from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Neither \Nei"ther\ (n[=e]"[th][~e]r or n[imac]"[th][~e]r; 277),
a. [OE. neither, nother, nouther, AS. n[=a]w[eth]er,
n[=a]hwae[eth]er; n[=a] never, not + hwae[eth]er whether. The
word has followed the form of either. See {No}, and
{Whether}, and cf. {Neuter}, {Nor}.]
Not either; not the one or the other.
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Which of them shall I take?
Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoyed,
If both remain alive. --Shak.
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He neither loves,
Nor either cares for him. --Shak.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Neither \Nei"ther\, conj.
Not either; generally used to introduce the first of two or
more coordinate clauses of which those that follow begin with
nor.
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Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the
king. --1 Kings
xxii. 31.
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Hadst thou been firm and fixed in thy dissent,
Neither had I transgressed, nor thou with me. --Milton.
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When she put it on, she made me vow
That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it.
--Shak.
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Note: Neither was formerly often used where we now use nor.
"For neither circumcision, neither uncircumcision is
anything at all." --Tyndale. "Ye shall not eat of it,
neither shall ye touch it." --Gen. iii. 3. Neither is
sometimes used colloquially at the end of a clause to
enforce a foregoing negative (nor, not, no). "He is
very tall, but not too tall neither." --Addison. " `I
care not for his thrust' `No, nor I neither.'" --Shak.
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{Not so neither}, by no means. [Obs.] --Shak.
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