nithing
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈnaɪðɪŋ/
Forms: form: nithings
form: niding
Etymology: From Middle English nithing, nithinc, nything, nythyng, nythynge, niþinge, nyþing, nyþyng, Early Middle English niðing, niþinc, niþincke (“coward, wretch; good-for-nothing; term of address for a boy or lad; stingy or miserly person; niggardly, miserly, stingy”), from Late Old English nithing, Old English niðing, nīþing (“coward; wretch; outlaw, villain”), from a North Germanic language, from Proto-Germanic *nīþą (“envy; hate; malice”) (from Proto-Indo-European *neyH- (“to be angry”)) + *-ingō, *-ungō (suffix forming gerund nouns from verbs).
The English word is cognate with Danish nidding, Late Latin nidingus, nithingus, Middle High German nīdinc, nīdunc (modern German Neiding (“(archaic) one who is envious”)), Old Norse níðingr (Icelandic níðingur (“scoundrel, rascal”), Norwegian niding), Old Swedish nīþinger (modern Swedish niding).
Senses: examples: text: [W]hen there was a daungerous rebellion againſt King William Rufus and Rocheſter Caſtle then the moſt important & ſtrongeſt fort of this Realm was ſtowtly kept againſt him, after that he had but proclaimed that his ſubjects ſhould repaire thither to his Campe, vpon no other penaltie, but that whoſoeuer refuſed to come, ſhould be reputed a Niding: they ſwarmed to him immediatly from all ſides in ſuch numbers, that he had in a few daies an infinite Armie, and the rebells therewith weere ſo terrified, that they forthwith yeelded.
ref: 1605, M. N. [pseudonym; William Camden], “The Languages”, in Remaines of a Greater Worke, Concerning Britaine, […], London: […] G[eorge] E[ld] for Simon Waterson, →OCLC, page 30:
text: To call a Dane a nithing, was like ſetting fire to gunpowder, and inſtantly excited ſuch a flame of rage, as nothing but his own blood or the blood of the offender could extinguiſh [...].
ref: 1789, Robert Henry, chapter VII, in The History of Great Britain, from the First Invasion of It by the Romans under Julius Cæsar. […], 2nd edition, Dublin: Printed for P. Byrne, […], and J. Jones, […], →OCLC, book II, page 472:
text: To get gold to buy peace, they will sell their children into slavery. Sooner than look our swords in the face, they will yield us their daughters to be our thralls! Oath-breakers, nithings! Will you be beaten by such? Vikings, Odinmen, forward!
ref: 1903 April 22, Ottilie A[delina] Liljencrantz, “The Game of Swords”, in The Ward of King Canute: A Romance of the Danish Conquest, Chicago, Ill.: Published by A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., →OCLC, page 74:
text: For this siege the king again appealed to the country and called for the help of all under the old Saxon penalty of the disgraceful name of "nithing."
ref: 1905, George Burton Adams, “Feudalism and a Strong King”, in William Hunt, Reginald L[ane] Poole, editors, The History of England From the Norman Conquest to the Death of John (1066–1216) (The Political History of England in Twelve Volumes; II), London; New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 76:
text: Do victims of the Holocaust and anti-Judaism care about how logical and unmalicious Jacoby's motives are? Do you think Jeff Jacoby is a Nazi nithing or a Holocaust denier?
ref: 2010 May 21, Michael Ejercito, “Libertarianism, Federalism, and Racism [comment section]”, in Ilya Somin, The Volokh Conspiracy, archived from the original on 03 Apr 2019:
text: Surely there must be one among this crowd of nithings who has the guts to face a woman in combat?
ref: 2014, Joanna Fulford, chapter 11, in Surrender to the Viking, Don Mills, Ont.: Harlequin Historical, →ISBN, page 139:
synonyms: word: nidering
word: niddering
word: bottler
word: caitiff
word: candy-ass
word: candy-arse
word: coistril
word: coward
word: chicken
word: chicken liver
word: chickenshit
word: cocktail
word: cowardy custard
word: craven
word: dog
word: fraidy cat
word: funker
word: gutless wonder
word: invertebrate
word: jessie
word: lizard
word: milquetoast
word: nancy
word: niddering
word: nidering
word: nidget
word: niding
word: nithing
word: piece of crap
word: piece of shit
word: pisspants
word: pullet
word: punk
word: pussy
word: pussyhole
word: quiche-eater
word: quakebreech
word: quakebuttock
word: recreant
word: scaredy cat
word: scaredy pants
word: shithouse
word: sissy
word: slag
word: sluggard
word: snool
word: sook
word: weak sister
word: wheyface
word: yellow belly
word: yellow back
glosses: A coward, a dastard; a wretch.
examples: text: And for the moment, though he [Sweyn II of Denmark] escaped as usual to Baldwin [V, Count of Flanders]'s land and dwelt at Bruges, he was solemnly proclaimed a nithing or vile person (the most ignominious term in the Teutonic vocabulary) by the whole host, with the king, his brother-in-law, at their head.
ref: 1906, Thomas Hodgkin, “Edward the Confessor. (1042–1066.)”, in The History of England: From the Earliest Times to the Norman Conquest, London; New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 451:
synonyms: word: antimodel
word: bad guy
word: baddie
word: bastard
word: blackguard
word: bounder
word: cad
word: coistril
word: evildoer
word: fustilarian
word: harlot
word: heavy
word: knave
word: lidderon
word: makeshift
word: miscreant
word: ne'er-do-well
word: niding
word: nithing
word: rapscallion
word: rascal
word: rogue
word: scab
word: scamp
word: scapegrace
word: scoundrel
word: scum
word: scumbag
word: thug
word: undesirable
word: varlet
word: villain
glosses: A wicked person; also, one who has acted immorally or unlawfully.
Derived terms: nidering
niddering
nithing post
nithing stake