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About NE
NE is a valid word in the official Scrabble dictionary (US), the UK Scrabble Dictionary and Words with Friends (ENABLE).
When you first hear it pronounced (like “knee”), you might think “ne” is the word from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But those were actually the Knights Who Say “Ni.” It’s a common misconception; they’re actually two totally separate words with totally separate meanings.
More about NE
We have no idea what “ni” means, but “ne” refers to someone’s original name. It’s French, it’s a little bit fancy, and it’s usually used to designate a married woman’s original surname. However, for a woman, it’s actually spelled “nee.” Well, actually, it’s spelled “né” and “née” because it’s French and they love accented letters over there. It’s also pronounced like “neigh”—yes, like a horse. In France, it means “born,” so when you say “né,” you’re literally saying “born as” such-and-such name.
It’s also an abbreviation for the state of Nebraska, New England, northeast, and no effects. But none of those usages apply in Scrabble.
Examples of “ne” in a sentence:
- What’s the abbreviation for Nebraska? NE, right?
- His name was Cr@p Bag (né Mike Hannigan), and her name was Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock (née Phoebe Buffay).
- Where are we going? My compass says “NE,” but that can’t be right.
Definitions
noun
- a colorless odorless gaseous element that give a red glow in a vacuum tube; one of the six inert gasses; occurs in the air in small amounts
- the compass point midway between north and east; at 45 degrees
- a midwestern state on the Great Plains