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neither — not one or the other of two people or things

Part of speech: PRONOUN

Definition: not one or the other of two people or things

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈniːðər/

Example Sentences

  • Neither pizza nor hamburger could satisfy his craving for Korean fried chicken.
  • "I can't solve this math problem." "Neither can Einstein's ghost."
  • Neither of my parents can use smartphones properly.

neither

PRONOUN

[/ˈniːðər/]

not one or the other of two people or things

The customer wants neither chocolate nor vanilla ice cream
💡 Concept

The customer wants neither chocolate nor vanilla ice cream

Neither path looks good - let's take a breather!
🎵 Rhyme

Neither path looks good - let's take a breather!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈniːðər/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈnaɪðər/

🌳Etymology

Origin

Neither derives from Old English 'nawther', a combination of 'na' (not) and 'hwæther' (which of two), literally meaning 'not either of two'. The word evolved through Middle English before arriving at its modern form, maintaining its fundamental sense of negating a choice between two alternatives.

Breakdown

na- (not) + hwæther (which of two), where hwæther is related to 'whether', both descending from Proto-Germanic '*hwa-' (who, which) combined with the comparative suffix '-ther'.

🎵Rhyme

either
breather

🔗Collocations

neither... nor...
neither of them
neither here nor there
neither do I
neither option
neither side

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“Neither pizza nor hamburger could satisfy his craving for Korean fried chicken.”

😄 Fun example

“"I can't solve this math problem." "Neither can Einstein's ghost."”

“Neither of my parents can use smartphones properly.”

“The weather is neither too hot nor too cold today.”

📚Related Words

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