glimmer

See also:Glimmer

English

WOTD – 30 November 2006

Etymology

FromMiddle Englishglimeren,glemeren(“to glimmer”),equivalent toglim(“to shine”)+‎-er(frequentative suffix).Cognate withGerman Low Germanglimmern(“to glimmer”),Germanglimmern(“to glimmer”),Danishglimre(“to glimmer”),Swedishglimra(“to glimmer”).Doubletofglimpse.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation)IPA^(key):/ˈɡlɪmə(ɹ)/
• (US)IPA^(key):/ˈɡlɪmɚ/

• Audio(US):

  (file)

• Audio(General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes:-ɪmə(ɹ)

Noun

glimmer(countableanduncountable,pluralglimmers)

1. Afaintlight;adimglow.

   Theglimmerof the fireflies was pleasant to watch.

2. Aflashof light.
3. A faint orremotepossibility(as it werea flash of light).

   Synonym:glimpse

   aglimmerof hope

4. (dated,uncountable)Mica.

Synonyms

• (flash of light):sparkle,shimmer

Derived terms

• flimmer
• glimmer-gowk
• glimmer of hope

Translations

faint light

• Bulgarian:мъждукане(bg)n(mǎždukane)
• Finnish:pilkahdus(fi),pilke(fi),tuike
• French:lueur(fr)f
• Gallurese:lucintura?
• Georgian:ციმციმი(cimcimi),ციალი(ciali),გაელვება(gaelveba),კრთომა(ḳrtoma),გამოკრთომა(gamoḳrtoma),ბჟუტვა(bžuṭva),კვესა(ḳvesa),კამკამი(ḳamḳami),კიაფი(ḳiapi)
• German:Schimmer(de)m
• Icelandic:skímaf
• Italian:barlume(it)m,filo(it)m
• Maori:hīnātore
• Norwegian:skimmern
• Portuguese:vislumbre(pt)m
• Russian:мерца́ние(ru)n(mercánije)
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese:lampaluxi?

  Logudorese:lughighedda?

• Sassarese:luzaredda?
• Spanish:luztenuef,titileo(es)m
• Ukrainian:мерехті́нняn(merextínnja)

flash of light

• Bulgarian:проблясък(bg)m(probljasǎk)
• Finnish:valonpilkahdus
• Irish:léaróm
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish:تروسکە(truske)

• Norwegian:glimt(no)n
• Portuguese:clarão(pt)m

faint or remote possibility

• Finnish:valonpilkahdus,väre(fi),kipinä(fi)
• French:lueur(fr)f
• Italian:barlume(it)m
• Norwegian:glimt(no)n,anelse(no)m
• Portuguese:vislumbre(pt)m

Verb

glimmer(third-person singular simple presentglimmers,present participleglimmering,simple past and past participleglimmered)

1. (intransitive)Toshinewith afaint,unsteadylight.

   Synonyms:flicker,glimpse,shimmer,twinkle;see alsoThesaurus:glisten

   The firefliesglimmeredin the dark.

   theglimmeringdawn    aglimmeringlamp

   • c.1606(date written),William Shakespeare,“The Tragedie of Macbeth”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act III, scene iii]:

     The west yetglimmerswith some streaks of day.

Translations

to shine with a faint, unsteady light

• Armenian:առկայծել(hy)(aṙkaycel)
• Bulgarian:мъждукам(bg)(mǎždukam)
• Esperanto:glimi
• Finnish:tuikkia(fi),kajastaa
• French:émettreunelueur
• Georgian:ციმციმებს(cimcimebs),იელვებს(ielvebs),კრთის(ḳrtis),კრთება(ḳrteba),ბჟუტავს(bžuṭavs),ციალებს(cialebs),კამკამებს(ḳamḳamebs),კიაფობს(ḳiapobs)
• German:glimmern
• Hindi:टिमटिमाना(hi)(ṭimṭimānā)
• Ingrian:kuumattaa
• Maori:tīramarama
• Norwegian:glimte,skimre,blinke(no)
• Portuguese:vislumbrar(pt)
• Romanian:scânteia(ro)
• Russian:мерца́ть(ru)(mercátʹ)
• Swedish:glänsa(sv),glittra(sv),skina(sv),glimma(sv),glimra(sv)
• Urdu:ٹمٹمانا(ur)(ṭimṭimānā)

Icelandic

Glitter particles

Etymology

FromDanishglimmer,fromglimre(“to glimmer”).Cognate withglimrandi(“splendid”),which is also from Danish. False friend withEnglishglimmer.

Noun

glimmern

1. glitter(small decorative shiny particles)
2. (mineralogy)mica

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Derived fromglimre(“glitter, glisten, sparkle”).Sense 2 is fromGermanGlimmer.Has also undergone influence from English.

Noun

glimmerm(definite singularglimmeren,uncountable)

1. (literary and formal)magnificence,glitter,tinsel,something that shines

   Rikdommensglimmer

   The tinsel of wealth

2. mica

   Glimmerer et mineral som lett spaltes i tynne flak.

   Mica is a mineral that easily separates into thin leaves.

Synonyms

• (sense 1)glans,prakt,herlighet
• (sense 2)kråkesølv,mica,mikanitt

Derived terms

• glimmerskifer
• Lysglimmer= white mica (literally: "bright mica" )

References

• “glimmer”inThe Ordnett Dictionary
• “glimmer”inThe Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Derived fromglimre(“glitter, glisten, sparkle”),with influence fromEnglish.The definition is fromGermanGlimmer.

Noun

glimmerm(definite singularglimmeren,uncountable)

1. mica

   Glimmerer eit mineral som lett spaltast i tynne flak.

   Mica is a mineral that easily separates into thin leaves.

Synonyms

• kråkesølv,mica,mikanitt

Derived terms

• glimmerskifer
• Lysglimmer= white mica (literally: "bright mica" )

References

• “glimmer”inThe Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Etymology 1

BorrowedfromGermanGlimmer.

Noun

glimmerc

1. (mineralogy)mica

Declension

Declension ofglimmer

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	glimmer	glimmers
	definite	glimmern	glimmerns
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

Etymology 2

Deverbalfromglimra.

Noun

glimmern

1. (rare)shine,gloss,sheen,radiance

   Synonyms:glans,skimmer

Declension

Declension ofglimmer

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	glimmer	glimmers
	definite	glimret	glimrets
plural	indefinite	glimmer	glimmers
	definite	glimren	glimrens

References

• glimmerinSvensk ordbok(SO)
• glimmerinSvenska Akademiens ordlista(SAOL)
• glimmerinSvenska Akademiens ordbok(SAOB)
• glimrain Elof Hellquist,Svensk etymologisk ordbok(1st ed., 1922)