nifl

Icelandic

Etymology

In compounds probably means “darkness”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nébʰos (“cloud”) whence the Proto-Germanic *nebulaz, cognates with Old High German nebul (“fog”) (New High German nebel, whence Nebel (“fog, mist, haze; nebula”)) and Latin nebula (“fog; cloud; vapor”).

Compare njóla (“night”) (poetic).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɪpl/
• Rhymes: -ɪpl

Noun

nifl n (genitive singular nifls, no plural)

1. (poetic) fog, darkness

Declension

Declension of nifl (sg-only neuter)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	nifl	niflið
accusative	nifl	niflið
dative	nifli	niflinu
genitive	nifls	niflsins

Derived terms

• niflfarinn (“gone to hell, dead”) (poetic)
• niflgóður (“evil”) (poetic)
• Niflheimur (“Niflheim; the Mist Home, the "Abode of Mist", the Mist World; the domain of the dead, the Underworld”)
• Niflhel (“the dark abode of the being Hel”) (poetic)
• niflungur (“a king, a head of state”) (poetic)
• Niflungar (“Nibelung”)
• niflvegur (“a dark road”) (poetic)