niðr

Old Norse

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *niþer, whence Old English niþer, Old High German nidar.

Adverb

niðr (not comparable)

  1. down
Descendants
  • Icelandic: niður
  • Faroese: niður
  • Norwegian: ned; (dialectal) ner, ni, nid
  • Old Swedish: niþer, niþ, nedher, nedh
  • Old Danish:
  • Old Gutnish: niþer

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *niþjaz, cognate with Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌸𐌾𐌹𐍃 (niþjis).

Alternative forms

  • ᚿᛁᚦᛧ (niþʀ)nominative singular

Noun

niðr m

  1. kinsman, relative
    • 9th c., Þjóðólfr of Hvinir, Ynglingatal, verse 4:
      Ok Vísburs / vilja byrði
      sævar niðr / svelga knátti
      And the kinsman of the sea [FIRE] / was able to swallow
      the ship of will [BREAST] / of Vísburr
  2. ancestors; deceased men belonging to the same clan
    iðja várra niðjathe profession of our ancestors
  3. son
Declension
Declension of niðr (strong ja-stem)
masculine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative niðr niðrinn niðjar niðjarnir
accusative nið niðinn niðja niðjana
dative nið niðinum niðjum niðjunum
genitive niðs niðsins niðja niðjanna
Descendants
  • Icelandic: niður
  • Old Swedish: niþiar m pl
  • Old Gutnish: niþi

Further reading

  • Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “niðr”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 312; also available at the Internet Archive