niekas

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Lithuanian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-Balto-Slavic *neikas, equivalent to nie- +‎ kas; compare Proto-Slavic *nikъto (nobody), *ničь, *ničьto (nothing). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ne (no) + *kʷos (what) with an additional element, perhaps *éy (he, the); see jis (he). Cognate with Avestan 𐬥𐬀𐬈𐬗𐬌𐬱 (naeciš), Ossetian ницы (nicy, nothing).[1]

Pronunciation

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IPA(key): /nʲiə.kɐs/

Pronoun

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niẽkas stress pattern 2 or 4

  1. nobody; (with negation) anybody
  2. nothing; (with negation) anything
    Àš jaĩs neturiù niẽko beñdro - I don't have anything in common with them
    Rė́žėsi į̃ kìtą automobìlį ir̃ nuvažiavo lýg niẽkur niẽko - He crashed into another car and drove on as if nothing happened.

Declension

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Noun

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niekas

  1. nothing, trifle, triviality (an unsignificant or low-value thing)
  2. nobody, nonentity (insignificant, contemptable person)
    Jìs manè niekù laĩkoHe thinks of me as a no-one.

Declension

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Derived terms

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wojciech Smoczyński (2018) “niẽkas”, in Lithuanian Etymological Dictionary, Berlin, Germany: Peter Lang, →DOI, →ISBN, page 424