nah German · revision 34853

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 765, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *nēhwaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /naː/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nah''' (strong nominative masculine singular naher, comparative näher, superlative am nächsten)^(Wiktionary)

+ The longer form ''nahe'', originally the adverb, appears from the middle of the 15th century and is used beside ''nah''.^(DWB|13, 275)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|nāch]], [[inh|goh|nāh]], [[inh|gem-pro|*nēhwaz|t=near]].^(Kluge 2011|647)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) The same word is [[got|𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰|tr=neƕa|t=near]], [[non|ná-]] (in compounds), [[ang|nēah]], [[ofs|nēi]] and [[osx|nāh]], and today [[nl|na]] and [[en|nigh]].^(Kluge 2011|647)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993) The preposition [[nach]] was originally its adverb.^(Kluge 2011|645)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Its origin is uncertain, and the sources disagree.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Kluge and the Duden take it as an adjective formed from a local particle that appears as [[cu|на|tr=na|t=on, at, to]], so that it first meant “inclined towards”.^(Kluge 2011|647)^(Duden 7 2020|576) Kroonen explains it as a lengthened-grade formation from [[ine-pro|*h₂nek-|t=to reach]], the root of [[genug]];^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer mentions this as one possibility, beside a compound of the root of [[an]] and of [[Auge]], [[ine-pro|*okʷ-|t=to see]].^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ In Middle High German /h/ was pronounced as a fricative at the end of a syllable, so that [[m|gmh|nāch]] alternated with inflected [[m|gmh|nāher]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The standard language levelled the alternation, but the superlative [[nächste]] kept the old /x/.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''nāh'' is first recorded as an adverb in glosses of the third quarter of the 8th century and as an adjective in glosses of about 765, then in the Benedictine Rule, Otfrid, the Tatian and Notker, meaning “near”, also “almost”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|232)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word was first an adverb and long remained mainly adverbial; adjectival use began with the superlative [[nächste]], and the positive was at first mostly predicative.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Besides space it refers to time and to close relationship, as in ''nahe Verwandte''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DWB|13, 275) Combinations with verbs such as ''nahe gehen'' “to affect deeply” (already Middle High German), ''nahe legen'' and ''jemandem zu nahe treten'' “to offend someone” (1663) became fixed phrases.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Paul notes that ''nah'' alone could mean “almost” (Goethe: ''er ist nahe 17 Jahr''); this sense passed to [[beinahe]] and [[nahezu]], formed in New High German.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|576) The noun [[Nähe]] goes back to Old High German ''nāhī''.^(Duden 7 2020|576)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 765 – Old High German ''nāh'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 1060–1065 – Middle High German ''nāch'' is used by Williram.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * Mid-15th century – The form ''nahe'' appears.^(DWB|13, 275)

+ * 1663 – ''zu nahe treten'' is recorded by Schottelius.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – ''Nächstenliebe'' appears.^(Duden 7 2020|576)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|near]], close in space: ''das nahe Ufer''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Close in time, [[m|en|imminent]]: ''in naher Zukunft''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Close in relationship: ''ein naher Freund''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Near, nearby: ''nah am Fluss''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Nähe]]

+ * [[nahen]]

+ * [[nähern]]

+ * [[nächste]]

+ * [[Nächstenliebe]]

+ * [[beinahe]]

+ * [[nahezu]]

+ * [[naheliegend]]

+ * [[Nachbar]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nach]]

+ * [[genug]]

+ * [[en|nigh]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Von nah und fern'' means “from everywhere”, and ''von nahem'' “from close up”.^(Duden GWDS 1999) Both ''nah'' and ''nahe'' are standard.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}