Definition of "ne"

For she ne dare doo, but to commande.

c1500, Melusine (translation)

And whan the good quene herde these pyteous tydynges lytel lacked that the ne dyed for sorowe / wherfore all lamentably the began to complayne her sayenge.

1512, Robert Copland, The History of Helyas, Knight of The Swan‎

This shold haue bene his skuce at the lest / And it ne had bene but good & honest.

c1520, Andria by Terence (translation)

O so incessaunt thow ad in thy desyre / For so that thow thy mynde now mayst haue / Thow ne caryst what thow dost requyre.

c1520, Andria by Terence (translation)

For he ne had, nor could increase his line.

1550, The Mirror for Magistrates

In geving me to him whom I ne can, ne may, ne ought to love.

1562, Arthur Brooke, The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet

Mary (quoth the king) so might me mine, ne haddest thou been Earle Godwine: casting in his dish the murder of his brother Alfred, which was done to death at Elie by the Counsell of Godwine.

1576, William Lambarde, A perambulation of Kent‎

Ne durst again his fieri face out-show.

1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […]; reprinted as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, The Shepheardes Calender […], London: John C. Nimmo, […], 1890,

Ioc: How can that be and thou my ioy in warre? Po: Henceforth n'am I your ioy ne yet your sonne.

1587, George Gascoigne, Francis Kinwelmershe, Jocasta

What happs might chance me I ne knewe.

c. 1590, William Fowler, The Works of William Fowler‎

His forces faile, ne can no lenger fight.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie

As when a ship, that flyes faire vnder saile, / An hidden rocke escaped hath vnwares, / That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile, / The Marriner yet halfe amazed stares / At perill past, and yet it doubt ne dares / To ioy at his foole-happie ouersight.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie

And now sweete death most welcome vnto mee, thy stroakes ne can, ne shall me once dismay.

1591, John Phillip, A Commemoration on the Life and Death of the Right Honourable, Sir Christopher Hatton

And twenty thousand infants that ne wot the right hand from the left.

1592, Robert Greene, A Looking Glass for London

But when he spoke, his plenteous words did flow / Like to thick-falling flakes of winter snow, / Ne any couth his wit so hiely straine.

1607, Thomas Walkington, The Optick Glasse of Humors‎

Now, siker ( Wernocke ) thou hast split the marke / Albe that I ne wot I han mis-song: / But, for I am so yong, I dread my warke / Woll be misualued both of old and yong.

1614, John Davies of Hereford, Eclogue Between Young Willy the SInger of His Native Pastorals, and Old Wernocke His Friend‎

Whilom in Albion's isle there dwelt a youth, / Who ne in virtue's ways did take delight [...].

1812, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto I, 2

That than I shall not geve therunto faith ne credence, nor therfore put them to any maner ponyssement, before that they or any of them so accused may be at their lawful defence and answer.

1484, Original Letters, King Edward the Fifth, under the direction of his Uncle, to Otes Gilbert, Esq., commanding him to receive Knighthood at the expected Coronation‎

And therin is no drede nor bytternes ne expences, but therin is pure recreacyon of body and of soule soo it be donn in clene places.

1489, The gouernayle of helthe‎

Be not to hasty ne sodenly vengeable, to poure folke doo no vyolence.

1489, The gouernayle of helthe‎

Moreouer no man be so hardy to drynk fastyng cold water, ne after that he hath accompanyed wyth a woman, ne after gret trauayle, ne after exersice tyll he haue fyrst rested hym, ne by nyght namely yf he haue do gloue tofore.

1489, The gouernayle of helthe‎

A false tonge wyll euer Imagyne and saye / That neuer by creature was sayd ne thought.

1500, The Example of Euyll Tongues

For chastyce can he not by daye ne nyght his wyfe but by his betynge maketh lyght and hote the loue bytwene her and her frende.

1509, Wynkyn de Worde, The fyftene joyes of maryage‎

Item, that noo woman nor maide weyve any worsted stamynges ne sayes for that that thei be nott of sufficient powre to werke the said worsteddes as thei owte to be wrought, upon payne of iij s iiij d as often as thei be founde wevyng to be devyded and leuyed in maner and forme aboue expressed.

1511, The Records of the City of Norwich‎

That they shulde no lenger kepe ne susteyne Thomas the archebysshope.

1520, Richard Pynson, The Lyfe of The Blessed Martyr Saynte Thomas‎

The rote ought to be gadered in the begynnynge of somer and dryed in the sonne bycause [tha]¬t it corrupt ne rotte bycause of the moystnesse[,] & it may be kept two yeres;

1526, The Grete Herball‎

For lyinge is a detestable vice, and to be hated of all men, ne to be suffred amonge seruantis ne other persones[,] howe poure estate so euer they be of.

1535, Thomas Elyot, The Education or Bringing up of Children

Thus some persones beeyng inuited and exhorted to falle to the studie of lettres, make their excuse that thei bee sickely, that thei can not slepe ne take their naturall reste in the nightes.

1542, Nicholas Udall, Apophthegms (translation)

We Moores be not so base of wit, ne yet so blunt of mynd.

1558, Thomas Phaer, The Aeneid (translation)

The deuyll gossyp, ought me a shame / And prayde I am nowe, euerye penye I wolde god he had, be blinde and lame / The daye and houre, he fyrste woed me / Ware not gossyp, these chyldren thre I wolde not tary, ye may be sure / Longer with hym, daye ne houre.

c. 1560, Edward Gosynhill, The Schoolhouse of Women‎

Neither extremitie, ne gentle meanes could boote; she hydeth close within her brest, her secret sorowes roote.

1562, Arthur Brooke, The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet

Ne on her teares or plaint, at all to have remorse, but (if they can not with her will,) to bring the mayde perforce.

1562, Arthur Brooke, The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet

His hart encreaseth not thereby ne lesseth as edoon these fooles.

1570, John Thynne, The Debate betweene Pride and Lowlines‎

And that no victualer ne other person or persons forestall any kynde of victualls cominge to the said Cyty or within the precyncte of the same before the same victualls be come to the place.

1577, The Hereford Municipal Manuscript‎

Ioc: How can that be and thou my ioy in warre? Po: Henceforth n'am I your ioy ne yet your sonne.

1587, George Gascoigne, Francis Kinwelmershe, Jocasta

But to her cry they list not lenden eare, / Ne ought the more their mightie strokes surceasse.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie

Whose worth all outward is in shew alone / But inward sent hath not, ne vertue none.

1634, W. Lathum, (Please provide the book title or journal name)

The pang, the curse, with which they died, / Had never pass'd away; / I could not draw my een from theirs / Ne turn them up to pray.

1798, Samuel Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, ll. 443-6