Editing Níðhöggr (section)

== Etymology ==
While the suffix of the name, ''-höggr'', literally "hewer", clearly means "biter, striker", etc, the prefix is not as clear. In particular, the length of the first vowel is not determined in the original sources. Some scholars prefer the reading "Striker in the Dark".

In historical [[Vikings|Viking]] society, [[níð]] was a term for a [[social stigma]], implying the loss of honor and the status of a [[villain]]. Thus, its name might refer to its role as a horrific monster in its action of chewing the corpses of the inhabitants of [[Niflheim]]: those guilty of murder, adultery, and oath-breaking, thus something akin to "Malice Biter".

=== Orthography ===
In the standardized [[Old Norse orthography]], the name is spelled ''{{lang|non|Níðhǫggr}}'', but the letter ''{{lang|non|[[ǫ]]}}'' is frequently replaced with the Modern Icelandic ''{{lang|is|[[ö]]}}'' for reasons of familiarity or technical expediency.

The name can be [[Old Norse orthography#Anglicized spelling|represented in English texts]] with ''i'' for ''í''; ''th'', ''d'' or (rarely) ''dh'' for ''ð''; ''o'' for ''ǫ'' and optionally without ''r'' as in Modern Scandinavian reflexes. The [[Icelandic language|Modern Icelandic]] form ''{{lang|is|Níðhöggur}}'' is also sometimes seen, with special characters or similarly anglicized. The [[Danish language|Danish]] forms ''{{lang|da|Nidhug}}'' and ''{{lang|da|Nidhøg}}'' can also be encountered; or [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] ''{{lang|no|Nidhogg}}'' and [[Swedish language|Swedish]] ''{{lang|sv|Nidhögg}}''. The English cognate would be Nithhewer.