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semmi

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Etymology and origin of the Hungarian word semmi

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1372–1448 Jókai Codex
Ultimate origin
Hungarian sem,mi
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Hungarian is
Hungarian sem
Hungarian semmi
From the same root
Hungarian senki ← sem
Hungarian soha ← sem

Pronunciation

  • [ˈʃɛmːi][1]

Forms

semmi[1] Old and dialect forms include semym, sëmmi, sömmi and sëmi.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is from Hungarian sem (“not even”) + mi (“what”), a compound formed when the parts grew together in the sentence; senki and soha were made the same way.[2][3][5][6] The sources compare Latin nihil (“nothing”), from ne (“not”) and hilum (“a little”).[2][3] Wiktionary also analyses it as from Hungarian se- + mi.[1]

It was a pronoun at first; the noun “nothingness” arose from it by ellipsis.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

semmy and semym are first recorded in the Jókai Codex, copied about 1448 from a translation made after 1372; the senses there are “nothing” and “not the least, no”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The Jókai Codex also has an indefinite use, “something”.[2][3] As a noun semmi meant “a trifle, an unimportant person” from about 1456, and “nothingness, the absence of being” from 1519 in the Jordánszky Codex.[2][3] In 1676 it is recorded as a medical name for zinc oxide, a translation of the first word of the Latin nihilum album “white nothing”; in the dialects semmi is a solution of zinc sulphate used as an eye remedy.[2][3][7][8] The sense “zero” (1743) belongs to the language reform, and “void, empty space” is recorded in Szigligeti in 1841.[2][3] The attributive “worthless” (semmi ember) appears in Faludi in 1787.[2][3]

The old verb semmít “to annihilate”, of the codices, was revived in the language reform as a legal term.[2] Semmisít and semmisül are from 1508, semmiség “trifle” from 1536 and semmis “void, invalid” from 1554.[3] Semmiházi “good-for-nothing” (1786) was made playfully after surnames in -házi such as Mesterházi; it first meant a penniless man, and on its model senkiházi was formed (1899).[5]

Timeline

  • 1372–1448 – semmy, semym “nothing; no” in the Jókai Codex.[2][3]
  • 1416–1450 – semmít “to annihilate” and semmiképpen “in no way” in the Vienna Codex.[2][3]
  • c. 1456 – the noun “trifle, unimportant person”.[2][3]
  • 1508 – semmisít and semmisül in the Döbrentei Codex.[3]
  • 1519 – the noun “nothingness” in the Jordánszky Codex.[2][3]
  • 1554 – semmis “void, invalid”.[3]
  • 1676 – semmi “zinc oxide”, after Latin nihilum album.[2][3]
  • 1743 – “zero”.[2][3]
  • 1786 – semmiházi “good-for-nothing”.[5]
  • 1787 – the attributive “worthless” in Faludi.[2][3]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. nothing, not a single thing; usually with a second negative word: Nem láttam semmit.[9][1]
  2. (as an attribute) No, not any, not the least: Nincs semmi pénze.[9]
  3. (as an attribute) worthless, insignificant: semmi ember.[9][8]

Noun

  1. nothingness, the absence of being; the void.[2][3]
  2. A trifle, a thing or person of no importance.[2][3]
  3. (colloquial, regional) zero, the figure 0: Írj utána két semmit![8][10]
  4. (dialectal) A solution of zinc sulphate used for the eyes.[7][8]

Word family

  • semmiség
  • semmis
  • semmisít
  • semmisül
  • semmiképpen
  • semmiházi

Usage notes

In a sentence semmi normally needs another negative: semmit sem hallott, nem mond semmit; standing alone, as an answer, it needs none.[9][11] Proverbs and set phrases include Nesze semmi, fogd meg jól (of a worthless gift) and semmibe vesz “to disregard”.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 3, 516
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
  4. ^ Kiss, Géza (1952), Ormánysági szótár, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 474
  5. ^ a b c Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
  6. ^ Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1993–1997), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Ungarischen, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 1361
  7. ^ a b Szinnyei, József (1893–1901), Magyar tájszótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Hornyánszky, p. 2, 366
  8. ^ a b c d Bálint, Sándor (1957), Szegedi szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 2, 400
  9. ^ a b c d Bárczi, Géza; Országh, László (eds.) (1959–1962), A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára, 7 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online at ertelmezo.oszk.hu
  10. ^ a b Csűry, Bálint (1935–1936), Szamosháti szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Magyar Nyelvtudományi Társaság, p. 2, 292
  11. ^ a b Czuczor, Gergely; Fogarasi, János (1862–1874), A magyar nyelv szótára, 6 vols., Pest: Emich Gusztáv / Athenaeum
Cite this entry

“Semmi.” Etymologically, 25 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/hu/semmi. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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