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Nīþ
EntityQ3359988· pop 10· linked from 604 articles

Also known as Níð, Nith

In historical Germanic society, ' (Old Norse, pronunciation: , in runic: , ; ) was a term for a social stigma implying the loss of honour and the status of a villain. A person affected with the stigma is considered a nithing' (, in runic: , , ).

~15 min read

Article

9 sections
Contents
  • Níð and ergi
  • Scolding and níðstang
  • Legal implications
  • Níð and seiðr
  • Association with physical disability
  • Association with effeminacy
  • Runestones
  • See also
  • References

In historical Germanic society, ' (Old Norse, pronunciation: , in runic: , ; ) was a term for a social stigma implying the loss of honour and the status of a villain. A person affected with the stigma is considered a nithing' (, in runic: , , ).

Middle English retained a cognate , meaning 'envy' (compare modern Dutch and modern German ), 'hate', or 'malice'.

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