vitnir

Unclear; no Germanic cognates are known.

Potentially to vítinu, definite dative of víti (“punishment, penalty”) (see English wite), thus roughly the “punished” (further “outlawed, banned”, or just “outlaw”). Compare if applied to kennings in Norse Mythology: Grafvitnir (“grave punished”), a kenning for Jörmungandr, a serpent banned to the grave of the sea, and Hróðvitnir, a kenning for Fenrir, a wolf fettered in place, whos name means “fen dweller”, thus Hróðvitnir might mean “reed punished” (compare Old English hreod (“reed, reedy place”), otherwise roughly the “infamous outlaw” (see hróðr). Compare with vargr (“evildoer, outlaw”), a noa-name for wolf.

However, possibly connected to Hittite 𒄷𒄿𒋫𒅈 (ḫu-i-ta-ar /⁠ḫwitar⁠/, “wild animal, game”) (gen.sg. 𒄷𒀉𒈾𒀸 (ḫu-it-na-aš /⁠ḫwitnas⁠/)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weyd- (“to be alive”), as found also in Luwian, e.g. 𒄷𒄿𒁺𒉿𒇷𒅖 (ḫu-i-du-wa-li-iš /⁠ḫwitwalis⁠/, “alive”).^[1]

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

vitnir m (genitive vitnis, plural vitnar)

1. if stemming from víti (“punishment, penalty”): that of punishment (a punished something or that deserving of punishment), further: evildoer, criminal, outlaw? (compare vargr)
2. (poetic, heiti) wolf

   Synonym: ulfr

3. (poetic, heiti) sword

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:non:sverð

• Hróðvitnir
• Grafvitnir
• Mjǫðvitnir