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Nigh

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nigh¹

  • /naɪ/

Rhymes with -aɪ

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ-

Proto-Germanic *nēhwazder.

Proto-Germanic *nēhw

Proto-West Germanic *nāhw

Old English nēah

Middle English neygh

English nigh

Inherited from Middle English neygh, from Old English nēah, from Proto-West Germanic *nāhw, from Proto-Germanic *nēhw, from *nēhwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”).

adjective nigher · more nigh · nighest · most nigh

  1. archaic, poetic Near, close by. The end is nigh!
  2. Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate. Ye […] are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Similar: near

verb nighs · nighing · nighed · ny

  1. ambitransitive to draw nigh (to); to approach; to come near When the charnel-eyed Pale Horse has nighed

adverb

  1. not comparable Almost, nearly. We talked for nigh on to two hours.

preposition

  1. near; close to When the Moon is horned […] is it not ever nigh the Sun?

Nigh²

Where it comes from

* As an English surname, variant of Nye.

* As a German surname, probably Americanized from Neu, Ney.

proper noun Nighs

  1. A surname from Middle English
  2. A surname from German

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