Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/ně-

This Proto-Slavic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Slavic

Etymology

Pronoun prefix with indefinite function. Apparently related to forms of Proto-Indo-European *ne, however, uncertainly how:

One possibility is a direct descent from Proto-Indo-European *néh₁, cognate with Latin nē (“not”), Sanskrit ना (nā, “not”). The logic of this derivation is that *ně- originally reflected the meaning none particularly. In support of this hypothesis serves the rare autonomous form Proto-Slavic *ně (“none”) and analogous formations in Baltic: Lithuanian nėkas (“nobody particularly”), Lithuanian nekur̃s (“nowhere particularly”).
Alternatively, according to F. Mikloshich, from the conflation of *ne (“not”) +‎ *vě (“to know”). Effectively, then *ně- would stand for unknowing who/what/where/how/etc. Vasmer considers this derivation phonetically unsound.
According to Trubachev, possibly from the conflation of *ne (“not”) +‎ *je (“to be”). Similar to the dialectal *něměti (“not to have”) from Proto-Slavic *ne + *jьměti (“to have”).

Almost not used in Modern Polish. Old Polish did preserve niekako (“somehow”), etc. – in Modern Polish rarely used niejako, niejaki, etc.Not used in Ukrainian.

Prefix

*ně-[1][2]

some- (with interrogatory pronouns)

Derived terms

Category Proto-Slavic terms prefixed with *ně- not found

*někъjь (“somebody”), *něčьjь (“somebody's”)
*někъto, *něčьto (“something”)
*někakъ (“somehow”)
*několiko (“several”)
*někogъda (“sometime, once”)
*někъde (“somewhere”)
*někǫda (“to somewhere”)

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Belarusian: не- (nje-)
- Russian: не́- (né-)
South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic: нѣ- (ně-)
- Bulgarian: ня- (nja-)
- Macedonian: не- (ne-)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic: не̏-
  Latin: nȅ-, njȅ- (dialectal)
- Slovene: ne-
West Slavic:
- Czech: ně-
- Slovak: nie-
- Sorbian:
  - Upper Sorbian: ně-
  - Lower Sorbian: ně-

Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “некий”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), transl. and suppl. by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress
Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1997), “*ne/*ně”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 24 (*navijati (sę) / *navivati (sę) – *nerodimъ(jь)), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 91
Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1997), “*nečьjь/*něčьjь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 24 (*navijati (sę) / *navivati (sę) – *nerodimъ(jь)), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 112
Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1997), “*nečьto/*něčьto”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 24 (*navijati (sę) / *navivati (sę) – *nerodimъ(jь)), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 113
Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1997), “*nekakъ(jь)/*někakъ(jь)”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 24 (*navijati (sę) / *navivati (sę) – *nerodimъ(jь)), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 138
Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1997), “*nekoliko/*několiko”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 24 (*navijati (sę) / *navivati (sę) – *nerodimъ(jь)), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 140
Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1997), “*nekǫda/*někǫda”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 24 (*navijati (sę) / *navivati (sę) – *nerodimъ(jь)), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 142
Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1997), “*nekъde/*někъde”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 24 (*navijati (sę) / *navivati (sę) – *nerodimъ(jь)), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 145
Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1997), “*nekъgъdа/*někъgъda”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 24 (*navijati (sę) / *navivati (sę) – *nerodimъ(jь)), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 146
Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1999), “*nekъjь/*někъjь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 25 (*neroditi – *novotьnъ(jь)), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 146
Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1997), “*nekoterъ(je)/někoterъ(jь)”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 24 (*navijati (sę) / *navivati (sę) – *nerodimъ(jь)), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 141
Georgiev V. I., Duridanov I., editor (1995), “ня”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 4, Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, page 726
Georgiev V. I., Duridanov I., editor (1995), “някак”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 4, Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, page 727

References

Olander, Thomas (2001), “ně-”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “(indef. pref.) (PR 146)”
Snoj, Marko (2016), “ne-”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar³ (in Slovene), https://fran.si: “*ně”

[1] Olander, Thomas (2001), “ně-”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “(indef. pref.) (PR 146)”

[2] Snoj, Marko (2016), “ne-”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar³ (in Slovene), https://fran.si: “*ně”