rien

French

Etymology

From Old French rien, from Latin rem (accusative of res ‘thing’).

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

• IPA: /ʁjɛ̃/, X-SAMPA: /RjE~/

Pronoun

rien

1. nothing
2. anything

Synonyms

• que dalle

Related terms

• de rien

See also

• ne
• néant
• pas

Anagrams

• nier, rein

---

Middle Dutch

Alternative forms

• rigen

Etymology

From Old Dutch *rīan, from Proto-Germanic *rīhanan.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈriːən/

Verb

rien

1. to sew together, to put a thread through

Conjugation

This Middle Dutch verb needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: rijgen

---

Old French

Etymology

From Latin rem, accusative of res.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /riẽn/
• Rhymes: -ẽn

Noun

rien f (oblique plural riens, nominative singular riens, nominative plural riens)

1. thing; object
2. being; creature

Pronoun

rien

1. thing
   • circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:

     "Oïl, mout m'an sovient il bien.
     Seneschaus, savez vos an rien?

     Yes, I remember it well

     Seneschal, do you know anything about it?

2. (used with "ne") nothing

Descendants

• French: rien