nifl

Icelandic

Etymology

In compounds probably means “darkness”,[1] ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nébʰos (“cloud”) whence the Proto-Germanic *nebulaz, cognates with Old High German nebul (“fog”)[1] (New High German nebel,[1] whence Nebel (“fog, mist, haze; nebula”)) and Latin nebula (“fog; cloud; vapor”).[1]

Confer njóla (“poetic: night”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /nɪpl/
  • Rhymes: -ɪpl

Noun

nifl n (genitive singular nifls, no plural)

  1. (poetic) fog, darkness[1]

Declension
declension of nifl
n-s singular
indefinite definite
nominative nifl niflið
accusative nifl niflið
dative nifli niflinu
genitive nifls niflsins

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

References
  1. Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon. Page 667 of the Íslensk orðsifjabók (“Book of Icelandic Etymology”). Publisher: Stofnun Árna Magnússonar á Íslandi (“Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies”), first print November 1989 →ISBN
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