Ben

Old Norse Dictionary - ben

Meaning of Old Norse word "ben" in English.

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

ben Old Norse word can mean:

ben: jar, f. pl. jar (neut., n. G. l. i. 387; stór ben, acc. pl. n., Gísl. (in a verse), v. bani above.

ben: I. a wound; as a law term, esp. a mortal wound (cp. bani); thus defined, skal ILLEGIBLE lýsa, en ben ef at bana verðr, Grág. ii. 18, 29, 70; benjar á hinum dauða manni, 28; svá skal nefna vátta at sárum sem at benjum, 30; and in the compds, benja-lýsing, f. a sort of coroner’s inquest upon a slain man, Grág. ii. 29; benja-váttr, m. a sort of coroner’s jury, defined in Grág. ii. 28—þeir eigu at bera, hve margar benjar eru, they have to give a verdict how many mortal wounds there are; en búakviðr (the jury) hverir sannir eru at; benja-vætti, n. the verdict of a benjaváttr, Grág. id.

ben: II. yet commonly ‘ben’ means a small bleeding wound; þeirri blóðgri ben, er Otkell veitti mér áverka, Nj. 87, Sd. 139, Fs. 144, in the last passage, however, of a mortal wound. It is now medic. the wound produced by letting blood. In old poetry it is used in a great many compds.

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

Abbreviations used:

acc.: accusative.

f.: feminine.

l.: line.

L.: Linnæus.

n.: neuter.

neut.: neuter.

pl.: plural.

v.: vide.

cp.: compare.

esp.: especially.

id.: idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation

m.: masculine.

compds.: compounds.

medic.: medicine, medically.

Works & Authors cited:

Gísl.: Gísla Saga. (D. II.)

N. G. L.: Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)

Grág.: Grágás. (B. I.)

Fs.: Forn-sögur. (D. II.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Sd.: Svarfdæla Saga. (D. II.)

➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

Also available in related dictionaries:

This headword also appears in dictionaries of other languages descending from Old Norse.