nether
Pronunciation: \ˈne-
thər\ Function:
adjective Etymology:Middle English, from Old English
nithera, from
nither down; akin to Old High German
nidar down, Sanskrit
niDate:before 12th century 1
: situated down or below
: lower <the
nether side>
2
: situated or believed to be situated beneath the earth's surface <the
nether regions>
neither
Pronunciation: \ˈnē-
thər
also ˈnī-\ Function:
most commonly used as a conjunction but can be an adverb, noun, adjective, or pronoun Etymology:Middle English, alteration (influenced by
either) of
nauther, nother, from Old English
nāhwæther, nōther, from
nā, nō not +
hwæther which of two, whetherDate:12th century 1
: not either <
neither black nor white>
2
: also not <
neither did I>
usage Although use with
or is neither archaic nor wrong,
neither is usually followed by
nor. A few commentators think that
neither must be limited in reference to two, but reference to more than two has been quite common since the 17th century <rigid enforcement of antique decorum will help
neither language, literature, nor literati — James Sledd>.