Ella
Old Norse Dictionary - ellaMeaning of Old Norse word "ella" in English.
As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:
- ella
- adv., in Norse laws freq. ellar, and so in FmS. vi. 214, vii. 17, 115, etc.; in mod. Icel. usage ellegar; elligar, Ó. H., Grág., Mork., passim, etc., which seems to be the original form, qs. ell-vegar, ‘other-ways,’ cp. þann-ig, hinn-ig, einn-ig; ella, though it is the usual form in the MSS., would be an apocopated form, the r being dropt: [A. S. elles; Engl. else; Swed. eljest; cp. Lat. alius, Gr. αλλος]:—else, otherwise; er yðr nú annat-hvárt til at leggja í brott þegar, ella búisk þér við sem skjótast, Nj. 44; en þann þeirra e. er réttari er, Grág. i. 78; en ella jamt skerða sem at skuldadómi, 84; ella liggr á þér víti, FmS. iv. 27; hann hét vináttu sinni ef þessu vildi játa en elligar afarkostum, Ó. H. 141; ella man ek láta drepa þik, Nj. 74; eða—ella, or—else, FmS. vi. 196 (in a verse); eða heit hvers manns níðingr ella, or else be called the ‘nithing’ of every man, Nj. 176; eða drepit hann ella, FmS. xi. 100; eðr stökki hann af eignum sínum ellar, vii. 17.
Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᛁᛚᛚᛅ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements
Abbreviations used:
- adv.
- adverb.
- A. S.
- Anglo-Saxon.
- cp.
- compare.
- Engl.
- English.
- etc.
- et cetera.
- freq.
- frequent, frequently.
- gl.
- glossary.
- Gr.
- Greek.
- Icel.
- Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
- l.
- line.
- Lat.
- Latin.
- mod.
- modern.
- qs.
- quasi.
- S.
- Saga.
- Swed.
- Swedish.
- v.
- vide.
Works & Authors cited:
- Fms.
- Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
- Grág.
- Grágás. (B. I.)
- Mork.
- Morkinskinna. (E. I.)
- Nj.
- Njála. (D. II.)
- Ó. H.
- Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)
Also available in related dictionaries:
This headword also appears in dictionaries of other languages descending from Old Norse.