няхай

Belarusian

Alternative forms

• неха́й (njexáj), хай (xaj)
• niachaj — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Ruthenian нехай (nexaj, “let”), the second person singular imperative of Old Ruthenian нехати (nexati, “to leave be, to let go, to abandon”). Compare Czech nechť, Polish niechaj, Serbo-Croatian neka, Ukrainian неха́й (nexáj).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [nʲaˈxaj]
• Rhymes: -aj

• Audio:

  (file)

Particle

няха́й • (njaxáj)

1. may, let (expressing a wish)

   Няха́й ву́чыцца, калі́ хоча. ― Njaxáj vúčycca, kalí xóča. ― Let him study if he wants to.

   Няха́й бу́дзе так. ― Njaxáj búdzje tak. ― Let it be so.

   Няха́й бу́дзе, што бу́дзе ― Njaxáj búdzje, što búdzje ― Come what may

Conjunction

няха́й • (njaxáj)

1. although, though, even (if), may

   Зада́ча няха́й ця́жкая, але́ выкана́льная. ― Zadáča njaxáj cjážkaja, aljé vykanálʹnaja. ― The task may be difficult, but it is doable. (literally, “The task though difficult, but (it is) doable.”)

Descendants

• (from the хай component): Yiddish: כאַלט (khalt)

References

• “няхай” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org
• “няхай”, in Skarnik's Belarusian dictionary (in Belarusian), based on Kandrat Krapiva's Explanatory Dictionary of the Belarusian Language (1977-1984)