niht
/nixt/feminine
The English phrase 'night' is translated into Old English as niht.
The term refers to the period between sunset and sunrise.
Meaning: period between sunset and sunrise (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form niht is a feminine noun in the nominative singular. To express 'at night' or 'in the night', use the dative singular form nihte. If you want to express 'of nights', such as in 'the stars of the nights', use the genitive plural form nihta.
How do you pronounce it?
/nixt/
Did you know?
- In Old English, the word for 'knight' was originally cniht, meaning a servant. Over time, this word became closely associated with the 'night' in sound, though they are etymologically different.
- The Old English niht is a distant relative of the Latin 'nox' and the Russian 'nočʹ'. These words all share a common ancestor from the ancient Proto-Indo-European language.
Examples in context
- On niht biþ sēo ēa ġīet wlitiġre þonne on dæġ.The river is even more beautiful at night than in the daytime.This sentence is useful for comparing beauty at night to beauty during the daytime using niht.
- late 10th century, Ælfric, On the Seasons of the Year
Sēo niht hæfþ seofon dǣlas fram þǣre sunnan setlunge oþ hire upgang.The night has seven phases from sunset to sunrise.This sentence is useful for describing the phases of the night using niht. - Wonders of the East
Þǣr syndan .II. sēaðas, ōðer sunnan ⁊ ōðer mōnan. Sē ðe sunnan is sē byð dæġes hāt ⁊ nihtes ċeald, ⁊ sē ðe mōnan is sē bið neahtes hāt ⁊ dæġes cald.There are two lakes there, one of the sun and the other of the moon. The one of the sun is hot during the day and cold at night, and the one of the moon is hot at night and cold during the day.This sentence is useful for describing the temperature changes associated with the sun and the moon at night using niht. - Ða niht is swȳðe leoht.The night is very light.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Osric and Mildryth are discussing the weather outside.
- OsricHū is sēo niht nū?How is the night now?
- MildrythSēo niht is ceald and dim.The night is cold and dim.
- OsricSēo niht biþ oft sār.The night is often harsh.
- MildrythĠēa, uton nū slǣpan.Yes, let us sleep now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “night” translations and entries niht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries niht, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
