no what, adverbial phrase

Origin:
Calque formed on Afrikaans nee wat.
colloquial
nee wat, see nee sense 2.
1900 H. Blore Imp. Light Horseman 242‘Allemag, little uncle, that will never do’, said a young lieutenant of artillery. ‘Shoot a man taken prisoner in a fight? No-what, we shall come into trouble about it.’
1916 S. Black in S. Gray Three Plays (1984) 191Boetie: Four for sixpence, baas. Van K: No what, you’re too dear.
1926 P. Smith Beadle (1929) 50‘Jantje is not afraid?’ ‘No, what,’ said Jantje, sticking out his chest and his stomach, and looking sternly ahead of him. ‘No, what!’
1987 Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)Ag no what. I’ll eat later. I’m not really hungry now.
nee wat, see nee sense 2.
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19001987
nou ja, interjectional phraseint. phr.now-now, adverbadv.
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