nachtmerrie

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch nachtmerie, nachtmere, likened to merrie (“female horse”) through folk etymology; the actual formation is from nachtmare. Equivalent to nacht +‎ mare.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈnɑxtˌmɛ.ri/
Audio (file)
Hyphenation: nacht‧merrie

Noun

nachtmerrie f (plural nachtmerries, diminutive nachtmerrietje n)

(also figurative) nightmare (bad dream)
(obsolete, derogatory) ugly woman, witch

Derived terms

nachtmerrieachtig
nachtmerriescenario

Descendants

Afrikaans: nagmerrie
→ Papiamentu: nagmèri, nakmèri