nyghtmare

Middle English

The spelling of this entry has been normalized according to the principles established by Wiktionary's editor community or recent spelling standards of the language.

Alternative forms

• niȝthe-mare, niȝt-mare, nytmare
• nyghtesmare (London); nyȝhte mare, nyghte mare (Promptorium Parvulorum)

Etymology

From Old English *nihtmare, equivalent to nyght +‎ mare.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnixtˌmaːr(ə)/

Noun

nyghtmare (plural nyghtmares)

1. (East Midland, Southern) An evil spirit attacking men or horses at night.

   Synonym: mare

Descendants

• English: nightmare
  • → Scots: nichtmare, nichtmeer

References

• “night-māre, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.