niggle

The story

1. Old Norse · derived fromhnøggr“stingy; miserly”
2. Norwegian · borrowed fromnigla“to be stingy, to busy oneself with trifles”
3. English todayniggle

First attested in 1599. Origin uncertain, but likely borrowed from dialectal Norwegian nigla (“to be stingy, to busy oneself with trifles”), ultimately from Old Norse hnøggr (“stingy; miserly”), related to Old English hnēaw (“stingy; niggardly”). More at niggard.