An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language / in which the words are explained in their different senses, authorized by the names of the writers by whom they are used, or the titles of the works in which they occur, and deduced from their originals

by John Jamieson

NICNEVEN, s. The Scottish Hecate or mother-witch.
Montgomerie.

To NIDDER, NITHER, v. a.
1. To depress, S.
Ross.
2. To straiten; applied to bounds.
Douglas.
3. Niddered, pinched with cold, Ang. Loth.
4. Pinched with hunger, S.
5. Stunted in growth, S. A.
Gl. Sibb.
6. Plagued, warmly handled, S. B.
Gl. Shirr.

Su. G. nedr-as, nidr-as, deprimi; Teut. ver-nedr-en, id.

To NIDDLE, v. n.
1. To trifle with the fingers, S.
2. To be busily engaged with the fingers, without making progress, S.

Isl. hnudl-a, digitis prensare.

NIEVE, s. The fist, S.
V. [Neive].

To NIFFER, v. a.
V. [Neive].

NIFFNAFFS, (pron. nyiffnyaffs), s. pl.
1. Small articles of little value, S.
2. Denoting a silly peculiarity of temper, displayed by attention to trifles, S.

Fr. nipes, trifles, Sw. nipp, id.

To Nifnaff, v. n. To trifle, to speak or act in a silly way, S.
Ramsay.