From Old Danish nokær, nogher, noghen, from Old Norse nǫkkurr, cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk nokon and Swedish någon. Grammaticalization of the phrase Proto-Germanic *ne wait ek hwarjaz (“I don't know who = somebody”). For the expression, compare Old English nāthwylc (“somebody”) (from *ne wāt hwylċ), Middle High German neizwer (“somebody”) (from *ne weiz wer), Latin nescio quis (“somebody”). The Danish form has -n from the old accusative, cf. Old Norse nǫkkurn, whereas the plural the old -r- has been replaced by -l- in the plural nogle, cf. Old Norse nǫkkura, Swedish några. The neuter noget contains a different pronoun than the rest of the paradigm: Old Norse nǫkkut, Norwegian Nynorsk noko, Swedish något, from Proto-Germanic *ne wait ek hwat.