Álpt

Old Norse Dictionary - álpt

Meaning of Old Norse word "álpt" in English.

As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:

álpt Old Norse word can mean:

álpt
more correctly álft, f. the common í eel. word for swan, Lat. cygnus; svan is only poët.; all local names in which the swan appears, even those of the end of the 9th century, use ‘álpt,’ not ‘svan,’ Álpta-fjörðr, -nes, -mýri, v. the local index to the Landn.; Svanshóll comes from a proper name Svan. Probably akin to Lat. albus; the t is fem. Inflexion; the p, instead of f, a mere change of letter; cp. the proverb, þegar hrafninn verðr hvítr en álptin svört, of things that never will happen: pl. álptir, but sometimes, esp. in Norse, elptr or elftr; the change of the original a (alft) into á (álft) is of early date, Grág. ii. 338, 346, Eg. 132, Landn. 57; in all these passages pl. álptir; but elptr, Jb. 217, 309. Respecting the mythical origin of the swan, v. Edda 12; they are the sacred birds at the well of Urda.
álpt
COMPDS: álptarhamr, álptarlíki.

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᛅᛚᛒᛏ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements

Abbreviations used:

cp.
compare.
esp.
especially.
f.
feminine.
fem.
feminine.
l.
line.
Lat.
Latin.
m.
masculine.
n.
neuter.
pl.
plural.
poët.
poetically.
v.
vide.

Works & Authors cited:

Edda
Edda. (C. I.)
Eg.
Egils Saga. (D. II.)
Grág.
Grágás. (B. I.)
Jb.
Jóns-bók. (B. III.)
Landn.
Landnáma. (D. I.)
➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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