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nigh

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also:Nigh

English

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WOTD – 16 October 2011

Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European*h₂neḱ-(“to reach”)
Proto-Germanic*nēhwazder.
Proto-Germanic*nēhw
Proto-West Germanic*nāhw
Old Englishnēah
Middle Englishneygh
Englishnigh

    Inherited fromMiddle Englishneygh, fromOld Englishnēah, fromProto-West Germanic*nāhw, fromProto-Germanic*nēhw, from*nēhwaz, fromProto-Indo-European*h₂neḱ-(“to reach”).

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    nigh (comparativenigherormorenigh,superlativenighestormostnigh)

    1. (archaic, poetic)Near,close by.
      The end isnigh!
      Daybreak is drawingnigh.
      • 1590,Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, inThe Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] forWilliam Ponsonbie,→OCLC, stanza 14,page311:
        For with ſuch puiſſance and impetuous maine / Thoſe Champions broke on them, that forſt the fly, / Like ſcattered Sheepe, whenas the Shepherds ſwaine / A Lyon and a Tigre doth eſpye, / With greedy pace forth ruſhing from the foreſtnye.
      • a.1831,Ludovico Ariosto,William Stewart Rose (translator),Orlando Furioso, 2006, Echo Library,page 185,
        He at his head took aim who stood mostnigh;
      • 1831,John Knox,The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland,page421:
        By these and many histories more, it is most evident, that the morenigh salvation and deliverance approach, the more vehement is temptation and trouble.
      • 1834,Davy Crockett,A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett,page197:
        The enemy, somewhat imboldened, drawsnigher to the fort.
      • 1889,House of Commons of Canada,Debates: Official Report, volume 2,page1408:
        You then went to St. Andrews, thenighest ocean port.
      • 2020 May 20, John Crosse, “Soon to be gone... but never forgotten”, inRail, page 63, photo caption:
        The end isnigh (or at least it was supposed to be), but the Pacers in northern England kept plugging away providing a service while awaiting the much-delayed arrival of their replacements.
      • 2020, Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker, Matt Papa, “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death”‎[1]Getty Music Publishing (BMI) / Messenger Hymns (BMI) / Matthew Merker Music (BMI) / Jordan Kauflin Music (BMI) / Getty Music Hymns and Songs (ASCAP) / Love Your Enemies Publishing (ASCAP):
        Who sends the waves that bring usnigh / Unto the shore, the rock of Christ?
    2. Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate.

    Usage notes

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    Synonyms

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    Derived terms

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    Related terms

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    Translations

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    near, close by

    Verb

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    nigh (third-person singular simple presentnighs,present participlenighing,simple past and past participlenighed)

    1. (ambitransitive) todraw nigh (to); toapproach; tocomenear
      • 1924,Thomas Hardy,He Resolves to Say No More:
        When the charnel-eyed Pale Horse hasnighed

    Quotations

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    Alternative forms

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    Translations

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    to approach
    Chinese

    Adverb

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    nigh (notcomparable)

    1. Almost,nearly.
      • 1913,Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter XII, inMr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London:D[aniel] Appleton and Company,→OCLC:
        So, after a spell, he decided to make the best of it and shoved us into the front parlor.[…]It looked like a tomb and smelt prettynigh as musty and dead-and-gone.
      • 2017 July 16, Brandon Nowalk, “Chickens and dragons come home to roost on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, inThe Onion AV Club‎[2]:
        Hell of a surprise in the seventh season premiere of Game Of Thrones. Arya Stark, fresh off anigh Cersei-level ambush of the Frey household, comes upon a small campfire surrounded by fresh-faced red cloaks.

    Usage notes

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    • Nigh is sometimes used as a combining form.

    Quotations

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    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    almost; nearly

    Preposition

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    nigh

    1. near;close to
      • 1661-5, Thomas Salusbury (translator),Galileo Galilei, Dialogue concerning the Two Chief World Systems, 1632
        When the Moon is horned […] is it not evernigh the Sun?
      • 1902, John Buchan,The Outgoing of the Tide:
        The cottage stoodnigh the burn, in a little garden, with lilyoaks and grosart bushes lining the pathway.

    Translations

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    near, close to

    Anagrams

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    Irish

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    Etymology

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    FromMiddle Irishnigid(“to wash”).[1]

    Pronunciation

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    Verb

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    nigh (present analyticníonn,future analyticnífidh,verbal nounní,past participlenite)

    1. (ambitransitive) towash

    Conjugation

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    conjugation ofnigh (first conjugation – C)
    verbal nounní
    past participlenite
    tensesingularpluralrelativeautonomous
    firstsecondthirdfirstsecondthird
    indicative
    presentnímníonn tú;
    nír†    		níonn sé, sínímidníonn sibhníonn siad;
    níd†    		aníonn; aníosnitear
    pastnigh mé;níosnigh tú;
    nís    		nigh sé, síníomar;nigh muidnigh sibh;níobhairnigh siad;níodaranigh /
    arnigh*    		níodh
    past habitualnínnniteáníodh sé, sínimis;níodh muidníodh sibhnidís;níodh siadaníodh /
    aníodh*    		nití
    futurenífidh mé;
    nífead    		nífidh tú;
    nífir†    		nífidh sé, sínífimid;
    nífidh muid    		nífidh sibhnífidh siad;
    nífid†    		anífidh; anífeasnífear
    conditionalnífinnnífeánífeadh sé, sínífimis;nífeadh muidnífeadh sibhnífidís;nífeadh siadanífeadh /
    anífeadh*    		nífí
    subjunctive
    presentgoní mé;
    goníod†    		goní tú;
    gonír†    		goní sé, sígonímid;
    goní muid    		goní sibhgoní siad;
    goníd†    		—gonitear
    pastdánínndániteádáníodh sé, sídánimis;
    dáníodh muid    		dáníodh sibhdánidís;
    dáníodh siad    		—dánití
    imperative
    –nímnighníodh sé, sínímisnígí;
    nídh†    		nídís—nitear

    * indirect relative
    † archaic or dialect form

    Related terms

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    References

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    References
    1. ^Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “nigid”, ineDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
    2. ^Sjoestedt, M. L. (1938),Description d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Description of an Irish Dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ancienne Honoré Champion,§ 162, page125
    3. ^de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1977),Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge: An Deilbhíocht [The Irish of Cois Fharraige: Accidence] (in Irish), 2nd edition, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath[Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies], section 183, page80
    4. ^de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1975),The Irish of Cois Fhairrge, Co. Galway: A Phonetic Study, revised edition, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies,§ 205, page38
    5. ^de Búrca, Seán (1958),The Irish of Tourmakeady, Co. Mayo: A Phonemic Study, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies,→ISBN, section 185, page36
    6. ↑6.06.1Wagner, Heinrich (1959),Gaeilge Theilinn: Foghraidheacht, Gramadach, Téacsanna [The Irish of Teelin: Phonetics, Grammar, Texts] (in Irish), Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath[Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies], section 335, page120; reprinted1979
    7. ^Quiggin, E. C. (1906),A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press,§ 473, page151

    Further reading

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    Scottish Gaelic

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    Pronunciation

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    Etymology 1

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    FromMiddle Irishnigid(“he washes”). CompareEnglishnixie(“water sprite”),Ancient Greekνίζω(nízō)).

    Verb

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    nigh (pastnigh,futurenighidh,verbal nounnighe,past participlenighte)

    1. wash,cleanse,purify
    2. bathe
    Inflection
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    Conjugation of nigh (regular)
    stemnigh
    verbal nounnighe
    past participlenighte
    independentdependent
    activepassiveactivepassive
    pastnighnigheadhnighnigheadh
    futurenighidhnighear
    nightear    		nighnighear
    nightear
    conditional1st singularnighinnnighteadh
    nighist1
    nighiste1    		nighinnnighteadh
    nighist1
    nighiste1
    1st pluralnigheamaid
    nigheadh sinn    		nigheamaid
    nigheadh sinn
    2nd & 3rdnigheadhnigheadh
    relative
    future    		nigheasnighear
    imperative1st singularnigheamnighear
    nightear
    2nd singularnigh
    3rd singularnigheadh
    1st pluralnigheamaid
    2nd pluralnighibh
    3rd pluralnigheadh

    1 Lewis dialect form

    Combined conjugation of nigh (regular)
    stemnigh
    verbal nounnighe
    past participlenighte
    singularpluralimpersonal
    firstsecondthirdm/ffirstsecondthird
    independentpastnigh minigh thunigh e/inigh sinnnigh sibhnigh iadnigheadh
    futurenighidh minighidh tunighidh e/inighidh sinnnighidh sibhnighidh iadnighear
    nightear
    conditionalnighinnnigheadh tunigheadh e/inigheamaid
    nigheadh sinn    		nigheadh sibhnigheadh iadnighteadh
    nighist1
    nighiste1
    negativepastcha donigh micha donigh thucha donigh e/icha donigh sinncha donigh sibhcha donigh iadcha donigheadh
    futurechanigh michanigh thuchanigh e/ichanigh sinnchanigh sibhchanigh iadchanighear
    chanightear
    conditionalchanighinnchanigheadh tuchanigheadh e/ichanigheamaid
    chanigheadh sinn    		chanigheadh sibhchanigheadh iadchanighteadh
    chanighist1
    chanighiste1
    affirmative
    interrogative    		pastan donigh mi?an donigh thu?an donigh e/i?an donigh sinn?an donigh sibh?an donigh iad?an donigheadh?
    futureannigh mi?annigh thu?annigh e/i?annigh sinn?annigh sibh?annigh iad?annighear?
    annightear?
    conditionalannighinn?annigheadh tu?annigheadh e/i?annigheamaid?
    annigheadh sinn?    		annigheadh sibh?annigheadh iad?annighteadh?
    annighist?1
    annighiste?1
    negative
    interrogative    		pastnach donigh mi?nach donigh thu?nach donigh e/i?nach donigh sinn?nach donigh sibh?nach donigh iad?nach donigheadh?
    futurenach nigh mi?nach nigh thu?nach nigh e/i?nach nigh sinn?nach nigh sibh?nach nigh iad?nach nighear?
    nach nightear?
    conditionalnachnighinn?nachnigheadh tu?nachnigheadh e/i?nachnigheamaid?
    nachnigheadh sinn?    		nachnigheadh sibh?nachnigheadh iad?nachnighteadh?
    nachnighist?1
    nachnighiste?1
    relative
    future    		affirmative(ma)nigheas mi(ma)nigheas thu(ma)nigheas e/i(ma)nigheas sinn(ma)nigheas sibh(ma)nigheas iad(ma)nighear
    negative(mur)nigh mi(mur)nigh thu(mur)nigh e/i(mur)nigh sinn(mur)nigh sibh(mur)nigh iad(mur)nighear
    (mur)nightear
    imperativenigheamnighnigheadh e/inigheamaidnighibhnigheadh iadnighear
    nightear

    1 Lewis dialect form

    Etymology 2

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    Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.
    Particularly: “Back-formation fromnighean, perhaps?”

    Noun

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    nigh f (genitive singularnighe)

    1. daughter
    2. niece

    Further reading

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    • Edward Dwelly (1911), “nigh”, inFaclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎[3], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited,→ISBN
    • Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “nigid”, ineDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
    Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=nigh&oldid=88586074"
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