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”).
Meanings
Physically close.
Stay near at all times.
Without any ceremony the near man let drive at my throat with one of those beastly wavy daggers they go in for. 1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
I can't see near objects very clearly without my glasses.
At the end of the line nearest the Arch, under a flary light, stood an old bearded man having the look on his face of a kindly but somewhat irritated moo-cow. 1914, Irvin S. Cobb, Europe Revised:
Close in time.
We're getting near to Christmas.
The end is near.
Closely connected or related.
she is thy fathers neere kinswoman. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Leviticus 18:12:
The deceased man had no near relatives.
Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; intimate; dear.
It is a matter of near consequence to me.
The Besht preached that the simple man, imbued with native faith and able to pray fervently and wholeheartedly with a sense of joy in his heart, was nearer and dearer to God than the learned but joyless formalist spending his whole life in the study of Talmud. 2017, Velvel Pasternak, Behind the Music, Stories, Anecdotes, Articles and Reflections, page 225:
a near friend
Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling.
a version near to the original
So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow.
a near escape
Approximate, almost.
The two words are near synonyms.
(UK, in relation to a vehicle) On the side nearest to the kerb (the left-hand side if one drives on the left).
The near front wheel came loose.
(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
(obsolete) Immediate; direct; close; short.
Toward ſolid good what leads the neareſt way; 1673, John Milton, “[Sonnet] [Sonnet] XVII”, in Poems, &c. upon Several Occasions, London: […] Tho[mas] Dring […], →OCLC, page 61:
(archaic) Stingy; parsimonious.
[T]o let you know, Miss, he's so near, it's partly a wonder how he lives at all: and yet he's worth a power of money, too. 1782, [Frances Burney], chapter I, in Cecilia, or Memoirs of an Heiress. […], volume II, London: […] T[homas] Payne and Son […], and T[homas] Cadell […], →OCLC:
Don't be near with your pocketbook.
(not-comparable) Within the currently selected segment in a segmented memory architecture.
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”).
Meanings
Physically close to, in close proximity to.
Ts'ai Ch'ien 蔡乾 was born in 1908 in Changhua near Taichung, Taiwan (Formosa). 1957, Edgar Snow, Random Notes on Red China, Harvard University Press, published 1968, →OCLC, page 103:
It shied, balked, and whinnied, and in the end he could do nothing but drive it into the yard while the men used their own strength to get the heavy wagon near enough the hayloft for convenient pitching. 1927, H.P. Lovecraft, The Colour Out of Space:
Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys. 2013 August 16, John Vidal, “Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 10, page 8:
This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
He entered the inn, and asking for dinner, unbuckled his wallet, and sat down to rest himself near the door. 1820, Mary Shelley, Maurice:
There are habitable planets orbiting many of the stars near our Sun.
Close to in time.
The voyage was near completion.
Close to in nature or degree.
There was no way Brín felt anything anywhere near what I felt for him. He saw me as a friend. 2019, Emma Lea, A Royal Enticement:
His opinions are near the limit of what is acceptable.
fa کنار (in close proximity to) · lad serka (in close proximity to) · fi lähellä (close to in nature or degree) · cmn 靠近 (in close proximity to) · arz عند (in close proximity to) · be каля́ (in close proximity to) · ru о́коло (in close proximity to) · ms dekat dengan (in close proximity to) · cmn 在……旁邊 /在……旁边 (in close proximity to) · ga in aice le (in close proximity to) · sv i närheten av (in close proximity to) · be ля (in close proximity to) · ko ...의 가까이에 (in close proximity to) · grc πρός (in close proximity to) · sk blízko (in close proximity to) · nl bij (in close proximity to) · lv blakus (in close proximity to) · fa نزدیک (in close proximity to) · gd faisg air (in close proximity to) · hu -hoz/-hez/-höz közel (in close proximity to) · ckb تەک (in close proximity to) · la circiter (in close proximity to) · es cerca de (in close proximity to) · gd goirid do (in close proximity to) · zdj kariɓu na (in close proximity to) · pt próximo de (in close proximity to) · ru бли́зко к (in close proximity to) · hi ... के पास (in close proximity to) · ru во́зле (in close proximity to) · te అన్యోన్యము (in close proximity to) · km ក្បែរ (in close proximity to) · th ใกล้ (in close proximity to) · ar عِنْدَ (in close proximity to) · nl nabij (in close proximity to) · bg бли́зо до (in close proximity to) · sk pri (in close proximity to) · pt perto de (in close proximity to) · uk бі́ля (in close proximity to) · oj jiig- (in close proximity to) · ur ... کے پاس (in close proximity to) · fi lähellä (close to in time) · wa a costé di (in close proximity to) · vo nilü (in close proximity to) · ar بِٱلْقُرْب مِنَ (in close proximity to) · zgh ⴷⴰⵔ (in close proximity to) · svs ghoita (in close proximity to) · ja ...の近くに (in close proximity to) · grc πλησίον (in close proximity to) · ckb نزیک (in close proximity to) · cy ar bwys (in close proximity to) · mk до (in close proximity to) · eo apud (in close proximity to) · ru ря́дом с (in close proximity to) · cy ger (in close proximity to) · la prope (in close proximity to) · mk бли́зу до (in close proximity to) · cs u (in close proximity to) · tr yakın (in close proximity to) · la circa (in close proximity to) · de neben (in close proximity to) · el κοντά (in close proximity to) · ar جَنْبَ (in close proximity to) · rap hahine (in close proximity to) · pl blisko (in close proximity to) · hi ... के नज़दीक (in close proximity to) · ckb تەنیشت (in close proximity to) · te దగ్గర (in close proximity to) · rap tupuaki (in close proximity to) · ang nēah (in close proximity to) · ru у (in close proximity to) · tr yakınında (in close proximity to) · wa dilé (in close proximity to) · mk кај (in close proximity to) · it vicino a (in close proximity to) · vi gần (in close proximity to) · hu közelében (in close proximity to) · la iuxta (in close proximity to) · ary حْدا (in close proximity to) · fr près de (in close proximity to) · arz قريب من (in close proximity to) · cmn 接近 (in close proximity to) · hy մոտ (in close proximity to) · ur ... کے نزدیک (in close proximity to) · nrf près de (in close proximity to) · arz جنب (in close proximity to) · ar قَرِيب مِنَ (in close proximity to) · cs blízko (in close proximity to)
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”).
Meanings
At or towards a position close in space or time.
Nearly; almost.
I near ruptured myself trying to move the piano.
Sir John Friend had very near completed a regiment of horse. 1825, David Hume, Tobias George Smollett, The History of England, page 263:
"I damn near forgot." He pulled an envelope from his jacket. 2004, Jimmy Buffett, A Salty Piece of Land, page 315:
The fire was almost dead, the chamber near dark. 2006, Juliet Marillier, The Dark Mirror, page 377:
Peter ran after them as fast as his legs would carry him, but at last he had only one of the hares left, and when this was gone, he was very near burst with running. 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 169:
I jumped into the near-freezing water.
[…] he hears for certain that the Queen-Mother is about and hath near finished a peace with France […] 1666, Samuel Pepys, Diary and Correspondence, published 1867:
Thinking about those pounds and pence, I near forgot my wound. 2003, Owen Parry, Honor's Kingdom, page 365:
nv áhání (at or towards a position close in space or time) · pl blisko (at or towards a position close in space or time) · eu hur (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ba яҡын (at or towards a position close in space or time) · nl dierbaar (at or towards a position close in space or time) · eve дали (at or towards a position close in space or time) · hi पास (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ckb نزیک (at or towards a position close in space or time) · uk бли́зько (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ja 近く (at or towards a position close in space or time) · sl blízu (at or towards a position close in space or time) · fi lähettyvillä (at or towards a position close in space or time) · nl nabij (at or towards a position close in space or time) · la prope (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ru бли́зко (at or towards a position close in space or time) · rup aproapi (at or towards a position close in space or time) · nl bij (at or towards a position close in space or time) · io apud (at or towards a position close in space or time) · it circa (at or towards a position close in space or time) · pt perto (at or towards a position close in space or time) · hu közel (at or towards a position close in space or time) · te దగ్గరగా (at or towards a position close in space or time) · bg близо (at or towards a position close in space or time) · txb akarte (at or towards a position close in space or time) · lv tuvu (at or towards a position close in space or time) · la iuxta (at or towards a position close in space or time) · arz قريب (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ce уллохь (at or towards a position close in space or time) · nl naverwant (at or towards a position close in space or time) · mk бли́зу (at or towards a position close in space or time) · la propter (at or towards a position close in space or time) · cmn 近 (at or towards a position close in space or time) · he קְרוֹבָה (at or towards a position close in space or time) · vi gần (at or towards a position close in space or time) · grc πέλας (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ang nēah (at or towards a position close in space or time) · mk бли́ску (at or towards a position close in space or time) · mwl acerca (at or towards a position close in space or time) · inh уллув (at or towards a position close in space or time) · acw قَرِيب (at or towards a position close in space or time) · he קָרוֹב (at or towards a position close in space or time) · de nah (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ps نږدې (at or towards a position close in space or time) · fa نزدیک (at or towards a position close in space or time) · be блі́зка (at or towards a position close in space or time) · hi निकट (at or towards a position close in space or time) · es cerca (at or towards a position close in space or time) · fr près (at or towards a position close in space or time) · te దగ్గరగుట (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ca a prop (at or towards a position close in space or time) · az yaxın (at or towards a position close in space or time) · fi lähellä (at or towards a position close in space or time) · kum ювукъ (at or towards a position close in space or time) · evn дага (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ccc a'lotsi'ta (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ko 가까이 (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ang ġehende (at or towards a position close in space or time) · rup aproapea (at or towards a position close in space or time) · grc ἄγχι (at or towards a position close in space or time) · ar قَرِيبًا (at or towards a position close in space or time) · sh blizu (at or towards a position close in space or time)
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”).
Meanings
The left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.
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”).
Meanings
(ambitransitive) To come closer to; to approach.
The ship nears the land.
As he neared a bridge over the East Coast Main Line near Great Heck, he lost control. His Land Rover left the carriageway and veered onto the hard shoulder before biting into the grass verge. 2021 February 24, Greg Morse, “Great Heck: a tragic chain of events”, in RAIL, number 925, page 38:
We started back in the same conditions, and for part of the journey ran through semi-darkness, but the sun appeared once again as we neared London. 1964 May, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Modern Railways, pages 331–332:
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.