nigh
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English neygh, nygh, nye, nyȝ, from Old English nēah, nēh, from Proto-West Germanic *nāhw, from Proto-Germanic *nēhw.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian nai (“near”), West Frisian nei (“near, close by”), Dutch na (“close, near”), Luxembourgish no (“nearby, near, close”), German nah (“close, near, nearby”). See also near.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
nigh (comparative nigher or more nigh, superlative nighest or most nigh)
- (archaic, poetic) near, close by
- The end is nigh!
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 14, page 311:
- 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 foreſt nye.
- a. 1831, Ludovico Ariosto, William Stewart Rose (translator), Orlando Furioso, 2006, Echo Library, page 185,
- He at his head took aim who stood most nigh;
- 1834, Davy Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, page 197:
- The enemy, somewhat imboldened, draws nigher to the fort.
- 1889, House of Commons of Canada, Debates: Official Report, volume 2, page 1408:
- You then went to St. Andrews, the nighest ocean port.
- 2020 May 20, John Crosse, “Soon to be gone... but never forgotten”, in Rail, page 63, photo caption:
- The end is nigh (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 (lyrics and music), “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 us nigh / Unto the shore, the rock of Christ?
- Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ephesians 2:13:
- Ye […] are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Usage notes edit
- Near was originally the comparative form of nigh; the superlative form was next. Nigh is used today mostly in archaic, poetic, or regional contexts.
Synonyms edit
- (near): close, near; see also Thesaurus:near
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
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Verb edit
nigh (third-person singular simple present nighs, present participle nighing, simple past and past participle nighed)
- (transitive, intransitive) to draw nigh (to); to approach; to come near
- 1924, Thomas Hardy, He Resolves to Say No More:
- When the charnel-eyed Pale Horse has nighed
Quotations edit
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:nigh.
Alternative forms edit
Translations edit
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Adverb edit
nigh (not comparable)
- Almost, nearly.
- 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter XII, in Mr. 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 pretty nigh as musty and dead-and-gone.
- 2017 July 16, Brandon Nowalk, “Chickens and dragons come home to roost on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club[2]:
- Hell of a surprise in the seventh season premiere of Game Of Thrones. Arya Stark, fresh off a nigh Cersei-level ambush of the Frey household, comes upon a small campfire surrounded by fresh-faced red cloaks.
Usage notes edit
- Nigh is sometimes used as a combining form.
Quotations edit
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:nigh.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
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Preposition edit
nigh
- 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 ever nigh the Sun?
- 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
- The cottage stood nigh the burn, in a little garden, with lilyoaks and grosart bushes lining the pathway.
- 1661-5, Thomas Salusbury (translator), Galileo Galilei, Dialogue concerning the Two Chief World Systems, 1632
Translations edit
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Anagrams edit
Irish edit
Etymology edit
From Middle Irish nigid (“he washes”)
Pronunciation edit
- (Munster) /nʲɪɟ/
- (Connacht, Ulster) IPA(key): (imperative) /n̠ʲiː/, (analytic past indicative) /nʲiː/
Verb edit
nigh (present analytic níonn, future analytic nífidh, verbal noun ní, past participle nite)
Conjugation edit
singular | plural | relative | autonomous | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
first | second | third | first | second | third | ||||
indicative | present | ním | níonn tú; nír† |
níonn sé, sí | nímid | níonn sibh | níonn siad; níd† |
a níonn; a níos | nitear |
past | nigh mé; níos | nigh tú; nís |
nigh sé, sí | níomar; nigh muid | nigh sibh; níobhair | nigh siad; níodar | a nigh / ar nigh* |
níodh | |
past habitual | nínn | niteá | níodh sé, sí | nimis; níodh muid | níodh sibh | nidís; níodh siad | a níodh / a níodh* |
nití | |
future | nífidh mé; nífead |
nífidh tú; nífir† |
nífidh sé, sí | nífimid; nífidh muid |
nífidh sibh | nífidh siad; nífid† |
a nífidh; a nífeas | nífear | |
conditional | nífinn | nífeá | nífeadh sé, sí | nífimis; nífeadh muid | nífeadh sibh | nífidís; nífeadh siad | a nífeadh / a nífeadh* |
nífí | |
subjunctive | present | go ní mé; go níod† |
go ní tú; go nír† |
go ní sé, sí | go nímid; go ní muid |
go ní sibh | go ní siad; go níd† |
— | go nitear |
past | dá nínn | dá niteá | dá níodh sé, sí | dá nimis; dá níodh muid |
dá níodh sibh | dá nidís; dá níodh siad |
— | dá nití | |
imperative | ním | nigh | níodh sé, sí | nímis | nígí; nídh† |
nídís | — | nitear | |
verbal noun | ní | ||||||||
past participle | nite |
* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
Related terms edit
- níochán m (“(act of) washing; wash, laundry; clothes washed or to be washed”)
- na soithí a ní (“do the dishes”)
Further reading edit
- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “nigh”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “nigid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Scottish Gaelic edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle Irish nigid (“he washes”). Compare English nixie (“water sprite”), Ancient Greek νίζω (nízō)).
Verb edit
nigh (past nigh, future nighidh, verbal noun nighe, past participle nighte)
Inflection edit
Tense \ Voice | Active | Passive |
---|---|---|
Present | a' nighe | -- |
Past | nigh | nigheadh |
Future | nighidh | nighear |
Conditional | nigheadh | nighteadh |
Etymology 2 edit
Noun edit
nigh f (genitive singular nighe)
Further reading edit
- Edward Dwelly (1911) “nigh”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary][3], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “nigid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language