Anglo-Norman Dictionary

nai (1165-80 (?))

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nai 1165-80 (?)

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nai (1165-80 (?))

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[ hap]

[ FEW: 7,184a non; Gdf: 5,464b nai 2; GdfC: ∅; TL: 6,493 naje; DEAF: ∅; DMF: ∅; TLF: ∅; OED: nay adv.1 and n.; MED: nai, interj.; DMLBS: 1927b non ]

naie, nay, nei, nais 266

M.E.; Scandinavian (?)

While the FEW (7,186b) suggests that the form naie may come from naje (non+ego), it is far more likely to have been borrowed from the Middle English nai, coming from early Scandinavian. It was widely used in English, but is rarely attested in AFr.

interj.

1(in a negative response to a question or statement) no, nay:

( c.1185; MS: s.xiii^m ) Ja mes n'avrez de ly eschange. -Alez? Oyl! -Pur quey? Ne say! Ky li mefist? Nuls! Si fist! Nay! 1424

( c.1230; MS: s.xiii^m ) 'Ne savez, frere, dunt est venu?' 'Nai, ma dame, sez le tu?' 3886

( s.xivⁱⁿ; MS: 1312-40 ) 'Je su Fouke vostre frere'. 'Nay certes, daun Sarazyn, non estes' 55.34

( c.1390; MS: s.xiv^ex ) encontre amour n'est qui poet dire Nai 366.7

adv.

1not:

( c.1260; MS: c.1275 ) Volez plus dyre? Syre, nay a ceste foyz 102

( 1315 ) quidez vous qe [...] nay noun freez Ed II xvii 159

( c.1432 ) Soit sceu si ses biens estaient deliverés a Roen ou nay C256

s.

1a refusal, an utterance of 'nai':

( c.1390; MS: s.xiv^ex ) et quant le nai dirra, Plus que la mort m'estone celle oie 362.19

sanz nai

1without denial, assuredly:

( 1165-80?; MS: s.xiiiⁱⁿ ) Bien puet durer sanz naie (ed. s'envaie) Ki d'iceste Dame ad aie 139.165

naje ne#1 nenil nun#1

nai