Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Neither for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Neither" — pronoun, pronounced /ˈnaɪðə/, with the stress on "nei".
Narrator: Neither means not one nor the other of two.
Narrator: In plain English, neither means not either — like neither option being suitable.
Narrator: It comes from the Old English nāther, meaning not either, from nā, not, and hwæther, whether.
Narrator: "Neither of" describes not one nor the other of two options.
Narrator: It differs from none because neither is for two, whereas none is for more than two.
Narrator: "Neither here nor there" is a phrase meaning irrelevant or not important.
Narrator: Logic, grammar, everyday speech, decision-making and description all rely on the word neither.
Narrator: So remember: neither means not either, from the Old English for not either.
Speaker A: What does neither mean?
Speaker B: Not either! NEITHER comes from the Old English nāther, not either, from nā, not, and hwæther, whether, so it means not one nor the other of two.
Speaker A: So neither means not either of two?
Speaker B: Yes — not one nor the other!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "Neither of"; "neither here nor there"; "neither do I" — options, idiom and agreement.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Don't pronounce it nee-ther, because the British pronunciation is NY-ther, with the stress on ny.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: 'None' the more-than-two cousin, 'either' the opposite twin, 'nor' the conjunction alternative. The word keeps its negative charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "neither" in AI prompts — useful for logic apps and grammar tools.
Speaker A: So a prompt could frame logic?
Speaker B: Right. For a logic app, you'd write:
Prompt: Write a short guide to using neither, naming two rules.
Speaker A: How about a grammar tool?
Speaker B: Ask the model to advise:
Prompt: Draft a guide to neither nor constructions, naming two examples.
Speaker A: Could it help with a writing bot?
Speaker B: Yes, you can frame grammar:
Prompt: Summarise in two sentences how to use neither correctly, naming one rule.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For an ESL chatbot, try this:
Prompt: Write a short exercise on neither versus either, naming two sentences.
Neither — meaning in Arabic & definition More N courses GL Dictionary