νή

See also: νη-

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ναί (naí)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₁enos (“that one”), the source of Latin nē (“truly!”), enim (“truly”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /nɛ̌ː/ → /ni/ → /ni/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /nɛ̌ː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ne̝/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ni/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ni/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ni/

Adverb

νή • (nḗ)

1. (used to express strong affirmation, with accusative case of the divinity invoked) by
   • 424 BCE, Aristophanes, The Knights 319
   1. (with the article)
      • 388 BCE, Aristophanes, Plutus 202
2. (in answers)
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.3.6

Further reading

• “νή”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “νή”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 319