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niþer. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
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Old English
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *niþer from the comparative of Proto-Indo-European *ni- (“down, below”). Cognate with Old High German nidar, Old Norse niðr.
Pronunciation
Adverb
niþer
- down, downwards, downward
- "Gospel of Saint Luke", chapter 4, verse 29
And hiġ ārīson and scūfon hine of ðǣre ceastre. And lǣddon hine ofer ðæs muntes cnæpp. Ofer þone hyra buruh ġetimbrud wæs. þ hī hyne nyðer bescūfon.- And they arose and shoved him from the city. And led him over the mount's top. Over that their city was built. That they thrusted him downward.
- late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' Metres of Boethius, lines 85-89
Mid þȳ is ġetācnod þæt his trēowa sceal, and his mōdġeþonc, mā up þonne niþer habban tō heofonum.- By that is betokened, that his trust shall, and his mind, more upwards than downwards aspire to the heavens.
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "THE PASSION OF THE APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL"
He astah of heofonum for middangeardes alysednysse, and wæron forði his fet niðer awende.- He descended from heaven for the redemption of the world, and therefore were his feet turned downwards.
Usage notes
This word is used to describe where something is going: wit gāþ þæder niðer (“we're going down there”). To describe where something is located, the word niþre is used instead: wit sind hēr niðre (“we're down here”).
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Descendants