Nays

Nays is the plural form of nay, which in English functions as an archaic or formal variant of no. In contemporary usage, nay appears mainly in ceremonial, literary, or rhetorical contexts, while its plural form nays is used when referring to opposing votes or objections in a decision-making process.

In parliamentary and legislative language, nays denotes the votes cast against a proposed measure. The phrase yeas and nays is a traditional pairing describing two opposing sides in a ballot, with the nays representing those who vote against the motion. The outcome is often reported as “the ayes have it” or, in the opposite case, “the nays have it.” Beyond formal bodies, nays can be used to describe simply the opponents or objections raised to an idea or proposal.

Usage notes emphasize that noes is another plural form encountered in some varieties of English, especially in parliamentary contexts. While noes and nays share the same meaning, the preferred form can vary by country, institution, or historical tradition. In modern everyday English, speakers generally use no or opposition rather than nay or nays, reserving nay and its plural for stylistic, ceremonial, or literary occasions.

Etymology traces nay to Old English nā, a negative particle meaning no, which survives primarily in fixed phrases and formal register. The term nays, as a count noun for opposing votes, reflects a common pattern of adding -s to form plurals in English.