The word is an aphetic form of anuius, derived from Latin in odio. This omission of the first syllable only seems to have happened in Anglo-Norman, and consequently in English. In addition, the formation and/or senses of the word may have been influenced by nuisirand nuisous.

The second sense, ‘capable of suffering (?)’, suggested by the editor of Evang¹, remains problematic, in that it is a) not found in any other dictionaries, b) contrary to the word’s main sense of causing harm or irritation.