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Etymology
Dictionary
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Origin and Etymology of the word
NAY.
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From An Etymology
Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat, 1893 |
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NAY,
no, a form of denial. (Scand.) There was a difference in usage
between nay and no formerly; the former answered simple questions,
the latter was used when the form of the question involved a negative
expression. Besides this, nay was the simple, no the
emphatic form, often accompanied by an oath. The distinction went out of
use in the time of Henry VIII; see Skeat, Spec. of Eng. p. 192, l. 22, and the
note; Student's Manual of the Eng. Language, ed. Smith, pp. 414, 422.
Moreover, nay is of Scand. origin, whilst no is E. M.E. nay,
Chaucer, C. T. 1667, 8693; spelt næi, nai, Layamon, 13132.—Icel.
nei,
no, Dan. nei, Swed. nej; cognate with E. no; see No. Opposed to
Aye.
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| Etymology
Dictionary Index |
| A, B,
C, D, E,
F, G, H,
I, J, K,
L, M, N,
O, P, Q,
R, S, T,
U, V, W,
X, Y, Z
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| Key |
| Arab.=Arabic. |
| A.S.=Anglo
Saxon. |
| Bavar.=Bavarian |
| Bohem.=Bohemian. |
| C.=Celtic,
used as a general term for Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Breton,
Cornish, &c. |
| Corn.=Cornish. |
| Dan.=Danish. |
| Du.=Dutch |
| E.=English. |
| E.E.=Early
English. |
| Europ.=European. |
| F.=French. |
| G.=German. |
| Gk.=Greek. |
| Goth.=Gothic. |
| Icel.=Icelandic. |
| Ital.=Italian. |
| L. or
Lat.=Latin. |
| Lith.
& Lithuan.=Lithuanian. |
| M.E.=Middle
English. |
| M.F.=Middle
French |
| M.H.G.=Middle
High German. |
| Norw.=Norwegian. |
| O.F.=Old
French. |
| O.H.G.=Old
High German. |
| Pers.=Persian. |
| Port.=Portuguese. |
| Scand.=Scandinavian,
used as a general term for Icelandic, Swedish, Danish,
&c. |
| Sc.=Scottish. |
| Skt.=Sanskrit. |
| Span.=Spanish. |
| Swed.=Sweish. |
| Teut.=Teutonic |
| Turk.=Turkish. |
| W.=Welsh. |
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