niflen.

Brit.

/ˈnʌɪfl/, U.S.

/ˈnaɪf(ə)l/

Forms: Middle English nyfil, Middle English 1600s nyfle, Middle English–1500s nifel, Middle English–1500s nyfel, Middle English–1500s nyfyl, Middle English– nifle, 1500s niffel, 1500s niffle, 1500s nyful, 1600s nifell, 1600s nifille, 1800s naifle, 1800s nyfle.

Origin: Of uncertain origin.

Etymology: Origin uncertain. The Middle French form nifle in quot. 1530 at sense 1b is not otherwise attested and probably shows a borrowing from English. The form nifels in quot. 1463 at sense 2 probably shows the English word in an Anglo-Norman context.The possibility that the word is < post-classical Latin nichil (see nichil n.) is supported by the resemblance of the phrases nifles in a bag (see sense 1b) and nichels in a bag (see quot. 1584 at nichil n. 1; compare also quot. 1670 at sense 1). But the change of -ch- (whether /x/, /k/, or /tʃ/) to f which this theory would require is difficult to explain. Ernest Weekley ( Trans. Philol. Soc. (1910) 311) suggested derivation from a variant of Anglo-Norman nefle , Old French, Middle French nefle , nesfle , etc., medlar, worthless object (see mespil n.). The use of the word for ‘medlar’ (often called by opprobrious names in 16th and 17th cent. English) or other fruit as a synonym for a worthless or trivial thing is well attested in French. But apart from an instance of nife in Anglo-Norman (see Anglo-Norman Dict. s.v.), French forms with medial i are not well attested. Middle Eng. Dict. suggests as a parallel Old French nieule , niule (also niele ) a pastry, a thing of little value. On phonological grounds this is an unlikely etymon, since the -u- appears to be vocalic. On any theory, it is possible that there was phonological influence from trifle n., with which this word is often paired.

In later use English regional (northern). Now rare.

a. Originally: †a trifling or fictitious tale, a jest (obsolete). In later use: a trifle; a thing of little or no value.Common c1550–1650, often in rhyming collocation with trifle.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > that which is unimportant > of little worth

ivy-leafc1000

needle?c1225

sloec1250

peasea1275

strawc1290

bean1297

nutc1300

buttonc1330

leekc1330

trifle1375

cress1377

goose-wing1377

sop1377

niflec1395

vetcha1400

a pin's head (also point)c1450

trump1513

plack1530

toy1530

blue point1532

grey groat1546

cherry-stone1607

jiggalorum1613

candle-enda1625

peppercorn1638

sponge1671

sneeshing1686

snottera1689

catchpenny1705

potato1757

snuff1809

pinhead1828

traneen1837

a hill of beans1863

gubbins1918

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > fabrication of statement or story > a false or foolish tale > [noun]

spellc888

triflea1250

talea1325

vanity1340

a tale of waltrot1377

fablec1384

niflec1395

triflerya1400

truffc1430

jest1488

winter's talec1555

winter story1646

galley-packet1786

galley-yarn1874

cuffer1887

ploda1903

scuttlebutt yarn1918

just-so story1922

c1395 G. Chaucer Summoner's Tale 1760 He serued hem with nyfles and with fables.

a1450–1500 ( Libel Eng. Policy (1926) 349 Apes and japes and marmusettes taylede, Nifles, trifles, that litelle have availed.

c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) 3807 (MED) Þis solayne sope if I sup, quethire sustene it may Þe menbris of þe Messedones..Or I my-selfe sall be serued, & þai sitt with nyfils?

a1529 J. Skelton Magnyfycence (?1530) sig. Di^v I am yet..as full of tryfyls Nil nichelum nihil anglice nyfyls.

1533 J. Heywood Mery Play Iohan Iohan sig. B.ii I wolde ye had harde the tryfyls The toys, the mokkes, the fables, and the nyfyls That I made thy husbande to beleue and thynke.

1562 Apol. Priv. Masse (1850) 22 You drive men to these trifles that the world may know you hang in nifels.

1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 663 Might I not be thought..to catch at clouds, and fish for Nifles.

1631 R. Brathwait Eng. Gentlewoman 20 What a shop of guga nifles hang vpon one backe?

1657 J. Watts Of Baptism in Scribe, Pharisee ii. 159 I..will give over spending my precious time about your nifles and trifles.

1681 W. Robertson Phraseologia generalis (1693) 1258 Nifles and trifles; vain tales of Robin Hood; aniles fabulæ.

1868 E. Waugh Sneck-bant 89 She then took Betty's basket and crammed it with fruit, and with all sorts of sweet ‘nifles’.

1868 J. C. Atkinson Gloss. Cleveland Dial. 354 Nifle, a trifle, a thing of no worth or importance.

1928 A. E. Pease Dict. Dial. N. Riding Yorks. 86/2 It's nobbut a nifle.

†b. nifles in a bag: a collection of items of little value. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > [noun] > that which is useless > useless person or thing > thing or object > collectively

nifles in a bag1530

lumber1552

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 850/2 Nyfels in a bagge, de tout nifles.

1622 J. Mabbe tr. M. Alemán Rogue ii. 160 No wise man will aduenture his person for nifles in a bagge.

†2. A light or flimsy article of dress; (perhaps) a kerchief of fine material. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > [noun] > light or flimsy

nifle1463

1463 in Statutes of Realm (1816) II. 401 (MED) Que nulle persone..vende en ascune part dedeinz cest Roialme ascune lavne, Nifels, umple, ou ascun autre manere dez couverchiefs dount le price dun plite passera x s.]

1463–4 Rolls of Parl. V. 505/2 That noo persone..selle..eny Lawne, Nyfels, Umple, or eny other manere of Kerchiefs.

a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1897–1973) 377 (MED) Nell With hir nyfyls of crisp and of sylke, Tent well youre twyfyls youre nek abowte as mylke.

†3. An insignificant person. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > one who is unimportant

unknownc1390

pawnc1450

semi-cipher?1550

bauble1570

Jack with the feather1581

nobody1583

winterling1585

squash1600

rush candle1628

niflec1635

nullity1657

nonentity1710

featherweight1812

underscrub1822

nyaff1825

small fish1836

no-account1840

little fish1846

peanut1864

commonplacer1874

sparrow-fart1886

Little Willie1901

pipsqueak1905

nebbish1907

pie-biter1911

blob1916

smallie1930

no-count1932

zilch1933

Mickey Mouse1935

muzhik1945

nerd1951

nothingburger1953

nerk1955

non-person1959

no-mark1982

c1635 H. Glapthorne Lady Mother (1959) iii. i. 64 Will you goe... what stayes this nifle for.

a1849 E. Elliott in Poet. Wks. (1876) I. 324 Woe to the scrimp that ventures near him, woe! He, she, or it—‘swag's nifle, skink, or trull’, Shall find a bed, or Wakefield's gaol is full!

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	nifle
释义	niflen. Brit. /ˈnʌɪfl/, U.S. /ˈnaɪf(ə)l/ Forms: Middle English nyfil, Middle English 1600s nyfle, Middle English–1500s nifel, Middle English–1500s nyfel, Middle English–1500s nyfyl, Middle English– nifle, 1500s niffel, 1500s niffle, 1500s nyful, 1600s nifell, 1600s nifille, 1800s naifle, 1800s nyfle. Origin: Of uncertain origin. Etymology: Origin uncertain. The Middle French form nifle in quot. 1530 at sense 1b is not otherwise attested and probably shows a borrowing from English. The form nifels in quot. 1463 at sense 2 probably shows the English word in an Anglo-Norman context.The possibility that the word is < post-classical Latin nichil (see nichil n.) is supported by the resemblance of the phrases nifles in a bag (see sense 1b) and nichels in a bag (see quot. 1584 at nichil n. 1; compare also quot. 1670 at sense 1). But the change of -ch- (whether /x/, /k/, or /tʃ/) to f which this theory would require is difficult to explain. Ernest Weekley ( Trans. Philol. Soc. (1910) 311) suggested derivation from a variant of Anglo-Norman nefle , Old French, Middle French nefle , nesfle , etc., medlar, worthless object (see mespil n.). The use of the word for ‘medlar’ (often called by opprobrious names in 16th and 17th cent. English) or other fruit as a synonym for a worthless or trivial thing is well attested in French. But apart from an instance of nife in Anglo-Norman (see Anglo-Norman Dict. s.v.), French forms with medial i are not well attested. Middle Eng. Dict. suggests as a parallel Old French nieule , niule (also niele ) a pastry, a thing of little value. On phonological grounds this is an unlikely etymon, since the -u- appears to be vocalic. On any theory, it is possible that there was phonological influence from trifle n., with which this word is often paired. In later use English regional (northern). Now rare. 1. a. Originally: †a trifling or fictitious tale, a jest (obsolete). In later use: a trifle; a thing of little or no value.Common c1550–1650, often in rhyming collocation with trifle. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > that which is unimportant > of little worth ivy-leafc1000 needle?c1225 sloec1250 peasea1275 strawc1290 bean1297 nutc1300 buttonc1330 leekc1330 trifle1375 cress1377 goose-wing1377 sop1377 niflec1395 vetcha1400 a pin's head (also point)c1450 trump1513 plack1530 toy1530 blue point1532 grey groat1546 cherry-stone1607 jiggalorum1613 candle-enda1625 peppercorn1638 sponge1671 sneeshing1686 snottera1689 catchpenny1705 potato1757 snuff1809 pinhead1828 traneen1837 a hill of beans1863 gubbins1918 the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > fabrication of statement or story > a false or foolish tale > [noun] spellc888 triflea1250 talea1325 vanity1340 a tale of waltrot1377 fablec1384 niflec1395 triflerya1400 truffc1430 jest1488 winter's talec1555 winter story1646 galley-packet1786 galley-yarn1874 cuffer1887 ploda1903 scuttlebutt yarn1918 just-so story1922 c1395 G. Chaucer Summoner's Tale 1760 He serued hem with nyfles and with fables. a1450–1500 ( Libel Eng. Policy (1926) 349 Apes and japes and marmusettes taylede, Nifles, trifles, that litelle have availed. c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) 3807 (MED) Þis solayne sope if I sup, quethire sustene it may Þe menbris of þe Messedones..Or I my-selfe sall be serued, & þai sitt with nyfils? a1529 J. Skelton Magnyfycence (?1530) sig. Di^v I am yet..as full of tryfyls Nil nichelum nihil anglice nyfyls. 1533 J. Heywood Mery Play Iohan Iohan sig. B.ii I wolde ye had harde the tryfyls The toys, the mokkes, the fables, and the nyfyls That I made thy husbande to beleue and thynke. 1562 Apol. Priv. Masse (1850) 22 You drive men to these trifles that the world may know you hang in nifels. 1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 663 Might I not be thought..to catch at clouds, and fish for Nifles. 1631 R. Brathwait Eng. Gentlewoman 20 What a shop of guga nifles hang vpon one backe? 1657 J. Watts Of Baptism in Scribe, Pharisee ii. 159 I..will give over spending my precious time about your nifles and trifles. 1681 W. Robertson Phraseologia generalis (1693) 1258 Nifles and trifles; vain tales of Robin Hood; aniles fabulæ. 1868 E. Waugh Sneck-bant 89 She then took Betty's basket and crammed it with fruit, and with all sorts of sweet ‘nifles’. 1868 J. C. Atkinson Gloss. Cleveland Dial. 354 Nifle, a trifle, a thing of no worth or importance. 1928 A. E. Pease Dict. Dial. N. Riding Yorks. 86/2 It's nobbut a nifle. †b. nifles in a bag: a collection of items of little value. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > [noun] > that which is useless > useless person or thing > thing or object > collectively nifles in a bag1530 lumber1552 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 850/2 Nyfels in a bagge, de tout nifles. 1622 J. Mabbe tr. M. Alemán Rogue ii. 160 No wise man will aduenture his person for nifles in a bagge. †2. A light or flimsy article of dress; (perhaps) a kerchief of fine material. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > [noun] > light or flimsy nifle1463 1463 in Statutes of Realm (1816) II. 401 (MED) Que nulle persone..vende en ascune part dedeinz cest Roialme ascune lavne, Nifels, umple, ou ascun autre manere dez couverchiefs dount le price dun plite passera x s.] 1463–4 Rolls of Parl. V. 505/2 That noo persone..selle..eny Lawne, Nyfels, Umple, or eny other manere of Kerchiefs. a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1897–1973) 377 (MED) Nell With hir nyfyls of crisp and of sylke, Tent well youre twyfyls youre nek abowte as mylke. †3. An insignificant person. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > one who is unimportant unknownc1390 pawnc1450 semi-cipher?1550 bauble1570 Jack with the feather1581 nobody1583 winterling1585 squash1600 rush candle1628 niflec1635 nullity1657 nonentity1710 featherweight1812 underscrub1822 nyaff1825 small fish1836 no-account1840 little fish1846 peanut1864 commonplacer1874 sparrow-fart1886 Little Willie1901 pipsqueak1905 nebbish1907 pie-biter1911 blob1916 smallie1930 no-count1932 zilch1933 Mickey Mouse1935 muzhik1945 nerd1951 nothingburger1953 nerk1955 non-person1959 no-mark1982 c1635 H. Glapthorne Lady Mother (1959) iii. i. 64 Will you goe... what stayes this nifle for. a1849 E. Elliott in Poet. Wks. (1876) I. 324 Woe to the scrimp that ventures near him, woe! He, she, or it—‘swag's nifle, skink, or trull’, Shall find a bed, or Wakefield's gaol is full! This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.c1395
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