Nixie
/ˈnɪk.si/noun
A water spirit or female sprite in Germanic folklore, or a fanciful name for a water nymph.
Did you know?Nixie is tied to Germanic water-demon folklore, and its root is related to words for the uncanny beings said to lure people into rivers and lakes.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*nikwuz / *niksô
“A water spirit or malevolent water being”
Old High German
OHG
nihhus / nix
“A water demon or water sprite”
Middle High German
MHG
nixe
“A female water spirit, mermaid, or nix”
Early Modern English
English
nixie
“A water sprite or female nix, borrowed from German folklore”
Modern English
English
nixie
“A water spirit; also a playful or fanciful name for such a being”
Explore more surprising origins