nawiht

== Middle English == === Pronoun === nawiht (Early Middle English) alternative form of nought === Adverb === nawiht (Early Middle English) alternative form of nought === Adjective === nawiht (Early Middle English) alternative form of nought == Old English == === Alternative forms === nāht, nāuht, nāwuht, nōht, nōwiht === Etymology === From Proto-West Germanic *naiwwiht. Originally equivalent to ne +‎ āwiht or nā +‎ wiht. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈnɑːˌwixt/, [ˈnɑːˌwiçt] === Pronoun === nāwiht n nothing late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy none late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies ==== Usage notes ==== This word has many variant forms: Contractions such as nāwht and nāht are very common, especially in adverbial use. Another frequent form, nān wiht, is a phrase made up of separate words; accordingly, both nān and wiht are inflected. Note that while the compound nāwiht is always neuter, wiht is often feminine as a standalone word, a feature that goes back to Proto-Germanic times: God ne ēht nānre wihte for þȳ hine nān wiht ne mæġ flēon ("God chases nothing [gen. sg. fem.] because nothing can run from him"). Nāwiht (like with āwiht) typically takes a genitive to indicate the quality of the thing being referred to, not an adjective: nāwiht weorðes ("nothing of worth/value"), nāwiht elles ("nothing else"). ==== Declension ==== Strong a-stem: === Adverb === nāwiht not (used to negate adjectives, especially in phrases like "not long ago" and "not far from") Life of St. Guthlac used with ne for emphasis; not at all (often left untranslated) late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Swithhun, Bishop" ==== Descendants ==== Middle English: nought, noght, nouȝt, noȝt ⇒ Middle English: not, nat, note, notte, nate, nutEnglish: notGeordie: nutScots: nat (obsolete)Yola: nat