Nixies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mythical creature often depicted as a water spirit or mermaid that is known to lure individuals into the water
2. A supernatural being in Germanic folklore, similar to a fairy, typically associated with rivers and lakes and known to interact with humans
3. A playful or mischievous water spirit found in folklore, particularly in northern European traditions, believed to enchant or punish those who encounter them

Etymology: "Nixies" is the plural of "nixie," a water spirit of German folklore. The German word "Nixe" is the feminine form of "Nix," which descends from Middle High German "nickes" and Old High German "nihhus," a term that could mean either a water-elf or a crocodile. That double meaning is a clue to how old and wide the idea is: the same root gives Old English "nicor," which also covered both water-elf and sea-monster, and the English verb "nicker" has the same ancestry. The Germanic root is traced back to a Proto-Germanic form, and possibly to an Indo-European root meaning "to wash," which would suit a being living in streams and pools. English took the word as "nixie," built from "nix" plus the diminutive-style ending "-ie," and the plural "nixies" follows the usual English pattern for words ending in "-ie."