nary
: not any, none
"There was nary a soul in the empty village"
From 1746, alteration of ne'er a, short for never a; from Old English næfre "not ever, at no time"
Tags: adjective
nether
: down, lower, beneath
"The castle’s nether chambers were damp and cold"
From Old English niþera, neoþera "down, downwards, lower, below, beneath"; also used as an adverb in Old and Middle English. Of countries, "situated on lower ground" (late 14c.). In Middle English and after, used of body parts
Related: nethermost
Tags: adjective
nigh
: near, nearby, close together, adjacent
"The enemy camp was nigh to the city walls"
"The end was nigh"
From Middle English neigh, from Old English neah. The Old English progression was neah → near → niehsta, for "nigh - nigher - nighest." Comparative near and superlative nehst gradually evolved into separate words. New comparative and superlative forms nigher, nighest developed in the 14c. as phonetic changes obscured the original relationships. Used as an adjective and preposition in Middle English
Tags: adverb
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