οὔτε G3777
Neither...nor; a correlative negative conjunction coordinating negated clauses or items
Oute is the Greek negative correlative conjunction, typically used in paired constructions (oute...oute) to negate two or more coordinated elements: 'neither...nor.' Jesus teaches that heavenly treasure suffers neither moth nor rust (Matt 6:20), and that blasphemy against the Spirit will be forgiven neither in this age nor the next (Matt 12:32). Paul employs extended oute-chains to catalog what cannot separate believers from God's love (Rom 8:38–39). The conjunction appears with remarkable consistency across all 87 occurrences, and translations uniformly render it with correlative negatives: Spanish 'ni,' French 'ni,' German 'weder.'
Senses
1. neither, nor (negative conjunction) — A correlative negative conjunction that coordinates negated elements, characteristically appearing in oute...oute pairs meaning 'neither...nor.' It structures comprehensive negations, from Jesus' teaching on heavenly treasure immune to moth and rust (Matt 6:20) to Paul's soaring declaration that neither death nor life nor any created thing can separate from God's love (Rom 8:38–39). The uniform cross-linguistic rendering — Spanish 'ni,' French 'ni,' German 'weder' — confirms a single grammatical function across all 87 New Testament uses. 87×
AR["لا", "لَا", "لَمْ", "وَ-لا", "وَلا", "وَلا-", "وَلَا"]·ben["না", "না-ও", "বিয়ে-দেওয়া-হয়"]·DE["weder"]·EN["Neither", "neither", "neither-", "nor", "nor-"]·FR["ni", "ni-"]·heb["וְ-לֹא", "וְגַם-לֹא", "וְלֹא", "וְלֹא-", "לֹא", "נִשָּׂאוֹת", "נוֹשְׂאִים"]·HI["जो", "न", "न-ही", "पाकर"]·ID["baik", "dan-tidak", "juga-tidak", "maupun", "tidak", "tidak-juga", "tidak-pun"]·IT["ne-", "né"]·jav["boten", "boten-ugi", "boten-wonten", "kawula-mboten", "lan-mboten", "mboten", "mboten-ugi", "ugi-mboten"]·KO["-도-아니다", "-도-않h-", "-도-없다", "~도-않고", "~도-않으리라", "그-", "아니", "아니-", "아니다", "않다", "알지-못한다"]·PT["nem"]·RU["ни", "ни-"]·ES["ni"]·SW["haitawezekani", "hata", "hawaoi", "hawaozwi", "si-wala", "wala"]·TR["-ne", "ne", "ne-de", "ne-ki"]·urd["اور-نہ", "نہ", "نہ-تو"]
Matt 6:20, Matt 6:20, Matt 12:32, Matt 12:32, Matt 22:30, Matt 22:30, Mark 12:25, Mark 12:25, Mark 14:68, Luke 14:35, Luke 14:35, Luke 20:35 (+38 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
οὔτε, adverb, (οὐ, τε) joining negative clauses, as τε joins positive, but rare in the simple sense and not, Refs 8th c.BC+; οὔτε γὰρ ἐκείνους διδόναι, Latin neque enim, Refs; and occasionally in later writers, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II mostly repeated, οὔτε.., οὔτε.. neither.., nor.., Latin neque.., neque.., Refs 8th c.BC+, as οὔτ᾽ ἂρ.., οὔτε..; οὔτ᾽ ἂρ.., οὔτ᾽ ἂρ..; οὔτ᾽ ἄρ τε.., οὔτ᾽ ἄρα.. Refs 8th…