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# ne

adverb (French «ne», part of «ne … pas» = not); abbreviation (NE = north-east) — not an English word

«ne» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition and Early Modern English — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (French) «Ne» is the first half of the French way to say «not»: «je ne sais pas» is «I don't know»; the word goes before the verb and «pas» goes after it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#m1)
2. (abbreviation) «NE» means north-east, the direction halfway between north and east, as on a compass or a map. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#m2)
3. It is not an English word on its own; French «ne» sounds like «nuh». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#m3)
4. In Russian, «ne» also means «not», and it goes before the verb. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#m4)

### In the lessons

In French lessons pupils learn the negative «ne … pas» (not), «ne … jamais» (never), «ne … plus» (no more) and «ne … rien» (nothing). In everyday spoken French people often drop «ne» and just say «je sais pas». In geography lessons «NE» is a compass point: «the wind blew from the NE».

### Examples

- «Je ne parle pas allemand» means «I don't speak German». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#x1)
- «Il ne mange jamais de viande» means «he never eats meat». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#x2)
- In fast French, people often leave out «ne». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#x3)
- Before a vowel, «ne» becomes «n'»: «je n'aime pas». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#x4)
- The map showed the town to the NE of the lake. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#x5)
- A compass has N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#x6)
- French «ne» sounds like «nuh». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/#x7)

### Note

As a word, French, not English. «Ne» cannot make a sentence negative alone in written French; it needs a partner such as «pas». Before a vowel it becomes «n'». As a direction write «NE» in capitals or «north-east» in full. Do not confuse with «né(e)» (born), as in «née» for a woman's family name at birth.

## In Jewish tradition

In French lessons pupils learn the negative «ne … pas» (not), «ne … jamais» (never), «ne … plus» (no more) and «ne … rien» (nothing). In everyday spoken French people often drop «ne» and just say «je sais pas». In geography lessons «NE» is a compass point: «the wind blew from the NE».

### Examples

- Hinc jam rebus Israel inclinatis ne deficeret per sapientes Hierusalem arcanis et (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/N/ne/#x1)
- Hinc jam rebus Israel inclinatis ne deficeret per sapientes Hierusalem arcanis et \[p. 12\] profundissimis sensibus literis commendatus." Johannes Pistorius. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/N/ne/#x2)
- Modern writers are also divided in their opinions concer- ning the age of the Sefer Yetzirah. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/N/ne/#x3)

### Note

As a word, French, not English. «Ne» cannot make a sentence negative alone in written French; it needs a partner such as «pas». Before a vowel it becomes «n'». As a direction write «NE» in capitals or «north-east» in full. Do not confuse with «né(e)» (born), as in «née» for a woman's family name at birth.

## Early Modern English

### Meaning

A word meaning "not" in another language, so it is not an English word. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/N/ne/#m1)

### Then and now

Not an English word; in the texts it is French, Russian or Latin for "not" and sometimes a name ending.

### Examples

- \[354\] Tak de ego ne vzat'. (Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/N/ne/#x1)
- Hinc jam rebus Israel inclinatis ne deficeret per sapientes Hierusalem arcanis et (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/N/ne/#x2)
- Athene (a-thee'-ne, th as in both), 43. (Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/N/ne/#x3)

### Note

Today: not.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ne» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/ne/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ne» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ne.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «ne» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/N/ne/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ne» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/ne.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «ne» in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/N/ne/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ne» in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/w/ne.html) on Mova free.