Etymologically
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ни

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Forms

ни (ni)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *ni (“nor, not”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *nei, from Proto-Indo-European *nei.[1][2] The same word is Russian ни (ni), Bulgarian ни (ni), Serbo-Croatian ni, Czech ni and Polish ni; as a stand-alone “no” it survives in dialects and in older Polish and Russian, and it forms negative pronouns and adverbs everywhere.[2][3][4]

ESJS takes *nei as a strengthened form of the basic negation не.[2] It stands alone as a word only in Latin, Oscan, Germanic and Slavic: Latin nī, Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐌹 (nei) and Old High German nī; elsewhere only joined with particles or pronouns.[2][4] The Baltic words are Lithuanian nei (“not even, nor”) and Latvian nei.[1][4][5] Vasmer thinks *nei most likely the negation with a deictic particle added, while Wiktionary takes it as a locative of Proto-Indo-European *né (“not”).[4][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the oldest Gospel manuscripts ни is both an answer, “no”, for Ancient Greek οὐ (ou), and a conjunction: пророкъ ли еси тꙑ? и отъвѣшта: ни “are you the prophet? And he answered: no” (J 1, 21 Zogr Mar As Ostr).[6]

Semantic evolution

The SJS separates the particle (“no”, for οὐ, οὐχί, μή) from four uses of the conjunction: “and not” adding a further negation (καὶ μή, μηδέ), ни – ни “neither – nor”, “also not” (οὐδέ), and “not even”.[6] ESJS records it with other particles, as in аще ли ни “otherwise”, да ни “so that not” and ни ли “is it not?” in rhetorical questions.[2] In Russian it survives as a generalising particle after pronouns and adverbs (кто ни).[4]

Meanings

Particle

  1. no, not (as an answer); for οὐ, οὐχί, μή.[6][7][1]

Conjunction

  1. and not, nor; for καὶ μή, μηδέ.[6][8]
  2. ни – ни: neither – nor.[6][8]
  3. also not, not either; for οὐδέ.[6]
  4. not even; for οὐδέ.[6]

Word family

  • никътоже
  • ничьтоже
  • никогда
  • никакоже
  • ниѥдинъ

Usage notes

The prefix ни- forms the negative pronouns and adverbs (никътоже “nobody”, ничьтоже “nothing”, никогда “never”, ниѥдинъ “not one”); with a preposition it is separated: ни къ комоуже, ни о чемьже.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 545
  3. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 71
  5. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 274
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
  7. ^ Slovník nejstarších staroslověnských památek (digital ed., Gorazd, Slovanský ústav AV ČR, gorazd.org); cf. Cejtlin, R. M.; Večerka, R.; Blagova, É. (eds.) (1994), Staroslavjanskij slovar' (po rukopisjam X–XI vekov), Moskva: Russkij jazyk
  8. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton