nigh

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See also: Nigh

English

WOTD – 16 October 2011

Etymology

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

Adjective

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”‎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

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

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

Alternative forms

Translations

Adverb

nigh (not comparable)

  1. Almost, nearly.
    • 1913, Joseph C Lincoln, chapter XII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D 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:
      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

  • Nigh is sometimes used as a combining form.

Quotations

Derived terms

Translations

Preposition

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

Anagrams

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish nigid (“he washes”)

Pronunciation

Verb

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

  1. (transitive, intransitive) wash

Conjugation

conjugation of nigh (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 /
a 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 /
a 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
† archaic or dialect form

Further reading

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

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

Verb

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

  1. wash, cleanse, purify
  2. bathe
Inflection
Conjugation of nigh (regular)
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
stem nigh
verbal noun nighe
past participle nighte
1 Lewis dialect form

Etymology 2

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

Noun

nigh f (genitive singular nighe)

  1. daughter
  2. niece

Further reading

  • Edward Dwelly (1911) “nigh”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎, 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
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