Wiktionary

nigh

See also: Nigh

English

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WOTD – 16 October 2011

Etymology

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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

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Adjective

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nigh (comparative nigher or more nigh, superlative nighest or most nigh)

  1. (archaic, poetic) Near, close by, almost, all but.
    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;
    • 1831, John Knox, The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland, page 421:
      By these and many histories more, it is most evident, that the more nigh salvation and deliverance approach, the more vehement is temptation and trouble.
    • 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?
  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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Translations

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Verb

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nigh (third-person singular simple present nighs, present participle nighing, simple past and past participle nighed)

  1. (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

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Alternative forms

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Translations

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Adverb

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nigh (not comparable)

  1. 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

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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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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 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.

Translations

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Anagrams

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Irish

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Etymology

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From Middle Irish nigid (“he washes”)

Pronunciation

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Verb

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nigh (present analytic níonn, future analytic nífidh, verbal noun ní, past participle nite)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) wash

Conjugation

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conjugation of nigh (first conjugation – C)
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

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Further reading

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Scottish Gaelic

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle Irish nigid (“he washes”). Compare English nixie (“water sprite”), Ancient Greek νίζω (nízō)).

Verb

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nigh (past nigh, future nighidh, verbal noun nighe, past participle nighte)

  1. wash, cleanse, purify
  2. bathe
Inflection
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Tense \ Voice Active Passive
Present a' nighe --
Past nigh nigheadh
Future nighidh nighear
Conditional nigheadh nighteadh

Etymology 2

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This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Back-formation from nighean, perhaps?”

Noun

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nigh f (genitive singular nighe)

  1. daughter
  2. niece

Further reading

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  • Edward Dwelly (1911) “nigh”, in Faclair 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”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
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