▪ I. nother
obs. variant of nether a.
▪ II. ˈnother, pron.1 and a.1 Obs. exc. dial.
Also 4 noiþer, 4–5 noþer (4 -ere, 5 -ir, -ire), 5 noder, -yr, nothire, -yr(e, 5–6 Sc. nothir.
[var. of other, with n transferred from the article: see N 3.]
1. a nother, an other. (See also another.)
| a 1300 Cursor M. 3390 Of hir he had a sun madan And a noiþer hight madian. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 50 A noþer symple frere þat nys not so gret flaterere. c 1440 Alph. Tales 193 And a noþer tyme he had with hym a monk. c 1450 Holland Howlat 36, I haue mekle matir..Of ane nothir sentence. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §2 In Buckyngham⁓shyre, are plowes made of an nother maner. 1559 J. Aylmer Harborowe E 4, Of Paul I shal speak of at a nother time. 1608 D. Price Chr. War 26 To establish true religion in one kingdome, to confirme it in a nother. 1782 in N.W. Linc. Gloss. (1877) 181 New wheel and a nother mending. |
2. no nother, none other, no other.
| c 1320 Sir. Tristr. 1852 Hastow no noþer þing? c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxv. (Thaddæus) 138 Quhare þu Is, & in na nothyre place I-wyse. c 1440 Alph. Tales 245 It was no noder to giff to mynstrals bod for to offyr to fendis. c 1470 Henry Wallace viii. 906 Thocht he wes best, no nothir lak we nocht. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccclix. 582 They shulde haue no nother trust in him, but that he wolde be their Enemy. 1557 N. T. (Genev.) Mark ix. 29 This kynd can by no nother meanes come forth, but by prayer. |
b. no notherways or -wise, no otherwise.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints i. (Peter) 511 It, þat we ȝarne, sal fall ws, and na nothirwais. c 1440 Alph. Tales 482 On a tyme hym happend to tell þaim, and he cuthe no noderways tell, & he cuthe say none oder bod þus. 1465 Paston Lett. II. 251 They derst no notherwysse don for ferre. |
3. the notheren, repr. OE. ðam óðrum.
| c 1315 Shoreham i. 1225 Ase broþeren, For to seruy ine godes house Byfore alle þe noþeren. Ibid. 1227 To segge hys ‘leuy’ an englysch, ‘Fram þe noþeren ytake’. |
▪ III. ˈnother, pron.2 and a.2 Obs. exc. dial.
Forms: 1 nóðer, 2 noðer, 3 neoðer, 4 noþer, 4–6 (9 dial.) nother (4 -ir, 9 dial. noather); 4 noiþer, noither, 5 noythere.
[f. ne ne + *óðer, contracted form of *óhwæðer, as áðer is of áhwæðer: cf. nouther.]
A. pron. Neither of two persons or things. a. With genitive or pers. pron. preceding.
| c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. Care li. 399 Ne fornime incer noder oðer ofer will butan geðafunge. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4884 Þat hor noþer nadde noþing, þat to oþeres wille nas. c 1330 Amis & Amil. 852 Y seighe it meself this ich day,..Your noither it may forsake. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xi. 273 Here noþer loueþ oþere. |
b. Followed by of (dial. on), or without const.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 165 Nis nower non trewðe for nis þe gist siker of þe husebonde, ne noðer of oðer. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 8702 Noþer of is breþerin, þo is fader was ded, Nas nei him bote he one. c 1320 Sir. Tristr. 3233 Noiþer of ous nil spare Erl, baroun no kniȝt. c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun (Roxb.) 18 A prest and eft a Dekene come by... But noythere of them myght hele this ilke sore wounded man. 1551 Turner Herbal i. (1568) 93 And nother of bothe grow oute of the grounde. 1854– in Eng. Dial. Dict. (s.v. Nowther), in forms nother, noather. |
c. Preceded by never (later ner, nere).
| c 1205 Lay. 30834 For nauer neoðer nalde..þat þe king hit wusten. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 192 (Fairf.), I nam withholden yit with never nother. 1540 Morysine Vives' Introd. to Wysd. C v, That god alone aprove our inwarde and outwarde actis, though men alow ner nother. 1565 J. Calfhill Answ. Martiall (1846) 73 Whereof there is nere nother commanded, but forbidden. |
d. Preceded by neither (or nether).
| c 1500 Chaucer's L.G.W. Prol. 192 (Trin.), I am wytholde yet with neyther nother. 1529 More Dyaloge i. Wks. 155/1 Of which twayne ye woulde in the beginning admit neither nother. 1589 Marprelate Epit. (1843) 48, I wad counsell them, if they wad be ruled bai me, to be nether nother. 1612 T. James Jesuits' Downf. 71, I could wish that all such..would consent to beleeue nether nother. |
B. adj. Neither. (Usually neither nother.)
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4561 Vor þer ne bileuede in noþer syde non heymon vnneþe. Ibid. 6221 Noþer partye ne miȝte þe maistrie al biȝite. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 201 By neuere noþer weie I schal paye þe þat þou axest. 1530 Frith Disput. Purgat. (1829) 195 Neither nother text serveth any whit for purgatory. 1533 More Apol. 180 There are fewe or none good in neyther nother parte. 1640 Brome Sparagus Gard. iv. v, No sir, we come with no zick intendment on neither nother zide. |
▪ IV. ˈnother, adv.1 and conj. Obs. exc. dial.
Forms: α. 3 noðer, neoðer, 3–5 noþer (4 notþer, 5 noþire, -eir), 4–5 nothyr(e, 5–6 Sc. -ire, 5 -ur, 3– nother (9 dial. noather, nuther). β. 4 noiþer, noither, noyther. γ. 4 nodur, 5–6 Sc. noder (5 -ir, -yr), 6 nolder, 8 nodder.
[f. as prec.: cf. nather conj. and OFris. noder, var. of nouder nouther.]
† 1. = neither A. 1. (Followed by ne, na, no, nor, and in early use frequently with another negative.) Obs.
| α c 1205 Lay. 16736 Ne mihte þer na man neoðer [c 1275 noþer] ute no ingan. a 1250 Owl & Night. 465 Vor he nys noþer yep ne wis. a 1300 Cursor M. 5857 Noþer I knau him þat yee sai, Ne i ne wil lat þe folk a-wai. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 44 Thei merveille how such a wiht..Desireth nother Mariage Ne yit the love of paramours. c 1450 Merlin 87 This childe..nys nother youre ne myn by reson. 1523 Cromwell in Merriman Life & Lett. I. 34 They dare not trye hyt by the sworde, nother with us, nor with the saide Emparours Subiectes. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. viii. 58 Bot that nother the king nor cuntrie mycht cum to skaith. 1867 Waugh Home Life Factory Folk xxi. 185 Hoo's noather feyther nor mother. 1873 Spilling Molly Miggs' Trip (1903) 9 But that's nuther here nor there. |
| β a 1300 Cursor M. 7303 Yee ar to fraward wit to dele, For noiþer ar ȝe war ne wise. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xii. 209 It were noyther resoun ne riȝt to rewarde hem bothe aliche. |
| γ c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints iv. (James) 70 Philet..mycht ster noder hand na fete. c 1471 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 271 The wynde, the water spareth nodyr priynce ne kyng. 1533 Gau Richt Vay 105 Bot alace thay wil noder prech thair self nay ȝeit suffer oders quhilk wald prech. 1574 in Littlejohn Aberd. Sheriff Crt. (1904) 261 Syme is noder persewar nor Moir defender in this present caus of Cognitioune. |
† b. = neither A. 2. Obs.
| 1531 Tindale Expos. 1 John (1537) 36 We..loue you all alyke, nother loue we one more and another lesse. 1547 Recorde Uryne 3 Nother is it so easy a thing..to translate well. 1561 Hollybush Hom. Apoth. 31 b, He is hevy and waketh much, nother can rest in one place. |
† 2. nother{ddd}nother, neither{ddd}nor. Obs.
| c 1275 Lay. 22853 Ne sal him noþer go vore gold noþer garisome. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvi. viii. (Bodl. MS.), Wiþout þis siluer noþer golde noþer copre maye be ouere gilte. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 50 Noiþer in biggings, noiþer in liȝts, noiþer in instruments. 1496 Somerset Med. Wills (1901) 340, 12 shepe nother of the best nother of the worste. 1530 Rastell Bk. Purgat. ii. i, Nother by exhortacyon..nother by..punysshment..nor other thynge. 1551 Turner Herbal i. (1568) 84 It hath nother seedes like vnto marrishe mallowe, nother may a man make roopes of it. |
† 3. = nor. (Usually with preceding negative.)
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. iv. 130 Bere no siluer ouer see.., golde noither siluer. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 512 No man couthe knowe His speche nother his vois, though men it herde. a 1400–50 Alexander 1372 [He] band hire..bigly to⁓gedire, with þat scho flisch noþer fayle, fyue score aunkirs. 1474 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. V. 311 That no manere man nor woman procure nother take away no childe. a 1529 Skelton Ware the Hauke 196 Nor yet dronken Bacus; Nother Olibrius, Nor Dionisyus. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 80 b, Nor in eating and drinking nother in chambring and wantonnesse. |
4. = neither A. 3.
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 722 Mi-self knowe ich nouȝt mi ken ne mi kontre noiþer. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. ix. 111 Was no pride on his apparail ne no pouert noþer. a 1400–50 Alexander 402 ‘Be noȝt a-bayste’, quod þe berne, ‘ne a-bleyd nothire’. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon ix. 222 ‘I shall never sette foote there’. ‘Nor I nother’, sayd Richarde. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 234 When that wolde take no place nother. 1561 Hollybush Hom. Apoth. 3 If ye can not have the same nother, then take [etc.]. |
| 1840 Haliburton Clockm. Ser. iii. v, It don't seem to hang very well together nother. 1841 Gaskel's Comic Songs 48 (E.D.D.), Nay, I cannot do that nother. 1886– in dial. glossaries (Kent, Surrey, Berks, Som.), usually in form nuther. |
† b. With preceding negative inferred. Obs.—1
| 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 358 Thus the scorne and the scaith scapit he nothir. |
▪ V. † ˈnother, adv.2 Obs.
In 4–5 noþer, 5 Sc. nothir.
[app. for nower adv., after prec. Cf. nouther adv.2]
Nowhere. Usually in comb. † nother-where.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 3495 For-þi ne was he noþer quar sent Bot to þe huse ai tok he tent. Ibid. 17556 In israel er hei felles; þar es he soth and noþer elles. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xli. (Agnes) 63 Seknes had he nothir-quhare, bot in his hart he had sic care. a 1400–50 Alexander 993 (Dubl.), Thare is no region ne realm..Ne noþer-whare no nacion bot sall my name lowte. |