nimmer
English
editEtymology
editFrom Middle English nimere, equivalent to nim (“to filch, steal”) + -er. Cognate with Dutch nemer (“taker”), German Nehmer (“taker”).
Noun
editnimmer (plural nimmers)
References
editAnagrams
editBavarian
editEtymology
editFrom Middle High German nimmer, nimer, niemer, also niemēr, from Old High German niomēr, from either nio (“not”) + mēr (“more”) (equivalent to modern nia (“never”) + wieder (“again”)) or ni (“not”) + iomēr (“always, ever”) (equivalent to modern na (“no”) + immer (“always”), compare English never from ne + ever), or maybe both. Cognate with German nimmer, Dutch nimmer.
Pronunciation
editAdverb
editnimmer
- no more, no longer
- De Maschin geht nimmer. ― The machine is no longer working.
- never again
- Bei dena kaf i nimmer ei. ― I'll never shop with them again.
Dutch
editEtymology
editFrom Middle Dutch nemmer, from Old Dutch niemer. Equivalent to n- + immer.
Pronunciation
editAdverb
editnimmer
Usage notes
editNimmer is rarer and nowadays considered much more formal than nooit, excluding some compounds and set expressions.
Derived terms
editGerman
editEtymology
editPerhaps originally ni- + immer, thus the same construct as English ever and never. According to others a dialectal contraction of nie mehr, later remodelled according to immer.
Pronunciation
editAdverb
editnimmer
- (regional, chiefly Southern Germany, Austria) no more, no longer
- Liegt der Bauer tot im Zimmer, lebt er nimmer. (joke in the form of a Bauernregel)
- If the farmer lies dead in his room, he's alive no more.
- (regional, chiefly Southern Germany, Austria) never again
- (archaic or poetic, literary) never, at no time
- 1952, Paul Celan, “Espenbaum [Aspen Tree]”, in Mohn und Gedächtnis, line 2:
- Meiner Mutter Haar ward nimmer weiß.
- Never did my mother's hair become white.
Usage notes
edit- In northern Germany and many parts of central Germany, the word is used mainly in some set phrases such as nie und nimmer (“never ever”). Otherwise, it sounds archaic or poetic. It is used more readily in southern Germany and Austria, meaning “no more” or “never again”. The original sense “never, at no time” is now rare.
Synonyms
edit- (no more): nicht mehr
- (never again): nie mehr, nie wieder
- (never): nie, niemals
Derived terms
editFurther reading
edit- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *nem-
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms suffixed with -er (agent noun)
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:People
- Bavarian terms inherited from Middle High German
- Bavarian terms derived from Middle High German
- Bavarian terms inherited from Old High German
- Bavarian terms derived from Old High German
- Bavarian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Bavarian lemmas
- Bavarian adverbs
- Bavarian terms with usage examples
- Dutch terms inherited from Middle Dutch
- Dutch terms derived from Middle Dutch
- Dutch terms inherited from Old Dutch
- Dutch terms derived from Old Dutch
- Dutch terms prefixed with n-
- Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation
- Dutch terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:Dutch/ɪmər
- Rhymes:Dutch/ɪmər/2 syllables
- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch adverbs
- Dutch formal terms
- Dutch dated terms
- Dutch indefinite adverbs
- German terms prefixed with ni-
- German 2-syllable words
- German terms with IPA pronunciation
- German terms with audio pronunciation
- German lemmas
- German adverbs
- Regional German
- Southern German
- Austrian German
- German terms with usage examples
- German terms with archaic senses
- German poetic terms
- German literary terms
- German terms with quotations