belongs to the old dat. case of the article, the older phrase being for then ones; see Nonce.   B. On the other hand, an original n is lost in auger for nauger, in the sense of a carpenter's tool; in umpire for numpire, adder for nadder, orange for norange, apron for napron, ouch for nouch.   See my note to P. Plowman, C. xx. 306.