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nai (1165-80 (?))
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The form nay is a cross reference to the following entry:

nai (1165-80 (?))

Cite this entry
naie,  nay,  nei  (nais  Lib Alb 266)  
  FEW:  non 7,184a Gdf:  nai 2 5,464b GdfC: ∅ TL: naje 6,493 DEAF: ∅ DMF: ∅ TLF: ∅ OED:  nay adv.1 and n.  MED:  nai, interj.  DMLBS:  non 1927b
ls(loanword: M.E. Scandinavian (?))
le

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.

(in a negative response to a question or statement) no, nay: 
( c.1185; MS: s.xiiim )  Ja mes n'avrez de ly eschange. -Alez? Oyl! -Pur quey? Ne say! Ky li mefist? Nuls! Si fist! Nay!  Ipom BFR 1424
( c.1230; MS: s.xiiim )  'Ne savez, frere, dunt est venu?' 'Nai, ma dame, sez le tu?'  S Modw 3886
( s.xivin; MS: 1312-40 )  'Je su Fouke vostre frere'. 'Nay certes, daun Sarazyn, non estes'  Fouke ANTS 55.34
( c.1390; MS: s.xivex )  encontre amour n'est qui poet dire Nai  GOWER Balades 366.7

adv.

not: 
( c.1260; MS: c.1275 )  Volez plus dyre? Syre, nay a ceste foyz  Casus Plac 102
( 1315 )  quidez vous qe [...] nay noun freez  YBB Ed II xvii 159
( c.1432 )  Soit sceu si ses biens estaient deliverés a Roen ou nay  Bedford Inventories C256

s.

a refusal, an utterance of 'nai': 
( c.1390; MS: s.xivex )  et quant le nai dirra, Plus que la mort m'estone celle oie  GOWER Balades 362.19
sanz nai
without denial, assuredly: 
( 1165-80?; MS: s.xiiiin )  Bien puet durer sanz naie  (ed. s'envaie) Ki d'iceste Dame ad aie  ADGAR3 139.165

[hp]

See also:

naje  ne1  nenil  nun1 
This is an AND2 Phase 4 (N-O/U-P-Q) entry. © 2013-17 The Anglo-Norman Dictionary. All rights reserved. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom.
nay