"nikogda" and "nekogda"

[aunil.livejournal.com]

Hello everyone :)
I'm an italian university student, and I've been studying Russian for three years now.
This year they've explained us the differences between NIKOGDA and NEKOGDA, but I'm not sure I understood.
Anyone willing to help? :)

Thank you in advance :)

Marta

Comments

[nemica.livejournal.com]

НикогдA - never
(Мне) нЕкогда - (I) have no time.

[kirgudu.livejournal.com]

That's simple, 'nikogdA' (stress on the last syllable) can be directly translated as 'never', and 'nEkogda' (stress on the first syllable) has two meanings:
1) 'there is no time' (ex: 'Мне некогда это делать.' - 'I have no time to do this')
2) 'in former times', 'once', etc - without specifying the exact time (ex: 'Руины, некогда бывшие великолепным зданием, теперь выглядят ужасно' - 'Those ruins, in former times being a magnificent building, look horrible now')
The second meaning is quite old-fashioned, and very rarely used in colloquial speech.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Comprehensive.
May I also underwrite this? ;-))))

[nemica.livejournal.com]

Wow, I just forgot about the second meaning of некогда! Shame on me! But it's really quite old-fashioned book style. :)

[aunil.livejournal.com]

Oh, alright. Now it's clear :)
thank you everyone ! :)