fimbulvetter

From Old Norse fimbulvetr; from fimbul- (“mighty, great”) +‎ vetr (“winter”). Icelandic fimbulvetur, Faroese fimbulsvetur, Old East Norse fimbulvintr → Swedish and Danish fimbulvinter → Norwegian fimbulvinter. See English fimbulwinter.

• IPA^(key): /²fɪm(b)ʊl.vɛtr̩/, /²fɪm(b)ʊl.vɛtər/

fimbulvetter m (definite singular fumbulvetteren, indefinite plural fimbulvetrar, definite plural fimbulvetrane)

1. A harsh winter, the great and awful darkness preceding the end of the world as written in the Prose Edda (“Younger Edda”). It says three successive winters will come where snow and wind comes from all directions, without any intervening summer; during this time, there will be innumerable wars and ties of blood will no longer be respected: the next-of-kin will lay together and brothers will kill brothers.[1] See Fimbulwinter on Wikipedia.