mitnichten

German

Alternative forms

  • (obsolete) mit nichten, mit nichte

Etymology

Univerbation of mit (“with”) +‎ nichten (“nothing”), a now-obsolete byform of nichts and nicht.[1] Attested by the 15th century, separated spelling goes back to Middle High German. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “How was this idiom derived semantically?”)

Pronunciation

  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)

Adverb

mitnichten

  1. (higher register or often humorous) by no means, not at all
    Synonyms: keineswegs, auf keinen Fall
    • 1480, Hans Grüninger, chapter 23, in Die Heilige Schrift des Alten und Neuen Testaments‎[1], Das Buch der Geschopf (Genesis):
      Meyn Herr mitnichten wirt es geschehen also. aber du solt mer mercken was ich red.
      My lord, it will not at all happen thus. But you should rather heed what I say.

References

  1. ^ “nichten” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

Further reading

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