nigh

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See also: Nigh

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English neygh, nygh, nye, nyȝ, from Old English nēah, nēh, from Proto-West Germanic *nāhw, from Proto-Germanic *nēhw.

Cognate with Dutch na (close, near), German nah (close, near, nearby), Luxembourgish no (nearby, near, close). See also near.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /naɪ/
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪ

Adjective[edit]

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

  1. (archaic, poetic) near, close by
    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[edit]

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

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[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • ny (obsolete)

Translations[edit]

Adverb[edit]

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[edit]

  • Nigh is sometimes used as a combining form.

Quotations[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Preposition[edit]

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[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Irish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Irish nigid (he washes)

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

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

  1. (transitive, intransitive) wash

Conjugation[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Scottish Gaelic[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

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

Verb[edit]

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

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

Etymology 2[edit]

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

Noun[edit]

nigh f (genitive singular nighe)

  1. daughter
  2. niece

Further reading[edit]

  • Edward Dwelly (1911), “nigh”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
  • G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “nigid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language