neither

nei•ther

[[t]ˈni ðər, ˈnaɪ-[/t]] conj.

1) fun not either, as of persons or things specified (usu. fol. by nor):

Neither John nor Betty is at home[/ex]

2) fun nor; nor yet; no more:

Bob can't go; neither can I[/ex]

3) fun not either; not the one or the other:

neither path[/ex]

4) not either; not one person or the other; not one thing or the other:

Neither is to be trusted. Neither of the keys fits the lock[/ex]

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Etymology: 1150–1200; ME, =ne not +either either; r. ME nawther, OE nāwther, nāhwæther (nā not, no I+hwæther which of two; see whether) usage: When neither, a singular form, is followed by a prepositional phrase with a plural object, there is a tendency, esp. in speech and less formal writing, to use a plural verb and pronoun: Neither of the guards were at their stations. In edited writing, however, singular verbs and pronouns are more common: Neither of the guards was at his station. This use of a singular verb and pronoun is usually recommended by usage guides. Subjects connected by neither…nor take singular verbs and pronouns when both subjects are singular, plural when both are plural. Usage guides commonly say that when a singular and a plural subject are joined by these correlatives, the subject nearer the verb determines the verb: Neither the mayor nor the demonstrators have yielded. Neither the demonstrators nor the mayor has yielded. Practice varies, however, and often the presence of one plural subject, no matter what its position, results in a plural verb. pron: See either