Etymology
The form of this compound, with apparent ON gen.
-ar, is usually explained as an alteration of the ON compound represented by OIcel
náttarþel 'darkest part of the night' (< earlier *
nahtarþel) with native lexemes substituted for each element (
þel has been confused with ME
-tale < OE
talu); cp. also OIcel
náttartími 'nighttime'. The use of the gen. and the particular combination of elements are not found in OE compounds for night-time (e.g.
ǣfentīd,
ǣfentīma). OE did have a (rare) compound
nihternness 'night-time', and so the first element could conceivably have been reanalysed as
nihter. However the existence of a more commonly occuring adv.
nihterne 'by night' perhaps makes this a less likely possibility, and it would not explain the otherwise odd second element.
PGmc Ancestor
*naxt- + *þel
Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)
náttarþel 'darkest part of the night'
(ONP náttarþel)
Other Scandinavian Reflexes
OE Cognate
Phonological and morphological markers
Summary category
C4