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nigh

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Nigh

English

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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 or near, superlative nighest or most nigh or next)

  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 , past participle nite)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) wash

Conjugation

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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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Conjugation of nigh (regular)
stem nigh
verbal noun nighe
past participle nighte
singular plural impersonal
first second third m/f first second third
independent past nigh mi nigh thu nigh e/i nigh sinn nigh sibh nigh iad nigheadh
future nighidh mi nighidh tu nighidh e/i nighidh sinn nighidh sibh nighidh iad nighear
nightear
conditional nighinn nigheadh tu nigheadh e/i nigheamaid
nigheadh sinn
nigheadh sibh nigheadh iad nighteadh
nighist1
nighiste1
negative past cha do nigh mi cha do nigh thu cha do nigh e/i cha do nigh sinn cha do nigh sibh cha do nigh iad cha do nigheadh
future cha nigh mi cha nigh thu cha nigh e/i cha nigh sinn cha nigh sibh cha nigh iad cha nighear
cha nightear
conditional cha nighinn cha nigheadh tu cha nigheadh e/i cha nigheamaid
cha nigheadh sinn
cha nigheadh sibh cha nigheadh iad cha nighteadh
cha nighist1
cha nighiste1
affirmative
interrogative
past an do nigh mi? an do nigh thu? an do nigh e/i? an do nigh sinn? an do nigh sibh? an do nigh iad? an do nigheadh?
future an nigh mi? an nigh thu? an nigh e/i? an nigh sinn? an nigh sibh? an nigh iad? an nighear?
an nightear?
conditional an nighinn? an nigheadh tu? an nigheadh e/i? an nigheamaid?
an nigheadh sinn?
an nigheadh sibh? an nigheadh iad? an nighteadh?
an nighist?1
an nighiste?1
negative
interrogative
past nach do nigh mi? nach do nigh thu? nach do nigh e/i? nach do nigh sinn? nach do nigh sibh? nach do nigh iad? nach do nigheadh?
future nach nigh mi? nach nigh thu? nach nigh e/i? nach nigh sinn? nach nigh sibh? nach nigh iad? nach nighear?
nach nightear?
conditional nach nighinn? nach nigheadh tu? nach nigheadh e/i? nach nigheamaid?
nach nigheadh sinn?
nach nigheadh sibh? nach nigheadh iad? nach nighteadh?
nach nighist?1
nach nighiste?1
relative
future
affirmative (ma) nigheas mi (ma) nigheas thu (ma) nigheas e/i (ma) nigheas sinn (ma) nigheas sibh (ma) nigheas iad (ma) nighear
negative (mur) nigh mi (mur) nigh thu (mur) nigh e/i (mur) nigh sinn (mur) nigh sibh (mur) nigh iad (mur) nighear
(mur) nightear
imperative nigheam nigh nigheadh e/i nigheamaid nighibh nigheadh iad nighear
nightear

1 Lewis dialect form

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