nis en · NOUN · etymology 1
Etymology
Borrowed from Danish nisse.
Meanings
-
A nix; a hobgoblin, especially one that resides in a farm house.
No farm-house goes on well without there is a Nis in it, and well is it for the maids and the men when they are in favour with him.
1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 222:The people of the Feroes call the Nisses or Brownies Niagruisar, and describe them as little creatures with red caps on their beads, that bring luck to any place where they take up their abode.
1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 259:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| nisses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |