neither

English Online Dictionary. What means neither‎? What does neither mean?

English

Etymology

Alteration (after either) of nauther, from Middle English nawther, noþer, naðer (whence also Modern nor), from Old English nāwþer, contraction of nāhwæþer, corresponding to no + whether. Compare Latin neuter (“neither”). By surface analysis, not +‎ either.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: nī′thə(r), nē′thə(r), IPA^(key): /ˈnaɪ.ðə(ɹ)/, /ˈniː.ðə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈni.ðɚ/, /ˈnaɪ.ðɚ/
• ,
• enPR: nā′thə(r) IPA^(key): (obsolete (in use until the 20th c.)) /ˈneɪ.ðə(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -iːðə(ɹ), -aɪðə(ɹ)
• See either for pronunciation by region.
• Hyphenation: nei‧ther

Determiner

neither

1. Not one of two; not either; not one of the other.
2. Not either (used with nor).

Derived terms

Translations

Pronoun

neither

1. Not either one of two.

Usage notes

• According to traditional grammar, neither should always be construed as a singular (as in the example above). In practice, however, plural construction is often met with, especially when a specification with of follows: Neither of these shirts is / are clean.

Translations

Adverb

neither (not comparable)

1. Similarly not.

Usage notes

• Neither is used to mean none of two or more. Although some suggest that using the word neither with more than two items is incorrect, it has been commonly used to refer to more than two subjects since the 17th century.

• Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. - inscription on James A. Farley Post Office Building, New York

• There is considerable variation in the number of the verb employed with this construction.

• Examples:

• “That woman was neither a collector nor an art critic, but she understood the meaning I meant to give that work.” — Marcelle Ferron

• “Has anyone ever loved you so much that they tried to kill you, or perhaps sucked you down into a hole so that you had to kill them to get away? Yeah, me neither.” — Maynard James Keenan

• “You can make a lot of money in this game. Just ask my ex-wives. Both of them are so rich that neither of their husbands work.” — Lee Trevino

• “As if it were gold and could be neither good nor bad nor worth more nor worth less but must always be worth the same no matter what.” — Alex Miller

• “Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
  

Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat;

But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,

When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!” — Rudyard Kipling

• “Neither you, Simon, nor the fifty thousand, nor the Romans, nor the Jews, nor Judas, nor the twelve, nor the priests, nor the scribes, nor doomed Jerusalem itself understand what power is, understand what glory is, understand at all.” — Jesus Christ Superstar

Translations

Anagrams

• etherin, Therien, therein, enherit, reineth