né Italian · revision 38162

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=end of the 12th century, Ritmo laurenziano|origins=la nec}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ne/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''né''' (invariable; literary ''ned'' before a vowel)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(GDLI)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|nec|t=and not, nor]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin word is the shortened form of [[m|la|neque]] used before consonants, a compound of the negation [[m|la|ne|t=not]] and the enclitic [[m|la|-que|t=and]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(DELI 1999) The word is panromance: [[fr|ni]], [[oc|ni]], [[ca|ni]], [[es|ni]], [[pt|nem]] and [[sc|nei]], while [[ro|nici]] comes from the full form.^(Nocentini 2010)

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+ Treccani notes that the conjunction doubles a following single consonant (syntactic doubling), as the spelling shows in compounds such as [[nemmeno]] and [[neppure]].^(Treccani 2011)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is the ''Ritmo laurenziano'', at the end of the 12th century, where ''né'' joins two or more negative elements or clauses.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) GRADIT dates it to the 13th century.^(GRADIT 2003)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian also used the euphonic ''ned'' before a vowel: Rustico writes “non è folle ned erra” (he is not foolish nor does he err).^(GDLI) ''Né'' could be strengthened by a second negation, as in Dante's “né fiamma d'esto incendio non m'assale” (nor does a flame of this fire assail me), and could mean “not even” or “so that not”, senses now obsolete.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) At the head of a sentence it gives a literary emphasis, as in Foscolo's “Né più mai toccherò le sacre sponde” (never again shall I touch the sacred shores).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

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+ The compounds of ''né'' with other adverbs date from the 14th to the 17th century: ''neppure'' 14th century, ''neanche'' 15th, ''nemmanco'' 16th and ''nemmeno'' 17th, in Nocentini's dates;^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) DELI's first ''neanche'' is Paolo Segneri in 1686.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * End of the 12th century – The ''Ritmo laurenziano'' has the first record.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 14th century – ''Neppure'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 15th century – ''Neanche'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 16th century – ''Nemmanco'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 17th century – ''Nemmeno'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|neither]] … [[m|en|nor]]: repeated before each of two or more elements of a negative sentence: ''Non mangia né carne né formaggio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # And not, nor: joining two or more negative clauses: ''Non è uscito né ha telefonato.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(literary)'' And not, joining a positive clause to a negative one, or opening a sentence with negative force.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' Not even.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' So that not.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[neanche]]

+ * [[nemmeno]]

+ * [[neppure]]

+ * [[nemmanco]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|nec]]

+ * [[la|neque]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ When the elements joined by ''né'' come before the verb, the verb has no ''non'' (''né Luca né Anna sono partiti''); when they follow it, the verb takes ''non'' (''non sono partiti né Luca né Anna'').^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Many idioms use it: ''né carne né pesce'' (neither one thing nor the other), ''né più né meno'' (exactly), ''né punto né poco'' (not at all), ''non fare né caldo né freddo'' (to leave one indifferent) and ''senza capo né coda'' (without rhyme or reason).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary) The older spelling ''nè'' with a grave accent is a variant.^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}