nach

GermanEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old High German nāh with preservation of word-final -h as -ch; thus pertaining to modern nah (“near”) (from Old High German inflected nāh-). Cognate with Dutch na, English nigh.

PronunciationEdit

IPA^(key): /naːx/ (generally)
IPA^(key): /nax/ (as a preposition, unless stressed)
audio
(file)

PrepositionEdit

nach (+ dative)

after, past (later in time)
Viertel nach sechs
a quarter past six

nach einer Woche
after a week
after, behind (in sequence)
B kommt nach A.
B comes after A.
to, towards (with geographical names; see usage notes below)
die Flucht nach Ägypten
the flight into Egypt
according to; guided by
- 1918, Elisabeth von Heyking, Die Orgelpfeifen, in: Zwei Erzählungen, Phillipp Reclam jun. Verlag, page 19:
  Die eigenen Zimmer hatten sich die Enkel nach persönlichem Geschmack eingerichtet.
  The grandchildren had furnished their own rooms according to their personal taste.
by the authority of; following
die Analyse nach Marx
the analysis following Marx
(with verbs of sensual perception) like (see usage notes below)
Das riecht nach Knoblauch. – This smells like garlic.
for (indicating desire for an object)
nach etwas greifen — “to reach for something”

nach etwas streben - “to strive for/after something”

nach etwas suchen - “to search for something”

Usage notesEdit

(to, towards): The directional preposition nach is now used chiefly with geographical names that do not have an article with them: nach Ägypten, nach Hamburg, etc. Only in elevated, literary style are there remnants of a freer use of nach:

nach dem Irak (“to Iraq”) — for which usually: in den Irak

nach dem Schloss (“to the castle”) — for which usually: zum Schloss.

At times, this use of nach conveys the implication that the destination is not reached. Thus: Er fuhr zum Schloss. – “He travelled to the castle [and arrived there].” But: Er fuhr nach dem Schloss. – “He travelled towards the castle [and may or may not have arrived].”

Directional nach with personal names (or names of shops etc.) is found in the regional vernaculars of north-western Germany: nach Peter (“to Peter's house”). This is nonstandard usage.
(like): There may be a slight semantic distinction between the use of nach and wie after a verb of sensual perception. The following phrases both translate to English as “This feels like silk”, but compare the different implications: Das fühlt sich nach Seide an. (“This feels like silk, and it probably is.”) Das fühlt sich an wie Seide. (“This feels like silk, although it’s probably something else.”) This distinction is not a strict one, however.

PostpositionEdit

nach (preceded by dative)

according to
meiner Meinung nach ― in my opinion

AdverbEdit

nach

(in compound verbs) after, behind, later, next to
Meine Uhr geht nach.
My watch is slow.

Derived termsEdit

Related termsEdit

nach-

IrishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

ná (Munster; all senses)

EtymologyEdit

From Old Irish nach, from Proto-Celtic *nekʷe, a combination of Proto-Indo-European *ne (negative particle) and *-kʷe (“and”); compare Latin neque.

PronunciationEdit

IPA^(key): /n̪ˠax/

ConjunctionEdit

nach (triggers eclipsis; used with the dependent form of an irregular verb if there is one)

that...not (introduces a negative subordinate clause; the negation of go).
Dúirt sé nach raibh carr aige.
He said that he didn’t have a car.

ParticleEdit

nach (triggers eclipsis; used with the dependent form of an irregular verb if there is one)

not (in questions)
Nach bhfuil ocras ort?
Are you not hungry?

Chonaic mé í, nach bhfaca?
I saw her, didn’t I?

ParticleEdit

nach (copular form)

isn’t...?/whether/if it is... (introduces negative questions, both direct and indirect)
Nach maith leat bainne?
Don’t you like milk?

Níl a fhios agam an miste dó nó nach miste.
I don’t know if it matters to him or not.
who/which isn’t... (introduces negative relative clauses, both direct and indirect)
an bhean nach múinteoir í ― the woman who isn’t a teacher

an bhean nach maith léi bainne ― the woman who doesn’t like milk

Related termsEdit

Irish copular forms

Simple copular forms

Present/future
	Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative	Neg. inter.
Main clauses	is	ní	an	nach
Direct relative clauses	is	nach
Indirect relative clauses	ar, arb^v
Other subordinate clauses	gur, gurb^v		an	nach
Past/conditional
	Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative	Neg. inter.
Main clauses	ba, b’^v	níor, níorbh^v	ar, arbh^v	nár, nárbh^v
Direct relative clauses	ba, ab^v	nár, nárbh^v
Indirect relative clauses	ar, arbh^v
Other subordinate clauses	gur, gurbh^v		ar, arbh^v	nár, nárbh^v
Present subjunctive
	Affirmative	Negative
	gura, gurab^v	nára, nárab^v

Compound copular forms

Base word	Present/future	Past/conditional
má	más	má ba, má b’^v
ó (“since”)	ós	ó ba, ó b’^v
dá		dá mba, dá mb’^v
mura	mura, murab^v	murar, murarbh^v
cé	cér, cérb^v	cér, cérbh^v
cá	cár, cárb^v	cár, cárbh^v
de/do	dar, darb^v	dar, darbh^v
faoi	faoinar, faoinarb^v	faoinar, faoinarbh^v
i	inar, inarb^v	inar, inarbh^v
le	lenar, lenarb^v	lenar, lenarbh^v
ó (“from”)	ónar, ónarb^v	ónar, ónarbh^v
trí	trínar, trínarb^v	trínar, trínarbh^v

^v Used before vowel sounds

ReferencesEdit

"nach" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “2 nach, nách (‘not’)”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN
C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “3 nach, nách (‘who/which ... not’)”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN
C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “4 nach, nách (‘that ... not’)”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN
C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “5 nach, nách (‘isn’t?, doesn’t?’)”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN

LuxembourgishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old High German nāh (compare German nach, noch (“still”)).

PronunciationEdit

IPA^(key): /nɑχ/
Rhymes: -ɑχ

AdverbEdit

nach

still
Ech léieren nach Lëtzebuergesch.
I'm still learning Luxembourgish.
yet
just

ConjunctionEdit

nach

nor
- Luxembourgish translation of Matthew 5:35:
  nach bei der Äerd, well dat ass d'Bänkelche fir seng Féiss, nach bei Jerusalem, well dat ass deem grousse Kinnek seng Stad.
  nor by the earth, because it is the footstool for his feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Usage notesEdit

Often used with weder (“neither”).

Old IrishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Celtic *nekʷos (“someone, something”); compare nech (“someone”).

PronunciationEdit

IPA^(key): /n͈ax/

DeterminerEdit

nach

some, any
- c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 23b12
  it essamnu de ar ro·fitetar is ar nach n-indocbáil móir fo·daimim-se inso
  i.e. they are the more fearless, for they know that it is for some great glory that I endure this

InflectionEdit

Case	Singular			Plural
Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	nach	nachL	naN	nacha
Accusative	nachN		naN	nacha
Genitive	nachL, naichL	nacha	nach	nachN
Dative	nachL			nach
L indicates a form that triggers lenition; N a form that triggers nasalization (eclipsis) The plural forms shown occur only in negative clauses. In positive clauses, the plural is supplied by alaili, araili.

Derived termsEdit

na ní

VerbEdit

nach

Alternative spelling of nách (“that (it) is not”)

Scottish GaelicEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old Irish nach, from Proto-Celtic *ne-kʷe, a combination of negative particle *ne and conjunction *kʷe; compare Latin neque.

PronunciationEdit

IPA^(key): /nax/

ParticleEdit

nach

not

Usage notesEdit

Used with the dependent form of a verb to produce a negative question.
Nach eil an t-acras ort? ― Are you not hungry?

Chunnaic mi i, nach fhaca? ― I saw her, didn't I?

ConjunctionEdit

nach

that not

Usage notesEdit

Used with the dependent form of a verb to introduce a negative subordinate clause. The negation of gu.
Bha e ag ràdh nach robh càr aige. ― He said that he didn't have a car.

ReferencesEdit

“nach” in Edward Dwelly, Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary, 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, 1911, →ISBN.
C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “2 nach, nách (‘not’)”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN
C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “3 nach, nách (‘who/which ... not’)”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN
C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “4 nach, nách (‘that ... not’)”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN
C. Marstrander, E. G. Quin et al., editors (1913–76), “5 nach, nách (‘isn’t?, doesn’t?’)”, in Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, →ISBN

nach

Contents

GermanEdit

EtymologyEdit

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

Usage notesEdit

PostpositionEdit

AdverbEdit

Derived termsEdit

Related termsEdit

IrishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

PronunciationEdit

ConjunctionEdit

ParticleEdit

ParticleEdit

Related termsEdit

ReferencesEdit

LuxembourgishEdit

EtymologyEdit

PronunciationEdit

AdverbEdit

ConjunctionEdit

Usage notesEdit

Old IrishEdit

EtymologyEdit

PronunciationEdit

DeterminerEdit

InflectionEdit

Derived termsEdit

VerbEdit

Further readingEdit

Scottish GaelicEdit

EtymologyEdit

PronunciationEdit

ParticleEdit

Usage notesEdit

ConjunctionEdit

Usage notesEdit

ReferencesEdit