different between nay vs nary

English

Etymology

From Middle English nai, nei, from Old Norse nei (“no”), contraction of ne (“not”) + ei (“ever”), itself from Proto-Germanic *nai (“never”), *n? (“not”). More at no.

Pronunciation

• enPR: n?, IPA^(key): /ne?/
• Homophones: nee, neigh, Neagh
• Rhymes: -e?

Adverb

nay (not comparable)

1. (now chiefly archaic or regional) No. [from 12th c.]
2. (now chiefly archaic or regional) Introducing a statement, without direct negation. [from 14th c.]
   • 1876, Henry James, Roderick Hudson:

     Nay, what are you smiling at so damnably?

3. (now archaic or humorous) Or rather, or should I say; moreover (introducing a stronger and more appropriate expression than the preceding one). [from 16th c.]

Translations

Usage notes

In Early Modern English, nay was used to respond to a positive question, while no was used to respond to a negative question. Over time, this distinction disappeared.

Interjection

nay

1. (archaic) No.

Derived terms

• nay-say
• naysayer

Noun

nay (plural nays)

1. A vote against.

   Antonyms: aye, yea

2. A person who voted against.

3. (archaic) A denial; a refusal. [1]

Verb

nay (third-person singular simple present nays, present participle naying, simple past and past participle nayed)

1. (obsolete) To refuse.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Holinshed to this entry?)

Adjective

nay (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Nary. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Anagrams

• AYN, Ayn, NYA, Yan, any, any%, ayn, yan

Ainu

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /naj/

Noun

nay

1. swamp.
2. small river.

Trivia

The ainu word -nay is frequently seen in names of places in Hokkaido and Northeast Japan, such as Wakkanai, Shizunai, etc.

Tagalog

Noun

nay

1. abbreviation of nanay, the informal form of ina

Vietnamese

Etymology

Cognate with này.

Pronunciation

• (Hà N?i) IPA^(key): [naj??]
• (Hu?) IPA^(key): [naj??]
• (H? Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [na(?)j??]

Adjective

nay • (????, ????, ????)

1. now, nowadays

Derived terms

Related terms

• này (“this”)

English

Alternative forms

• narry

Etymology

Variant form of ne'er a.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?n???i/
• (Mary–marry–merry merger)
• Rhymes: -???i

Adverb

nary (not comparable)

1. Not, never.
   • 2014, Richard Swenson, More Than Meets the Eye: Fascinating Glimpses of God's Power and Design, Tyndale House (?ISBN)

     Every day, uncomplaining, this ten-ounce muscle contracts 100 thousand times nary “missing a beat.” Over a lifetime of faithful service, these two self-lubricating, self-regulating, high-capacity pumps beat two and one-half billion times […]

   • 1923, Photoplay: The Aristocrat of Motion Picture Magazines

     And all about the room, candles gleaming in branched sconces. Nary one glare of electric light.

   • 2019 December 10, Yacht Club Games, "Story" (Mr. Hat), in Shovel Knight Showdown (version 4.1), Nintendo Switch:

Adjective

nary (not comparable)

1. Not any.
   • 1910, John McElroy, Si Klegg: Experiences of Si and Shorty on the Great Tullahoma Campaign, page 109:

     We'uns wuz willin't fout fur ole Tennessee, but for nary other State. When he started out o' Tennessee we'uns jest concluded t' strike out and leave him.

   • 1961 March 20, Flannery O'Connor, letter to Maryat Lee, [ublished in 1988, The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (?ISBN):

     I'm cheered you liked [“The Partridge Festival”] but I must have it back as I have nary other copy. If you really want to read somebody, read Proust for pity's sake.

   • 2010, Dorothy McCleary, Not for Heaven, Wildside Press LLC (?ISBN), page 289:

     "Pish, and who cares for nary other?" Mrs. Bostwick cried out, tossing Etta's hand away from her. "I do, for one," said Etta tartly.

Translations

References

• nary at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Arny, N-ray, NYRA, Ryan, yarn