vitni

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse vitni, from Proto-Germanic *witniją (“witness”).

Noun

vitni n (genitive singular vitnis, plural vitni(r))

1. witness, eye-witness
2. evidence

Declension

Declension of vitni (n24)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	vitni	vitnið	vitni, vitnir	vitnini
accusative	vitni	vitnið	vitni, vitnir	vitnini
dative	vitni	vitnnum, vitninum	vitnum	vitnunum
genitive	vitnis	vitnisins	vitna	vitnanna

Derived terms

• vitnisábyrgd (be on oath)
• vitnisberi (attestator)
• vitnisburður (evidence, testimony)
• vitnisfastur (proved by evidence)

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse vitni, from Proto-Germanic *witniją (“witness”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɪhtnɪ/
• Rhymes: -ɪhtnɪ

Noun

vitni n (genitive singular vitnis, nominative plural vitni)

1. witness

Declension

Declension of vitni (neuter)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	vitni	vitnið	vitni	vitnin
accusative	vitni	vitnið	vitni	vitnin
dative	vitni	vitninu	vitnum	vitnunum
genitive	vitnis	vitnisins	vitna	vitnanna

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *witniją (“witness”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd-, root meaning "to see". Therefore the semantic evolution is "one who has seen" > "witness". Related to vita, vit.

Noun

vitni n (genitive vitnis)

1. witness, testimony
2. evidence

Declension

Declension of vitni (strong ija-stem)

neuter	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	vitni	vitnit	vitni	vitnin
accusative	vitni	vitnit	vitni	vitnin
dative	vitni	vitninu	vitnum	vitnunum
genitive	vitnis	vitnisins	vitna	vitnanna

Related terms

• vitna (“to witness, testify”)

Descendants

• Icelandic: vitni
• Faroese: vitni
• Norwegian Nynorsk: vitne
• Norwegian Bokmål: vitne
• Old Swedish: vitne
  • Swedish: vittne
• Danish: vidne

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “vitni”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive