nihtes

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *nahtas (“at night”), derived from *naht (“night”) but with the ending taken from *dagas (“during the day”), an adverbial use of the genitive of *dag (Old English dæġ). Cognate with Old Frisian nachtes, Old Saxon nahtes, Old High German nahtes (German nachts).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnix.tes/, [ˈniç.tes]

Adverb

nihtes

1. at night
   • c. 992, Ælfric, St. Benedict, Abbot

     Hwæt cwist þū, sweostor? Ne mæġ iċ nāteshwōn būtan mynstre nihtes wunian.

     What are you saying, sister? Ain't no way I can stay outside the monastery at night.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "St. Benedict, Abbot"

     Eft on ōðrum tīman stōd sē hālga wer on his ġebedum uppon ānre upflōre þǣr his bedd inne wæs. Þā ġestōd hē æt ānum ēagþȳrle oþ forþ nihtes, þone ælmihtegan God biddende. Þā fǣrlīċe āsprang miċel lēoht, beorhtre þonne ǣniġ dæġ, swā þæt sē hālga wer oferseah ealne middanġeard.

     Another time, the saint was saying his prayers in the upstairs room where his bed was. He stood at a window until late at night, praying to Almighty God, when suddenly a great light burst out brighter than any day, so the saint could see across the whole world.

Descendants

• Middle English: nightes
  • English: nights (adverb)

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “nihtes”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[1], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.