Drengr

Old Norse Dictionary - drengr

Meaning of Old Norse word "drengr" in English.

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

drengr Old Norse word can mean:

drengr: m., pl. ir, gen. drengs, pl. drengir, on Runic stones drengjar; this is a most curious word, and exclusively Scandinavian; it occurs in the A. S. poem Byrnoth, but is there undoubtedly borrowed from the Danes, as this poem is not very oLd.

drengr: 1. the earliest form was probably drangr, q. v., a rock or pillar, which sense still remains in Edda (Gl.) and in the compds ás-drengr, stýris-drengr, cp. Ivar Aasen; it also remains in the verb drengja.

drengr: 2. it then metaphorically came to denote a young unmarried man, a bachelor, A. S. hagestald, n. H. G. hagestolz; drengir heita ungir menn ok búlausir, Edda 107; ungr d., a youth, 623. 22, Post. 656 C. 32, Edda 35; drengr, a youth, Stj. 409; hverrar ættar ertú d., 465; (hence the mod. Dan. sense of a boy); far-d., a sailor.

drengr: 3. hence came the usual sense, a bold, valiant, worthy man, and in this sense it is most freq. in all periods of the language. Drengr is a standing word in the Swed. and Dan. Runic monuments, góðr drengr, drengr harða góðr, denoting a good, brave, gallant man, a bold and gentle heart; lagði þá hverr fram sitt skip sem d. var ok skap hafði til, FmS. vi. 315; drengir heita vaskir menn ok batnandi, Edda 107; hraustr d., a gallant d., Ld. 50; d. fullr, a bluff, out-spoken man, Ísl. ii. 363; göfuligr d., Bær. 12; d. góðr, noble-minded; auðigr at fé ok d. góðr, FmS. vi. 356; hann var enn bezti d. ok hófsmaðr um allt, Ld. loo; drengr góðr ok öriggr í öllu, Nj. 30; ekki þyki mér þú sterkr, en drengr ertú góðr, thou art not strong, but thou art a good fellow, Lv. 109; drengs dáð, a ‘derring do,’ the deed of a drengr, Fbr. 90 (in a verse): also used of a lady, kvennskörungr mikill ok d. góðr ok nokkut skaphörð, Nj. 30 (of Bergthora); allra kvenna grimmust ok skaphörðust ok (but) d. góðr þar sem vel skyldi vera, 147 (of Hildigunna): the phrases, lítill d., a small dreng, or d. at verri, denoting a disgraced man, Nj. 68; at kalla þik ekki at verra dreng, to call thee a dreng none the less for that, Ld. 42; drengir en eigi dáðleysingjar, ‘drengs’ and no lubbers, Sturl. iii. 135; drengr and níðingr are opposed, n. G. l. ii. 420: at Hallgerðr yrði þeim mestr drengr, greatest helper, prop, Nj. 76; at þú mættir drengrinn af verða sem beztr, that thou couldst get the greatest credit from it, Gísl. 48: the phrase, hafa dreng í serk, to have a man (i. e. a stout, bold heart) in one’s sark, in one’s breast, FmS. ix. 381: in addressing, góðr d., my dear fellow, Eg. 407: cp. ‘et quod ipsi in posterurn vocarentur Drenges,’ Du Cange (in a letter of William the Conqueror).

drengr: COMPDS: drengjamóðir, drengjaval, drengsaðal, drengsbót, drengsbragð.

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

Abbreviations used:

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.

gen.: genitive.

l.: line.

m.: masculine.

n.: neuter.

pl.: plural.

S.: Saga.

cp.: compare.

q. v.: quod vide.

v.: vide.

Dan.: Danish.

mod.: modern.

N. H. G.: New High German.

freq.: frequent, frequently.

i. e.: id est.

L.: Linnæus.

Swed.: Swedish.

Works & Authors cited:

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

Ivar Aasen: Ivar Aasen’s Dictionary, 1850.

Post.: Postula Sögur. (F. III.)

Stj.: Stjórn. (F. I.)

Bær.: Bærings Saga. (G. II.)

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

Fbr.: Fóstbræðra Saga. (D. II.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Gísl.: Gísla Saga. (D. II.)

Ld.: Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)

Lv.: Ljósvetninga Saga. (D. II.)

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

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

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

➞ 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.