ne Latin · revision 17762

+ Latin has two words spelled ''nē'': the negative “not, lest”, and the affirmative particle “truly”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) The enclitic question particle is ''[[-ne]]''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

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+ {{homograph|1|not, lest}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=7th–3rd century BC, Duenos inscription|origins=ine-pro *nē}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈneː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnɛː]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nē''' (+ subjunctive)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The negative is [[inh|itc-pro|*nē]], [[inh|ine-pro|*nē|t=not]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan explains the long vowel either as the stressed form of [[m|ine-pro|*ne|t=not]] (the base of [[nōn]] and [[neque]]) or as a remodelling of [[m|ine-pro|*meh₁|t=that not]] with ⟨n-⟩; since [[nēve]] matches the Celtic word for “or”, he prefers the first view.^(de Vaan 2008) Old Latin also writes ⟨nei⟩ and ⟨ni⟩.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

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+ Cognate with [[osc|ni]], [[xum|ne]] and [[sa|ना|tr=nā]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It appears on the Duenos inscription and in the Twelve Tables: ''hominem mortuum in urbe nē sepelītō nēve ūritō'' “let no one bury or burn a dead man in the city”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Nē'' is the negative of commands and prohibitions (with the imperative in early laws, with the subjunctive in speech: ''nē fēceris''), of wishes (''nē vīvam sī sciō'' “may I die if I know”), and of purpose clauses (“so that not, lest”).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) After verbs of fearing it means “that”, and after verbs of looking or considering “to make sure that not”.^(OLD 2012)^(Stelten 1995) ''Nē … quidem'' means “not even”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ''Nē quis'', ''nē quandō'' and the like are sometimes written as single words.^(OLD 2012) The negative prefix ''ne-'' of [[nefās]], [[nēmō]] and [[nesciō]] belongs here.^(OLD 2012)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 7th–3rd century BC – On the Duenos inscription.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 450 BC – ''nē sepelītō nēve ūritō'' in the Twelve Tables.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''nē flē'', “don't cry”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero: ''nē vīvam sī sciō''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|not]] (in commands, prohibitions and wishes): ''nē fēceris'', don't do it.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''nē … quidem'', not even.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # ''(with subjunctive)'' That not, so that not, [[m|en|lest]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(after verbs of fearing)'' That.^(Stelten 1995)^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(after verbs of looking)'' To make sure that not;^(OLD 2012) ''vidē nē'', perhaps.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nēve]]

+ * [[nēquīquam]]

+ * [[nēquam]]

+ * [[nēquāquam]]

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+ {{homograph|2|truly}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈneː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnɛː]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nē''' ^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The affirmative particle is either taken from or cognate with [[grc|νή|tr=nḗ]] and [[m|grc|ναί|tr=naí|t=yes, truly]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Wiktionary derives it from [[m|ine-pro|*né-h₁|t=that way, so]].^(Wiktionary) The spelling ⟨nae⟩ is found in Fronto and as an inferior reading elsewhere.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found in Plautus: ''nē ego homō īnfēlīx fuī'' “truly I was an unlucky man”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is used almost only with a personal pronoun or with ''ille'' and ''iste'' (''nē ego'', ''nē tū'', ''nē ille''), and in Classical prose usually with a conditional clause.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Interjection===

+ # [[m|en|truly]], [[m|en|indeed]], assuredly (with a pronoun).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nī]]

+ * [[nōn]]

+ * [[neque]]

+ * [[-ne]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}