nay

See also: Nay, NAY, này, näy, nạy, ŋay, and n'ay

EnglishEdit

 
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EtymologyEdit

From Middle English nai, nei, from Old Norse nei (“no”), contraction of ne (“not”) + ei (“ever”), itself from Proto-Germanic *nai (“never”), *nē (“not”). More at no.

PronunciationEdit

AdverbEdit

nay (not comparable)

  1. (now chiefly archaic or regional) No. [from 12th c.]
  2. (now chiefly archaic or regional) Introducing a statement, without direct negation. [from 14th c.]
    • 1876, Henry James, Roderick Hudson:
      Nay, what are you smiling at so damnably?
  3. (now archaic or humorous) Or rather, or should I say; moreover (introducing a stronger and more appropriate expression than the preceding one). [from 16th c.]
    His face was dirty, nay, filthy.
    • 1663, Samuel Butler, 'Hudibras', part 1, canto 2:
      […] And proved not only horse, but cows, / Nay pigs, were of the elder house: / For beasts, when man was but a piece / Of earth himself, did th' earth possess.
    • 1748, David Hume, chapter 18, in 'Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral', London: Oxford University Press, published 1973:
      And even in our wildest and most wandering reveries, nay in our very dreams, we shall find, if we reflect, that the imagination ran not altogether at adventures,

TranslationsEdit

Usage notesEdit

In Early Modern English, nay was used to respond to a positive question, while no was used to respond to a negative question. Over time, this distinction disappeared.

InterjectionEdit

nay

  1. (archaic) No.

Derived termsEdit

NounEdit

nay (plural nays)

  1. A vote against.
    I vote nay, even though the motion is popular, because I would rather be right than popular.
    Antonyms: aye, yea
  2. A person who voted against.
    The vote is 4 in favor and 20 opposed; the nays have it.
  3. (archaic) A denial; a refusal. [1]

VerbEdit

nay (third-person singular simple present nays, present participle naying, simple past and past participle nayed)

  1. (obsolete) To refuse.

AdjectiveEdit

nay (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Nary. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

AnagramsEdit

AinuEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

nay

  1. swamp.
  2. small river.

TriviaEdit

The ainu word -nay is frequently seen in names of places in Hokkaido and Northeast Japan, such as Wakkanai, Shizunai, etc.

TagalogEdit

NounEdit

nay

  1. abbreviation of nanay, the informal form of ina

Tocharian BEdit

NounEdit

nay

  1. politics, political affairs, governance

VietnameseEdit

EtymologyEdit

Cognate with này.

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

nay • (𠉞, 𫢩, 𬁉)

  1. (of a day or time of day) that is today, or happening today
    sáng/trưa/chiều/tối/đêm nay ― this morning/forenoon/afternoon/evening/night
    bữa/hôm nay
    today
    Sáng nay ăn sáng chưa?
    Have you had breakfast this morning?

NounEdit

nay

  1. (usually literally) now, the present, as opposed to xưa (“long ago; the past”) and mai (“later in the future”)
    Nay không lo làm thì mai không có ăn đâu.
    If you don't work today, you won't be able to afford to eat tomorrow.
    Xưa cả làng sợ họ nhà nó lắm. Nay chẳng ai sợ cái cóc khô gì cả.
    The whole village used to fear their family. These days, though, nobody fears no damn thing.

Derived termsEdit

Derived terms

Related termsEdit

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