Brjóst

Old Norse Dictionary - brjóst

Meaning of Old Norse word "brjóst" in English.

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

brjóst Old Norse word can mean:

brjóst: n. (brysti, provinc. Icel.), [Ulf. brusts, f. pl. = στηθος and σπλάγχνα; A. S. breost; Engl. breast; Hel. briost, n. pl.; Swed. bröst; Dan. bryst, n.; Germ. brust, f.]:—the breast; b. ok kviðr, Eg. 579, Nj. 95; önd í brjósti, K. Þ. K. 26; Lat. uber, a woman’s breast, in pl., fæða barn á brjósti, feed a bairn at the breast, BS. i. 666, Str. 18, Stj. 429: mod. chiefly in pl. = Lat. mammae; hafa barn á brjóstum; brjósta-mjólk, milk from the breast; brjósta-mein, medic. ulcus or abscessus mammarum, Fél. ix. 202; brjósta-verkr, mastodynia (of women), id.

brjóst: II. with the ancients the breast was thought to be the abode of the mind, as well as of feeling, hence it is poët. called hug-borg, mun-strönd, reið rýnis, minnis knörr, etc., the castle, strand, wain, ship of mind, of thought, of memory, etc., vide Lex. poët., Edda 105, Höfuðl. 1, Stor. 18; thus brjóst freq. metaph. means feeling, temper, disposition; hafa ekki b. til e-s, to have no heart for it; kenna í brjósti um e-n, to ‘feel in the breast’ for one, feel compassion for; mun hann vera þrályndr sem faðir hans, en hafa brjóst verra, a harder heart, Sturl. iii. 144, BS. ii. 70, 41; láta eigi allt fyrir brjósti brenna, of a hardy, daring man; e-m rennr í brjóst, of a light slumber, esp. of one sick.

brjóst: β. the front, of a wave, BS. i. 484; b. fylkingar, of a line, Eg. 268, FmS. v. 77.

brjóst: γ. metaph. the breast-work or protector of one; b. ok hlífskjöldr, Hom. 95; bera (vera) b. fyrir e-m, to be one’s defender, to shield one, FmS. vii. 263, x. 235; the phrase, vinna eið fyrir brjósti e-s, on one’s behalf, Gþl. 484.

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

Abbreviations used:

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.

Dan.: Danish.

Engl.: English.

f.: feminine.

Germ.: German.

gl.: glossary.

Hel.: Heliand.

Icel.: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.

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

l.: line.

Lat.: Latin.

m.: masculine.

medic.: medicine, medically.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

pl.: plural.

provinc.: provincial.

S.: Saga.

Swed.: Swedish.

Ulf.: Ulfilas.

esp.: especially.

etc.: et cetera.

freq.: frequent, frequently.

metaph.: metaphorical, metaphorically.

poët.: poetically.

s. v.: sub voce.

v.: vide.

Works & Authors cited:

Bs.: Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)

Eg.: Egils Saga. (D. II.)

Fél.: Félags-rit.

K. Þ. K.: Kristinn-réttr Þorláks ok Ketils = Kristinna-laga-þáttr. (B. I.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Stj.: Stjórn. (F. I.)

Str.: Strengleikar. (G. II.)

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

Höfuðl.: Höfuðlausn. (A. III.)

Lex. Poët.: Lexicon Poëticum by Sveinbjörn Egilsson, 1860.

Stor.: Sona-torrek. (A. III.)

Sturl.: Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Gþl.: Gulaþings-lög. (B. II.)

Hom.: Homiliu-bók. (F. 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.