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”).
Meanings
(archaic, poetic) Near, close by.
a. 1831, Ludovico Ariosto, William Stewart Rose (translator), Orlando Furioso, 2006, Echo Library, page 185,
He at his head took aim who stood most nigh;
Who sends the waves that bring us nigh / Unto the shore, the rock of Christ? 2020, Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker, Matt Papa, “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death”Getty Music Publishing (BMI) / Messenger Hymns (BMI) / Matthew Merker Music (BMI) / Jordan Kauflin Music (BMI) / Getty Music Hymns and Songs (ASCAP) / Love Your Enemies Publishing (ASCAP):
You then went to St. Andrews, the nighest ocean port. 1889, House of Commons of Canada, Debates: Official Report, volume 2, page 1408:
The enemy, somewhat imboldened, draws nigher to the fort. 1834, Davy Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, page 197:
By these and many histories more, it is most evident, that the more nigh salvation and deliverance approach, the more vehement is temptation and trouble. 1831, John Knox, The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland, page 421:
Daybreak is drawing nigh.
For with ſuch puiſſance and impetuous maine / Thoſe Champions broke on them, that forſt the fly, / Like ſcattered Sheepe, whenas the Shepherds ſwaine / A Lyon and a Tigre doth eſpye, / With greedy pace forth ruſhing from the foreſt nye. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 14, page 311:
The end is nigh (or at least it was supposed to be), but the Pacers in northern England kept plugging away providing a service while awaiting the much-delayed arrival of their replacements. 2020 May 20, John Crosse, “Soon to be gone... but never forgotten”, in Rail, page 63, photo caption:
The end is nigh!
Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate.
Ye […] are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ephesians 2:13:
fr près (near, close by) · tr yakın (near, close by) · fa نزدیک (near, close by) · es cerca (near, close by) · ru бли́зкий (near, close by) · de nah bei (near, close by) · ja 近い (near, close by) · es cabe (near, close by) · sv nära (near, close by) · pl rychły (near, close by) · ar قَرِيب (near, close by) · fi likeinen (near, close by) · pt perto (near, close by) · ru бли́жний (near, close by) · lt šalia (near, close by) · fr proche (near, close by) · sh u blizini (near, close by) · cs blízký (near, close by) · oc prèp (near, close by) · el κοντά (near, close by) · ota یاقین (near, close by) · nl naderbij (near, close by) · sv när (near, close by) · fi läheinen (near, close by) · nl dichtbij (near, close by) · gl preto (near, close by) · hu közel (near, close by) · sq ngjitur (near, close by) · lt arti (near, close by) · sh бли́зу (near, close by) · aln nit (near, close by) · sh blízu (near, close by) · gl próximo (near, close by) · pt próximo (near, close by) · bg близък (near, close by) · de nahe (near, close by) · nl nabij (near, close by) · pl bliski (near, close by) · sh u blizini (near, close by)
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”).
Meanings
near; close to
The cottage stood nigh the burn, in a little garden, with lilyoaks and grosart bushes lining the pathway. 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
When the Moon is horned […] is it not ever nigh the Sun? 1661-5, Thomas Salusbury (translator), Galileo Galilei, Dialogue concerning the Two Chief World Systems, 1632
Translations (15)
ru во́зле (near, close to) · cs vedle (near, close to) · ru бли́зко (near, close to) · fi lähellä (near, close to) · fi liki (near, close to) · cs při (near, close to) · ru о́коло (near, close to) · bg наблизо (near, close to) · fa نزدیک (near, close to) · pl obok (near, close to) · ru ря́дом (near, close to) · arz قريب من (near, close to) · cs u (near, close to) · pl blisko (near, close to) · ar بُالْقُرب مِن (near, close to)
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”).
Meanings
(not-comparable) Almost, nearly.
We talked for nigh on to two hours.
Hell of a surprise in the seventh season premiere of Game Of Thrones. Arya Stark, fresh off a nigh Cersei-level ambush of the Frey household, comes upon a small campfire surrounded by fresh-faced red cloaks. 2017 July 16, Brandon Nowalk, “Chickens and dragons come home to roost on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club:
So, after a spell, he decided to make the best of it and shoved us into the front parlor.[…]It looked like a tomb and smelt pretty nigh as musty and dead-and-gone. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter XII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
fa نزدیک (almost; nearly) · de beinahe (almost; nearly) · ga i bhfogas (almost; nearly) · ru приблизи́тельно (almost; nearly) · fi miltei (almost; nearly) · ang fornēah (almost; nearly) · el κοντά (almost; nearly) · grc ἄγχι (almost; nearly) · de nahezu (almost; nearly) · pl blisko (almost; nearly) · sv nästan (almost; nearly) · pl wkrótce (almost; nearly) · cs skoro (almost; nearly) · pl rychle (almost; nearly) · ga in aice (almost; nearly) · ru почти́ (almost; nearly) · bg почти (almost; nearly) · ga i gcóngar (almost; nearly) · fi lähes (almost; nearly) · pl niebawem (almost; nearly) · sv närpå (almost; nearly) · es cercano (almost; nearly) · pl rychło (almost; nearly) · cs téměř (almost; nearly) · tr neredeyse (almost; nearly) · fi melkein (almost; nearly)
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”).
Meanings
(ambitransitive) to draw nigh (to); to approach; to come near
When the charnel-eyed Pale Horse has nighed 1924, Thomas Hardy, He Resolves to Say No More:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
nighing
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
nighs
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
nighed
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
nighed
Tense=Past
lexicographic
ny
alternative, obsolete
lexicographic
Translations (20)
hu közeleg (to approach) · hu eljön (to approach) · pl przybliżyć się (to approach) · cs přibližovat se (to approach) · cs přiblížit se (to approach) · fi lähestyä (to approach) · pl przybliżać się (to approach) · hu eljő (to approach) · ru близиться (to approach) · bg доближавам се (to approach) · bg приближавам се (to approach) · cs přiblížit (to approach) · cmn 靠近 (to approach) · fr s'approcher (to approach) · ru приближа́ться (to approach) · cmn 接近 (to approach) · fa نزدیک شدن (to approach) · tr yaklaşmak (to approach) · hu közelg (to approach) · sv närma (to approach)