I think it means nay
outward appearances of grief are not the same as grief itself.
Nay means no.
No
nem can mean not, no, nay, or nope
nay nay hippy i nay 24 seven nay nay nay
the hamlet
You mean William Shakespeare's Hamlet? It was written around 1600.
This expression does not occur in Shakespeare's Hamlet anywhere.
"Nay" means "no", not only in Shakespeare, but anywhere else you might happen to run across it.
It means "What are you doing?"
Black Hamlet
The word that means "no" but sounds like "neigh" is "nay."