adv. — rare, Newfoundland
none.
Type: 2. Preservation — The term narn is used as a negative adjective with the meaning of 'none; not a single one' (see DNE, s.v. "narn") or 'never a one' (see the 1937 quotation). As noted in DNE, the term likely derives from British English (see DNE, s.v. "narn" (supp)), documented as one of the many forms of "ne'er a" (see OED-3, s.v. "ne'er a"); moreover, EDD marks the term as "in general dialect use in Scotland, Ireland and England", comparing the term with "anon", "never a one" and "norn" (see EDD, s.v. "narn"). A derivation from British English coincides with Newfoundland's settlement history, as the province was settled by people from southwest England in the 18th and 19th centuries (Clarke 2010b: 7). The term's cultural significance is supported by a popular Newfoundland joke, or "the shortest recorded Newfoundland conversation" (see the 1987 quotation). In the joke, two fishermen converse: "Arn?" "Narn" (see the 2003 quotation), which translates into "Are there any [fish]?" "No, there aren't" (see the 1998 quotation).
See DNE, s.v. "narn".