niþ

See also: niy, nith, ñiy, nið, and níð

Middle English

Noun

niþ

1. Alternative form of nith

Old English

Alternative forms

• nīð

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *nīþ, from Proto-Germanic *nīþą. Cognate with Old Saxon nīth, Dutch nijd, Old High German nīd (German Neid), Old Norse níð (regional Swedish nid), Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐌹𐌸 (neiþ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /niːθ/

Noun

nīþ m

1. envy, jealousy
2. hostility, hatred, evil, violence
   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     On þām ġewinne, ⁊ on moneġum oþrum æfter þǣm, Hannibal ġecȳþde þone nīþ ⁊ þone hete þe hē beforan his fæder ġeswōr, þā hē nigonwintre cniht wæs, þæt hē næfre ne wurde Rōmana frēond.

     In that battle, and in many others after that, Hannibal proved the hostility and hatred that he swore before his father when he was a nine-year-old boy, that he would never become a friend of the Romans.

Declension

Declension of nīþ (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	nīþ	nīþas
accusative	nīþ	nīþas
genitive	nīþes	nīþa
dative	nīþe	nīþum

Derived terms

• nīþan (“to hate”)
• nīþcwalu f (“violent death, destruction”)
• nīþcwealm m (“violent death, destruction, nithqualm”)
• nīþdraca m (“hostile dragon”)
• nīþful (“envious, quarrelsome, ill-disposed, evil, nithful”)
• nīþfullīce (“maliciously, nithfully”)
• nīþgæst m (“hostile alien, fell demon”)
• nīþgeteōn n (“attack”)
• nīþgrama m (“anger, malice”)
• nīþgrimm (“fierce, hostile”)
• nīþgripe m (“fierce grasp”)
• nīþheard (“bold, brave in battle”)
• nīþhell f (“hateful hell”)
• nīþhete m (“hostility, evil intent: affliction, torment; foe”)
• nīþhycgende (“evil-scheming”)
• nīþhýdig (“valorous”)
• nīþing m (“wretch, villain, coward, outlaw nithing”)
• nīþiġ (“envious, malicious, nithy”)
• nīþla, nīþle m (“enemy: enmity, fierceness”)
• nīþloca m (“place of torment, Hell”)
• nīþlīce (“abjectly”)
• nīþplega m (“battle, fight”)
• nīþsceaþa m (“foe, persecutor”)
• nīþscipe m (“wickedness”)
• nīþsele m (“hall of conflict”)
• nīþsynn f (“grievous sin”)
• nīþweorc n (“battle”)
• nīþwracu f (“severe punishment”)
• nīþwundor n (“dire wonder, fearful portent, nithwonder”)
• nīþġeweorc n (“evil deed, nithwork”)

 

Descendants

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