different between dig vs nig

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English diggen (“to dig”), alteration of Old English d?cian (“to dig a ditch, to mound up earth”) (compare Old English d?cere (“digger”)) from d?c, d?? (“dike, ditch”) from Proto-Germanic *d?kaz, *d?kij? (“pool, puddle”), from Proto-Indo-European *d??g?-, *d?eyg?- (“to stab, dig”). Additionally, Middle English diggen may derive from an unrecorded suffixed variant, *d?cgian. Akin to Danish dige (“to dig, raise a dike”), Swedish dika (“to dig ditches”). Related to Middle French diguer (“to dig”), from Old French dikier, itself a borrowing of the same Germanic root (from Middle Dutch dijc). More at ditch, dike.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??/
• Rhymes: -??

Verb

dig (third-person singular simple present digs, present participle digging, simple past and past participle dug)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way.
2. (transitive) To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up.

3. (mining) To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
4. (US, slang, dated) To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously.
   • 1894, Paul Leicester Ford, The Honorable Peter Stirling

     Peter dug at his books all the harder.

5. (figuratively) To investigate, to research, often followed by out or up.
6. To thrust; to poke.
   • 1551, Ralph Robinson (sometimes spelt Raphe Robynson) (translator), Utopia (originally written by Sir Thomas More)

     You should have seen children […] dig and push their mothers under the sides, saying thus to them: Look, mother, how great a lubber doth yet wear pearls.

7. (volleyball) To defend against an attack hit by the opposing team by successfully passing the ball

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

dig (plural digs)

1. An archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place.

   Synonym: excavation

2. (US, colloquial, dated) A plodding and laborious student.
3. A thrust; a poke.

   Synonym: jab
4. (Britain, dialect, dated) A tool for digging.
5. (volleyball) A defensive pass of the ball that has been attacked by the opposing team.
6. (cricket) An innings.
7. A cutting, sarcastic remark.

   Synonym: jibe
8. (music, slang) A rare or interesting vinyl record bought second-hand.

Translations

See also

• cratedigger
• digs

Etymology 2

From African American Vernacular English; due to lack of writing of slave speech, etymology is difficult to trace, but it has been suggested that it is from Wolof dëgg, dëgga (“to understand, to appreciate”). It has also been suggested that it is from Irish dtuig. Others do not propose a distinct etymology, instead considering this a semantic shift of the existing English term (compare dig in/dig into).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??/
• Rhymes: -??

Verb

dig (third-person singular simple present digs, present participle digging, simple past and past participle dug)

1. (slang) To understand or show interest in.
2. (slang) To appreciate, or like.
   • 1975, Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift [Avon ed., 1976, p. 432]:

     Louie said, "I dig this Theo. I'm gonna learn Swahili and rap with him."

Translations

Etymology 3

Shortening.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?d??/

Noun

dig (uncountable)

1. (medicine, colloquial) Digoxin.

References

Anagrams

• GDI, GDI+, GID, IgD, gid

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??/

Etymology 1

From Dutch dicht, from Middle Dutch dicht, from Old Dutch *th?ht, from Proto-Germanic *þinhtaz.

Adjective

dig (attributive digte, comparative digter, superlative digste)

1. closed, shut
2. dense

Etymology 2

From Dutch dichten, from Middle Dutch dichten, from Latin dict?.

Verb

dig (present dig, present participle digtende, past participle gedig)

1. (intransitive) to compose a poem

Derived terms

• digter
• gedig

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /daj/, [?d??j], [d??]
• Rhymes: -aj

Pronoun

dig (nominative du, possessive din)

1. (personal) you (2nd person singular object pronoun)

Usage notes

Also used as a reflexive pronoun with a 2nd person subject

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?i??/

Noun

dig

1. inflection of deug:
   1. accusative/dative singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative dual

Mutation

Romanian

Etymology

From French digue.

Noun

dig n (plural diguri)

1. dike

Declension

Swedish

Alternative forms

• dej (strongly colloquial)

Etymology

From Old Norse þik, from Proto-Germanic *þek, from Proto-Indo-European *te-ge.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?j/
• Rhymes: -?j

Pronoun

dig

1. you (objective case, singular)

   Jag såg dig aldrig där

   I never saw you there

2. reflexive case of du: compare yourself

   Skulle du vilja lära dig jonglera?

   Would you like to learn how to juggle?

   Skar du dig på kniven?

   Did you cut yourself on the knife?

Usage notes

Note that some verbs have special senses when used reflexively. For example, do not confuse du lär dig att... ("you learn to...") [reflexive] with jag lär dig att... ("I teach you to...") or du lär dig själv att... ("you teach yourself to..."). Here, lär means teach(es) if it is not reflexive, but learn(s) if it is reflexive. Thus, the separate pronoun "dig själv" is needed when object and subject agree, even though the verb should not be used in the reflexive case.

Also note that in the imperative, when there's usually no explicit subject given, the "själv" is dropped.

Declension

See also

• dig själv

Yola

Alternative forms

• digger

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

dig

1. a duck

References

• Jacob Poole (1867) , William Barnes, editor, A glossary, with some pieces of verse, of the old dialect of the English colony in the baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, J. Russell Smith, ?ISBN

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -??

Etymology 1

Clipping of niggard. Unrelated to nigger.

Noun

nig (plural nigs)

1. (archaic) niggard

Etymology 2

Clipping of nigger.

Noun

nig (plural nigs)

1. (offensive, ethnic slur) nigger
   • 1961, Robert Hale Strong, A Yankee private's Civil War

     In a field near the house was a nigger working a poor old broken-down mule and another nigger sowing wheat. When we came up, both nigs quit work and stared at us.

Verb

nig (third-person singular simple present nigs, present participle nigging, simple past and past participle nigged)

1. (Internet slang, ethnic slur) to behave as a stereotypical black person

Anagrams

• -ing, -ïng, GNI, IGN, NGI, gin, ing

Volapük

Noun

nig (nominative plural nigs)

1. ink

Declension

Derived terms

• nigiär

Yapese

Noun

nig

1. fish