Etymologically
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ni

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈniː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈniː][1]

Forms

nī (not comparable)[1] The old spelling nei is frequent in archaic inscriptions and is read in some passages of Plautus.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *nei, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *nei, the negation ne combined with a deictic particle ⟨*-i⟩.[3][1] Cognate with Oscan nei (“except”),[3][2] Avestan naē- (“not”), Old Persian naiy (“not”) and Lithuanian neĩ (“nor, than”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from the oldest Latin inscriptions, among them the Duenos inscription and the Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus (nei).[3] The Law of the Twelve Tables has sī in iūs vocat, ītō. nī it, antestāminō, “if he summons him to court, let him go; if he does not go, let him call a witness”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

As a simple negative nī corresponds to nē: it forbids, in laws (nei petitō, “let him not seek”), introduces indirect prohibitions (Cato: caveat nī lābet columella, “let him take care that the post does not slip”), and means “for fear that, lest”.[2][1] It also means “if … not”, like sī nōn, and “unless”, like nisi, often with forte (Plautus: meus hic est homō, nī omnēs dī … dēserunt, “this man is mine, unless all the gods desert me”).[2][5][1]

Church Latin glosses it “if not, unless, that not”.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 450 BC – The Law of the Twelve Tables: nī it, antestāminō.[2][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: nī omnēs dī … dēserunt.[2][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato: caveat nī lābet columella.[2][4]

Meanings

Conjunction

  1. not (in prohibitions, like nē).[2][1]
  2. That … not (introducing indirect prohibitions).[2][1][6]
  3. For fear that, lest.[2]
  4. If … not.[2][5][6]
  5. unless, except if;[2][5][6] nī forte: unless perhaps.[2]

Word family

  • quippinī
  • nīmīrum
  • quidnī
  • nisi

Usage notes

The OLD also lists a doubtful exclamation of triumph, nī nōbīs.[2]

References

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