nier

Forms

nier^[1] Old French neier (about 980) and noier;^[2][3][4] nier appears about 1265.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French neier, inherited from Latin negō (“to say no, deny, refuse”).^[5][3][6][7] The Latin verb is derived from the negation nec in a form with /ɡ/, seen also in négoce and négliger.^[3] Littré likewise calls it a derivative of the negation and rejects the old analysis as the negation plus the stem of aiō (“I say”).^[8]

The stressed stem ⟨ni-⟩ won over the regular ⟨ney-⟩ of the unstressed forms, which kept the verb apart from noyer¹ “to drown” and recalled the negation ni.^[5][3][6] Bloch and Wartburg add that dialects, especially in the east, used renier instead to avoid the clash.^[6] Cognate with Italian negare, Occitan negar, Catalan negar, Spanish negar and Portuguese negar.^[9][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Passion of about 980 neier means “to deny God”, to declare that one no longer acknowledges him.^[5][3]

Semantic evolution

From this theological use, close to renier, the verb spread to everyday speech as “to declare that something is not so, deny” (about 1160, Énéas).^[5][3] For a long time it also meant “to refuse something to someone” (about 1180); Trévoux condemned this in 1704 as not good usage, and the sense passed to dénier.^[5][3][6] In law it often means to refuse to acknowledge a liability, as in nier une dette (1538).^[3][2]

The derivative niable dates from 1662, in the Port-Royal Logique.^[3][6] Since the 17th century a pun on the town of Niort has given aller à Niort and envoyer à Niort for denying.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 980 – Neier “to deny God” in the Passion.^[5]
• c. 1160 – “To deny, contradict” in the Roman d'Énéas.^[5]
• c. 1180 – “To refuse something to someone” in Fierabras.^[5]
• c. 1265 – The form nier appears.^[3][4]
• 1538 – Robert Estienne records nier une dette.^[2]
• 1662 – Niable appears in the Port-Royal Logique.^[3]
• 1704 – Trévoux condemns the sense “to refuse”.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To deny, declare that something is not true or does not exist: il nie avoir pris l'argent.^[10][1][2]
2. (absolute) To deny the charge: le suspect continue de nier.^[10]
3. (law) To refuse to acknowledge (a debt, a deposit).^[3][2]
4. (dated) To refuse something to someone; now dénier.^[5][3]

Word family

• niable

Related words

• dénier
• renier
• négation
• Latin negō

Usage notes

Nier l'évidence is to deny what is plain to see.^[10] The noun nieur “habitual denier” was used by Ronsard in 1563 and taken up again in the 19th century.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
6. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 82b
8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert