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Near

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near¹

  • /nɪə/ UK
  • [nɪə̯] UK
  • /nɪː/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /nɪj.ə/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /nɛː/
  • /nɪə̯/ Australia
  • [nɪː] Australia
  • /niə̯/ New Zealand
  • /nɪɹ/ Canada, US
  • /niɾ/ Scotland

Rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From Middle English nere, ner, from Old English nēar (“nearer”, comparative of nēah (“nigh”), the superlative would become next), influenced by Old Norse nær (“near”), both originating from Proto-Germanic *nēhwiz (“nearer”), comparative of the adverb *nēhw (“near”), from the adjective *nēhwaz, ultimately from Pre-Proto-Germanic *h₂nḗḱwos, a lengthened-grade adjective derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”).

Cognates

Cognate with North Frisian nai, noi, näi (“close, near”), Saterland Frisian nai (“close, near”), Dutch na (“close”), naar (“to, towards”), Dutch Low Saxon nao (“after”), German nach (“after”), nahe (“near”), näher (“nearer”), German Low German nao, nå (“towards”), Luxembourgish no (“after”), Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk nær (“close, near”), Swedish när, nära (“close, near”), Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (nēƕ, “close, near”). See also nigh.

Near appears to be derived from (or at the very least influenced by) the North Germanic languages; as opposed to nigh, which continues the inherited West Germanic adjective. Both, however, are ultimately derived from the same Proto-Germanic root: *nēhw (“near, close”).

adjective nearer · nearest

  1. Physically close. I can't see near objects very clearly without my glasses.
  2. Close in time. The end is near.
  3. Closely connected or related. The deceased man had no near relatives.
  4. Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; intimate; dear. It is a matter of near consequence to me.
  5. Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling. a version near to the original
  6. So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow. a near escape
  7. Approximate, almost. The two words are near synonyms.
  8. UK On the side nearest to the kerb (the left-hand side if one drives on the left). The near front wheel came loose.
  9. dated Next to the driver, when he is on foot; (US) on the left of an animal or a team. the near ox; the near leg
  10. obsolete Immediate; direct; close; short. Toward ſolid good what leads the neareſt way;
  11. archaic Stingy; parsimonious. Don't be near with your pocketbook.
  12. not comparable Within the currently selected segment in a segmented memory architecture. a near pointer

Similar: around the corner, citerior, close, close by, immediate, near, nearby, present, propinquitous, proximate

adverb nearer · nearest

  1. At or towards a position close in space or time.
  2. Nearly; almost. He was near unconscious when I found him.

preposition

  1. Physically close to, in close proximity to. There are habitable planets orbiting many of the stars near our Sun.
  2. Close to in time. The voyage was near completion.
  3. Close to in nature or degree. His opinions are near the limit of what is acceptable.

verb nears · nearing · neared

  1. ambitransitive To come closer to; to approach. The ship nears the land.

noun nears

  1. The left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.

near²

  • /nɪə/ UK
  • [nɪə̯] UK
  • /nɪː/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /nɪj.ə/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /nɛː/
  • /nɪə̯/ Australia
  • [nɪː] Australia
  • /niə̯/ New Zealand
  • /nɪɹ/ Canada, US
  • /niɾ/ Scotland

Rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From Middle English nēre, neere (“kidney, abdomen; (pl.) seat of emotions”), probably from unattested Old English *nēora, *nīora, from Proto-West Germanic *neurō, from Proto-Germanic *neurô; but alternatively borrowed from Middle Low German nêre. Cognate with Scots nere, neir, German Niere, Dutch nier, Norwegian nyre, Icelandic nýra, and more distantly Latin nefronēs pl (Praeneste dialect), Ancient Greek νεφρός (nephrós), all meaning both “kidney” and “testicle”.

In most English dialects, this word survived only as a fossil in the second syllable of kidney (earlier kide-nēre), wherein the original r was apparently replaced with y.

noun nears · neer · niere · neire

  1. Derbyshire, dialectal, rare Kidney.

Near³

Where it comes from

Scottish surname, probably shortened/altered from McNair.

proper noun Nears

  1. A surname.

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