adv. of negation
not
, used with vbs. For use as copula see is.
Folld. by conjunct form of vb. In O.Ir. sometimes gemi-
nates initial consonant of vb.: ni-rrobe,
Wb. 14c31
. ni-
ssluinde,
Sg. 66b18
. Cf. ni ténat (= ní ddénat),
Wb. 24a25
,
and the cop. forms nítam, níta, nítat, etc., where t = unlenited
d (see
ZCP i 4
).
Infixes obj. pron.; with 3 s. m. and n. pron. ní-a- > ní,
the gender of the pron. being indicated by treatment of
follg. initial of the vb., e.g. ní beir does not carry; ní-mbeir
(= ní-an-beir) does not carry him; ní bheir (= ní-a-bheir) does
not carry it. ni-mbaí suidi,
SR 6399
(d
s
m.), cf.
6384
. ni-n-
anais thou wilt not save him,
5999
. nis-gluais,
5107
(a
s
f.). ni
chēl I will not hide it,
2886
. ní cheil,
Wb. 5b5
(cf. ní ceil,
4d16
,
without pron.). ní thabur dit ón I give not this to thee,
Sg. 179a2
.
nir-tora diliu will not reach us,
SR 2747.
In Mid.Ir. ní seems to lenite the initial cons. of follg.
active vb., in MSS. generally expressed in case of tenues: ni
chēlat a márgnima,
LU 8953
(
FB 71
). ni choemstais,
SR 932.
ni chuingem flaith,
1219
. ni ḟarggaib múr,
CRR 4.
ni ḟil,
TBC 59.
PH 1766.
ni thanic,
SR 2556.
ni tharda fornn digail,
2727
. ni therna,
5070
. ní thairmescad,
LU 8566
(
FB 42
). So
with pass. vb., contrary to later usage: ni thardad,
LU 9169
(
FB 90
), cf. ní trebtar,
Fél. Prol. 176
(threbthair v.l.).
Occas. prefixes h- to a follg. initial vowel: ni haithgēn,
SR
1689.
ni himmēr,
1541
. ní himmertha,
TBC 2874.
Folld. by ro- form of vb., níro often becomes nír: nir
leicsetar,
SR 6421.
nir fhétsat,
PH 2079
, etc.
Used (a) to negate a vb. in an independent sent. with all
forms of indic. mood.
(b) with the subj. in an independent sent. to express desire
or command (in place of the imper. with ná): ní intamlae, gl.
ne aemuleris,
Ml. 56c13
. ní dene (ne facias),
56c15
. ni taibre
grád for nech,
Wb. 29a22
. ni dérsid for soíri (ne libertatem . . .
detis),
20b10
. ním-thomoldid do not goad me,
20d4
. ni imthesid
cen imdéicsin,
22c4
. ní dechais . . . co ríg nIsrahél,
SR 5951
,
cf.
PH 3739.
niro . . . oslaice dorus na huamu-sa ┐ niro urchoite
do nech,
PH 352.
niro techta occut feirg,
4094
.
(c) exceptionally in some other cases. Introducing a de-
pendent noun-clause, instead of ná (nach): is follus . . . ni
dligthi comardad fris,
FB 41
, where, however, the second sent.
may be regarded as in apposition to follus. asbertatar . . . ní
thardad in cauradmir,
90
(
LU 9169
). ispert sí ni targad leó
that she would not go with them,
Fianaig. 6.16
.
In a few cases in early poetry ní folld. by inf. dat. pron.
seems to take the place of the subst. vb.: nim-huain I have
no leisure,
SR 1185.
ar nin-fissid frisbered omnu huain `for
not to us is the Knower' (= we have no longer the Knower),
ACC
16
(
RC xx 164
).