niaukti

Of unclear origin. Persson compares the word to obscure Latin nuscitiones (“having impaired sight at night”), taking the Latin pre-form as *nuc-scos.^[1] Seebold's attempt to connect this lemma with Old English nīpan (“grow dark”) via a hypothetical pre-form *(kʷ)niaukʷ- is very much ad hoc.^[2]

The similarity between niáukti and niaurùs (“sullen”), niūrùs (“gloomy, moody”) has been noted. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

IPA^(key): /nʲæʊk.tʲɪ/

niáukti (third-person present tense niáukia, third-person past tense niáukė)

1. (transitive, of clouds) overcast, darken, cover

   Diẽvo teĩsmo dẽbesys jaũ niáukia dañgų. - The clouds of God's judgement are already darkening the sky.

2. (transitive, figuratively) make gloomy, sully

   Jìs bùvo tóks apsiniaukęs, kàd Lietuvõs rýto pérgalė tìk niáukė jõ diẽną. - He was so gloomy that Lithuania's morning victory only sullied his day.

• niùkti, niū̃kti
• niūksóti
• niūkùs