niewiht

Old Dutch

Alternative forms

• nieht
• niet
• *niewihts (partitive genitive, sense 2)

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *naiwwiht. Equivalent to ne- (“not”) +‎ io (“ever”) +‎ wiht (“creature”). Cognate with Old English nāwiht, Old High German niowiht, Old Frisian nāwet and Old Saxon neowiht.

Adverb

niewiht

1. not

   Synonyms: ne, ne-

   • c. 900 CE, Die altmittel- und altniederfränkischen Psalmen und Glossen [The Old Middle and Old Low Franconian psalms and glosses]:

     Sālig man thēr niweht vuor in gerēde ungenēthero, inde in wege sundigero ne stunt, inde in stuole sufte ne saz.

     Graceful is the man who did not go to the trial of the godless, and did not stand on the road of sin, and did not sit in the seat of perdition.

   • c. 1100 CE, Rhinelandic Rhyming Bible:

     Hērro keiser Nerō. Niet nemerke an ere lēre.

     Lord emporer Nero, heed not their teachings!

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: niet, nicht, niewet
  • Dutch: niet (see there for further descendants)
  • Jersey Dutch: nît
  • Limburgish: neet

Pronoun

niewiht

1. nothing
   • c. 900 CE, Die altmittel- und altniederfränkischen Psalmen und Glossen [The Old Middle and Old Low Franconian psalms and glosses]:

     Fur niewehte behaldona saltu duon sia.

     For nothing you shall save them.

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: niets (← *niewihts)
  • Dutch: niets

Adjective

niewiht

1. (rare) worthless, of no worth
   • c. 900 CE, Die altmittel- und altniederfränkischen Psalmen und Glossen [The Old Middle and Old Low Franconian psalms and glosses]:

     Gālīco scieton sulun imo in ne sulun forhtun gefestodun sig wort newiht.

     Suddenly they will shoot at him and they will not fear, they bound themselves with a worthless word.

Usage notes

In sense 1, often both niewiht (and variants) and ne- were used to negate the verb:

• ne- + drēdes + niewiht → nedrēdes niewiht ("do you not fear?")
• niet + ne- + merke → niet nemerke ("do not heed!")
• ne- + wirthet + nieht → newirthet nieht ("it doesn't become.")

Further reading

• “niewiht (I)”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012
• “niewiht (II)”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012