Nib

Mike from Cadillac asked about the origins of the word pen (< L. feather) and the word pencil (< L. little tail). The answer brought up the word nib—the split end of a pen used to apply the ink.

Nib probably came from a word that sounded much like neb. Clusters of northern European languages such as Frisian, Icelandic, Swedish, and Danish had similar words, all meaning the beak of a bird. This evolved into the concept of a point or a projection:

• the tapered point of a pen
• the bill of a bird or the proboscis of an insect
• the short handles that project from the shaft of a scythe
• the pole of an ox cart
• a pointed extremity
• a small projection on the underside of a roofing tile

A second branch of the same word focuses on the idea of lumps.

• a small lump or knot in wool or raw silk
• fragments of shelled cocoa or coffee beans; there are also licorice nibs
• a speck of extraneous matter in a coat of paint or varnish

Nib is also slang for a person of superior social standing or wealth. I recall my mother using the word in a slyly mocking manner by referring to a pretentious person as “His Nibs.” That use of nib seems to have no connection (or at best, a tenuous connection) to what was discussed above. The OED relegates it to nib³.

SIDEBAR: Neil Cowley Trio plays His Nibs

Available from McFarland & Co.: Word Parts Dictionary, 2nd edition

Check out Mike's program-based books here:
Arbutus Press
or at Amazon.com

Listen to Mike’s program in real time every Tuesday morning, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. EST, by going to wtcmradio.com and clicking on Listen Now.

There is a collection of podcasts. Go to wtcmradio.com and click on Podcasts. Scroll down The Ron Jolly Show to find the Words to the Wise audio button.

Visit The Senior Corner at seniors.tcnet.org