noun
Meaning 1
A serf or bondsman born into servitude.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
nief
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/niːf/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -iːf
noun
Meaning 2
A clenched hand; fist.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, Northern-England, Scotland
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A handful or fistful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, Northern-England, Scotland
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
The handgrip of a sword or oar.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, Northern-England, Scotland
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Old French [Term?], from Latin nativus (“natural”). Doublet of naif and native.
From Middle English neve (“the clenched hand, fist”), from Old Norse nefi, hnefi (also knefi) ("hand, fist, handful"), from Proto-Germanic *hnefô, from Proto-Indo-European *knep- (“to scrape, scratch, grind”), from Proto-Indo-European *ken- (“to scratch, scrape”). Cognate with Scots neif (“fist”), Norwegian neve, Danish næve, Swedish näve, Middle High German nevemez (“handful”).
Across languages
Translations
6 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- German: Sklave — serf or bondsman born into servitude
- German: Leibeigene — serf or bondsman born into servitude
- Polish: niewolnik — serf or bondsman born into servitude
- Polish: niewolnica — serf or bondsman born into servitude
- Russian: раб (rab) — serf or bondsman born into servitude
- Russian: раба́ (rabá) — serf or bondsman born into servitude