Wiktionary

nimmer

See also: Nimmer

English

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Etymology

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From Middle English nimere, equivalent to nim (“to filch, steal”) +‎ -er. Cognate with Dutch nemer (“taker”), German Nehmer (“taker”).

Noun

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nimmer (plural nimmers)

  1. A petty thief.[1]

References

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  1. ^ Garner, Bryan A. (2005), Blacks Law Dictionary, Abridged Eighth edition, Thomson/West, →ISBN, page 880

Anagrams

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Bavarian

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Etymology

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From 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

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  • IPA(key): /ˈnimɐ/
  • Hyphenation: nim‧mer

Adverb

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nimmer

  1. no more, no longer
    De Maschin geht nimmer. ― The machine is no longer working.
  2. never again
    Bei dena kaf i nimmer ei. ― I'll never shop at their place again.

Dutch

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Etymology

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From Middle Dutch nemmer, from Old Dutch niemer. Equivalent to n- +‎ immer.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈnɪ.mər/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: nim‧mer
  • Rhymes: -ɪmər

Adverb

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nimmer

  1. (formal or dated) never
    Synonym: nooit
    Antonyms: altijd, altoos, immer

Usage notes

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Nimmer is rarer and nowadays considered much more formal than nooit, excluding some compounds and set expressions.

Derived terms

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German

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle High German niemer, from Old High German niomēr, itself usually derived from ni- (“not”) + iomēr (“ever”), thus the same construct as English ever and never. Pfeifer instead derives it from Old High German nio (“never”) + iomēr (modern German nie + immer). The modern (chiefly southern) interpretation, finally, makes it equivalent to a contraction of ni(ch)t mehr (“no more”) or nie mehr (“never more”). All of these words are ultimately interrelated, but not identical.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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nimmer

  1. (archaic, literary, poetic) never, at no time
    Synonyms: nie, niemals
    • 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.
  2. (regional, chiefly Southern Germany, Austria) no more, no longer, never again
    Synonyms: nicht mehr, nie mehr; nie wieder
    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.

Usage notes

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  • 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.

Derived terms

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Further reading

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  • “nimmer” in Duden online
  • “nimmer”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎[1] (in German)
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