neither
pronunciation
How to pronounce neither in British English:
UK [ˈnaɪðə(r)]
How to pronounce neither in American English:
US [ˈniːðər]
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- Adverb:
- after a negative statement used to indicate that the next statement is similarly negative
Word Origin
- neither
- neither: [13] Despite the two words’ similarity, neither is not just either with a negative prefix tacked on. It comes ultimately from Old English nāhwæther ‘neither’, a compound formed from nā ‘not’ (which survives as no in modern English ‘whether or no’) and hwæther ‘which of two’ (ancestor of modern English whether). In the late Old English period it was contracted to nawther, and in Middle English, under the influence of either, this became transformed into neither.=> whether
- neither (conj.)
- Old English nawþer, contraction of nahwæþer, literally "not of two," from na "no" (see no) + hwæþer "which of two" (see whether). Spelling altered c. 1200 by association with either. Paired with nor from c. 1300; earlier with ne. Also used in Old English as a pronoun. As an adjective, mid-14c.
Antonym
Example
- 1. I am not sure , and neither is cowen .
- 2. Yet many unknown events are neither known or unknown .
- 3. But neither may have much effect before 2011 .
- 4. Neither should the dispute be linked with other issues .
- 5. But neither can mr cuomo be sure of winning .