neque

Forms

neque (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *nekʷe (“and not”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *nékʷe (“and not, nor”), from *ne (“not”) and *-kʷe (“and”); the Latin word is ne- + -que.^[2][1][3] The TLL notes that the second part of the simple negative could also be the particle of hic.^[4]

Cognate with Oscan nep and Umbrian neip, Old Irish nach and Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌷 (nih).^[2][3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in the Twelve Tables and in Livius Andronicus.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

In the oldest Latin neque (mostly as nec) could be a simple “not”, which later survived only in a few set phrases and compounds.^[3] The usual senses are “and not”, “nor”, “not … either” and “not even”;^[3][6] neque … neque means “neither … nor”, and neque enim “for … not”.^[3][6] Combined with tamen it means “and yet … not”.^[3]

The choice between neque and nec was often a matter of sound, but nec became more common and prevailed in colloquial writers such as Petronius.^[3] Lewis & Short note that nec stands before vowels too in classical prose.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – Used in the Twelve Tables.^[5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: id quod neque est neque fuit neque futūrum est.^[3][5]
• before AD 66 – Petronius prefers the short form nec.^[3][5]

Meanings

Conjunction

1. And not, nor.^[3][6]
2. neque … neque, neither … nor.^[3][6]
3. Not … either; not even.^[3]
4. And yet … not, but … not.^[3]
5. (archaic) Not.^[3]
6. neque enim, for … not;^[3] neque tamen, and yet … not.^[3]

Word family

• nec
• nequedum

Related words

• nē
• nōn
• -que

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press