glimmer

See also: Glimmer

English

WOTD – 30 November 2006

Etymology

From Middle English glimeren, glemeren (“to glimmer”), equivalent to glim (“to shine”) +‎ -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with German Low German glimmern (“to glimmer”), German glimmern (“to glimmer”), Danish glimre (“to glimmer”), Swedish glimra (“to glimmer”).

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪmə(ɹ)

Noun

glimmer (countable and uncountable, plural glimmers)

1. A faint light; a dim glow.

   The glimmer of the fireflies was pleasant to watch.

2. A flash of light.
3. A faint or remote possibility.

   a glimmer of 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: skíma f
• Italian: barlume (it) m, filo (it) m
• Maori: hīnātore
• Norwegian: skimmer n
• Portuguese: vislumbre (pt) m
• Russian: мерца́ние (ru) n (mercánije)
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese: lampaluxi ?

  Logudorese: lughighedda ?

• Sassarese: luzaredda ?
• Spanish: luz tenue f, titileo (es) m
• Ukrainian: мерехті́ння n (merextínnja)

flash of light

• Bulgarian: проблясък (bg) m (probljasǎk)
• Finnish: valonpilkahdus
• Irish: léaró m
• 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 present glimmers, present participle glimmering, simple past and past participle glimmered)

1. (intransitive) To shine with a faint, unsteady light.

   The fireflies glimmered in the dark.

   the glimmering dawn; a glimmering lamp

   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:

     The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.

Synonyms

• (shine with faint unsteady light): flicker, shimmer, twinkle

Translations

to shine with faint unsteady light

• Armenian: առկայծել (hy) (aṙkaycel)
• Bulgarian: мъждукам (bg) (mǎždukam)
• Finnish: tuikkia (fi), kajastaa
• French: émettre une lueur
• Georgian: ციმციმებს (cimcimebs), იელვებს (ielvebs), კრთის (ḳrtis), კრთება (ḳrteba), ბჟუტავს (bžuṭavs), ციალებს (cialebs), კამკამებს (ḳamḳamebs), კიაფობს (ḳiapobs)
• German: glimmern
• Hindi: टिमटिमाना (hi) (ṭimṭimānā)
• 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

From Danish glimmer, from glimre (“to glimmer”). Cognate with glimrandi (“splendid”), which is also from Danish. False friend with English glimmer.

Noun

glimmer n

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

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Derived from glimre (“glitter, glisten, sparkle”). Sense 2 is from German Glimmer. Has also undergone influence from English.

Noun

glimmer m (definite singular glimmeren, uncountable)

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

   Rikdommens glimmer

   The tinsel of wealth

2. mica

   Glimmer er 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
• Lys glimmer = white mica (literally: "bright mica")

References

• “glimmer” in The Ordnett Dictionary
• “glimmer” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Derived from glimre (“glitter, glisten, sparkle”), with influence from English. The definition is from German Glimmer.

Noun

glimmer m (definite singular glimmeren, uncountable)

1. mica

   Glimmer er 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
• Lys glimmer = white mica (literally: "bright mica")

References

• “glimmer” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from German Glimmer.

Noun

glimmer c

1. (mineralogy) mica

Declension

Declension of glimmer
	Uncountable
	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	glimmer	glimmern	—	—
Genitive	glimmers	glimmerns	—	—

Etymology 2

Deverbal from glimra.

Noun

glimmer n

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

   Synonyms: glans, skimmer

Declension

Declension of glimmer
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	glimmer	glimret	glimmer	glimren
Genitive	glimmers	glimrets	glimmers	glimrens

References

• glimmer in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• glimmer in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• glimmer in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• glimra in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)