nee

See also née

English

WOTD – 15 December 2011    

Etymology 1

French née, feminine of né, past participle of naître, to be born.

Alternative forms

• née

Pronunciation

• IPA: /niː/, also IPA: /neɪ/
• Homophones: knee, nay, neigh

Adjective

nee (not comparable)

1. Used when giving the maiden name of a woman.

   Mrs Smith, nee Jones

2. Used when giving a former name. Originally known as.

   Since the name change, Butch (nee Frances) seems more tough and self-assured.

Usage notes

• As it is not a naturalised word in English, nee is often italicised.
• When used for a man, the masculine form né should be used.

Translations

used to indicate maiden name of a woman

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: (after the surname) 氏 (cmn) (shì)

• Czech: rozená (cs) f
• Finnish: omaa sukua (fi), o.s. (fi); syntyään (fi), syntyjään (fi), synt. (fi)
• French: née (fr) f
• German: geborene (de) f, geb. (de)

• Hungarian: született (hu)
• Japanese: 旧姓 (ja) (きゅうせい, kyūsei)
• Russian: урождённая (ru) (uroždjónnaja) f, в девичестве (ru) (v devíčestve)
• Slovene: rojena (sl) f, roj. (sl)
• Spanish: de soltera (es)

used to indicate a former name

• Finnish: entinen (fi), syntyään (fi)

Etymology 2

From Old English ne or na (“no”). Cognate with Standard English no.

Interjection

nee

1. (Geordie) no, used to express no as a quantity, i.e. not any, like German kein/Dutch geen/French rien. Compare with na.

   Nee way man! (No way)

   Thor's nee watter! (There's no water)

• [2004], Bill Griffiths, A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Northumbria University Press, ISBN 1-904794-16-5, page 121:

Anagrams

• een , e'en
• ENE

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Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA: /neː/

Adverb

nee

1. no (clarification of this Afrikaans definition is being sought)

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Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch neen, nee, from Old Dutch *nēn (“none, not one”), from *ne ēn, from Proto-Germanic *ne + *ainaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /neː/, /neɪ/

• audio

  (file)

Adverb

nee

1. no

Usage notes

• Nee is used to show disagreement or negation.

  Nee, je vergist je.: No, you are mistaken.

  Nee, je mag nu geen televisie kijken: No, you may not watch television now.

• Nee has a formal form, neen, which is archaic in spoken language, but quite common in written language.

Anagrams

• een, één, ene

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Dutch Low Saxon

Etymology

Ultimately cognate to German nein.

Adverb

nee

1. (in some dialects) no

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German Low German

Alternative forms

• (Low Prussian) nei; nää (nä)
• (in various dialects) ne, neh, nej

Etymology

Ultimately cognate to German nein.

Adverb

nee

1. (in some dialects, including Low Prussian) no

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Luxembourgish

Adverb

nee

1. Alternative form of neen.

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Navajo

Postposition

nee

1. with you, by means of you

Inflection

Navajo postpositions

	singular	duoplural
1st person	shee	nihee
2nd person	nee	nihee
3rd person	bee
4th person (3o)	yee
4th person (3a)	hee
4th person (3i)	ʼee	—
reflexive	ádee	—
reciprocal	—	ahee