nigh

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English[edit]

WOTD – 16 October 2011

Etymology[edit]

From Old English nēah, nēh, 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]

Adjective[edit]

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

  1. (archaic, poetic) near, close by
    The end is nigh!
  2. Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate.
    • Knolles
      nigh kinsmen
    • Bible, Eph. ii. 13
      Ye […] are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Usage notes[edit]

Synonyms[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. To draw nigh (to); to approach; to come near.
    night is nighing, death is nighing
    nighing his hour
    a death-nighing moan

Quotations[edit]

Translations[edit]

Adverb[edit]

nigh (not comparable)

  1. Almost, nearly.
    Achieving the summit in a single day is, well, nigh impossible.
    • 2017 July 16, Brandon Nowalk, “Chickens and dragons come home to roost on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club[1]:
      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.
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 12, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      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.

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
    When the Moon is horned ... is it not ever nigh the Sun?

Translations[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Irish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Irish nigid (“he washes”), from Proto-Indo-European *neygʷ- (“to wash”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

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

  1. (transitive, intransitive) wash

Conjugation[edit]

First Conjugation (C)
singular plural relative autonomous
first second third first second third
indicative present ním níonn tú;
nír†		 níonn sé, sí nímid níonn sibh níonn siad;
níd†		 a níonn; a níos nitear
past nigh mé; níos nigh tú;
nís		 nigh sé, sí níomar; nigh muid nigh sibh; níobhair nigh siad; níodar a nigh /
ar nigh*		 níodh
past habitual nínn niteá níodh sé, sí nimis; níodh muid níodh sibh nidís; níodh siad a níodh /
ar níodh*		 nití
future nífidh mé;
nífead		 nífidh tú;
nífir†		 nífidh sé, sí nífimid;
nífidh muid		 nífidh sibh nífidh siad;
nífid†		 a nífidh; a nífeas nífear
conditional nífinn nífeá nífeadh sé, sí nífimis; nífeadh muid nífeadh sibh nífidís; nífeadh siad a nífeadh /
ar nífeadh*		 nífí
subjunctive present go ní mé;
go níod†		 go ní tú;
go nír†		 go ní sé, sí go nímid;
go ní muid		 go ní sibh go ní siad;
go níd†		 — go nitear
past dá nínn dá niteá dá níodh sé, sí dá nimis;
dá níodh muid		 dá níodh sibh dá nidís;
dá níodh siad		 — dá nití
imperative ním nigh níodh sé, sí nímis nígí;
nídh†		 nídís — nitear
verbal noun ní
past participle nite

* Indirect relative
† Dialect form

Related terms[edit]

  • níochán m (“(act of) washing; wash, laundry; clothes washed or to be washed”)

References[edit]

  • "nigh" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
  • “nigid” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Scottish Gaelic[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle Irish nigid (“he washes”), from Proto-Indo-European *neygʷ- (“to wash”) (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]

Noun[edit]

nigh f (genitive singular nighe)

  1. daughter
  2. niece

References[edit]

  • Faclair Gàidhlig Dwelly Air Loidhne, Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, ISBN 0 901771 92 9
  • “nigid” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
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