An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/nimmer

by Friedrich Kluge

nimmer, adv., ‘never, never again,’ from MidHG. niemer, nimmer, nimer (from nie mêr), ‘never (of present and future actions)’; comp. ModHG. nimmer in the sense of ‘no more, never again,’ for which nimmermehr is used in preference. From MidHG. niemêr, nimmêr, ‘never more.’ Both forms are derivatives of OHG. nio and mêr (like AS. nœ̂fre, E. never, from *nâmire); nimmermehr contains the second component twice. See nicht and nie.