nith

See also: Nith, nið, niþ, and níð

Middle English

Alternative forms

• nithe, niþ, nuþ, nyth, nyþe
• nið, nuð (Early Middle English)

Etymology

Inherited from Old English nīþ (“envy, hatred, affliction”), from Proto-West Germanic *nīþ, from Proto-Germanic *nīþą, from Proto-Indo-European *neyH- (“to be angry”).

Cognate with Dutch nijd (“envy”), German Neid (“envy, jealousy”), regional Swedish nid (“hatred, envy”), Icelandic níð (“hatred, envy”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /niːθ/

Noun

nith (uncountable) (poetic)

1. Enmity, spite; hate towards another person.
2. (rare, more generally) Evil, affliction, harm.

Related terms

• nithful

References

• “nīth, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old Saxon

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nīþ, from Proto-Germanic *nīþą. Cognate with Old English nīþ, Dutch nijd, Old High German nīd (German Neid), Old Norse níð (regional Swedish nid), Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐌹𐌸 (neiþ). Compare the Old Norse níðingur.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /niːθ/

Noun

nīth m

1. envy, jealousy
2. hostility, hatred

Declension

Declension of nīth (masculine a-stem)

	singular	plural
nominative	nīth	nīthos
accusative	nīth	nīthos
genitive	nīthes	nīthō
dative	nīthe	nīthum
instrumental	—	—

Derived terms

• nīthhugi m (“hatred”)
• nīthskepi f (“hate, hatred”)

 

Descendants

• Middle Low German: nît
  • German Low German: Nied

Welsh

Etymology

Proto-Brythonic *nėθ, from Proto-Celtic *nextī, from Proto-Indo-European *néptih₂ (“niece, granddaughter”)

Noun

nith f (plural nithoedd, not mutable)

1. niece

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “nith”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies