ᚾᛁ
Proto-Norse
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *ne, cognate with Old English ne, Old Frisian ne, ni, Old Saxon ne, ni, Old Dutch ne, Old High German ni, Gothic 𐌽𐌹 (ni).
The negative particle has disappeared in the later Scandinavian languages, including Classical Old Norse, except in the earliest poetry, and in fossilized forms like nǫkkurr, neinn. In many cases, the omission of the negative particle has turned indefinite pronouns and adverbs into negative ones, e.g. aldri (“ever; never”), engi (“none”), ekki (“nothing”), hvatki (“nothing”), hvárgi (“either; neither”).
Particle
ᚾᛁ (ni)
- not
- c. 200 AD, Thorsberg chape, found near Süderbrarup, Germany.
- ᛟᚹᛚᚦᚢᚦᛖᚹᚨᛉ / ᚾᛁ ᚹᚨᛃᛖᛗᚨᚱᛁᛉ
- owlþuþewaz / ni wajemāriz
- Wolthuthewaz / not ill-famous [well-renowned]
- c. 200 AD, Thorsberg chape, found near Süderbrarup, Germany.
Descendants
- Old Norse: né
- Icelandic: né