Etymologically
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semmi

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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