nay
English
Etymology
From Middle English nai, nei, from Old Norse nei (“no”), contraction of ne (“not”) + ei (“ever”), itself from Proto-Germanic *nai (“never”), *nē (“not”). More at no.
Usage notes
In Early Modern English, nay was used to respond to a positive question, while no was used to respond to a negative question. Over time, this distinction disappeared.
Conjunction
nay
- or even, or more like, or should I say. Introduces a stronger and more appropriate expression than the preceding one.
- His face was dirty, nay filthy.
- 1663, Samuel Butler, 'Hudibras', part 1, canto 2:
- […] And proved not only horse, but cows, / Nay pigs, were of the elder house: / For beasts, when man was but a piece / Of earth himself, did th' earth possess.
- 1748, David Hume, chapter 18, in 'Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral', London: Oxford University Press, published 1973:
- And even in our wildest and most wandering reveries, nay in our very dreams, we shall find, if we reflect, that the imagination ran not altogether at adventures,
Translations
or even
Noun
nay (plural nays)
- A vote against.
- I vote nay, even though the motion is popular, because I would rather be right than popular.
- A person who voted against.
- The vote is 4 in favor and 20 opposed; the nays have it.
- (archaic) A denial; a refusal.
- 14th c, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Clerk's Tale”, in D. Laing Purves, editor, 'The Canterbury Tales and Faerie Queene, with Other Poems of Chaucer and Spenser', published 1870, page 100:
-
Antonyms
- (A vote against): yea
Vietnamese
Etymology
Cognate with này.
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [naj˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [naj˧˧]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [naj˧˧]
Related terms
- này (“this”)
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