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”). Doublet of glimpse.

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 (as it were a flash of light).

   Synonym: glimpse

   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.

   Synonyms: flicker, glimpse, shimmer, twinkle; see also Thesaurus:glisten

   the glimmering dawn    a glimmering lamp

   The fireflies glimmered in the dark.

   • 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.

Translations

to shine with a faint, unsteady light

• Armenian: առկայծել (hy) (aṙkaycel)
• Bulgarian: мъждукам (bg) (mǎždukam)
• Esperanto: glimi
• 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)
• 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

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

Noun

glimmer n (genitive singular glimmers, no plural)

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

Declension

Declension of glimmer (sg-only neuter)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	glimmer	glimmerið
accusative	glimmer	glimmerið
dative	glimmer, glimmeri	glimmerinu
genitive	glimmers	glimmersins

References

• Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2024), “glimmer”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies

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

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

Etymology 2

Deverbal from glimra.

Noun

glimmer n

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

   Synonyms: glans, skimmer

Declension

Declension of glimmer

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