Fjör

Old Norse Dictionary - fjör

Meaning of Old Norse word "fjör" (or fjǫr) in English.

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

fjör Old Norse word can mean:

fjör (fjǫr)
n., dat. fjörvi, mod. fjöri, [Ulf. renders κόσμος by fairvus; A. S. feorh, pl. feoru = life; Hel. firah; obsolete in Engl., Germ., Swed., and Dan.]:—life, Vsp. 33; með fjörvi, 623. 49: esp. freq. in allit. phrases, eiga fótum fjör at launa; fjör ok fé, FmS. iv. 77, Grág. ii. 21, Sl. 1; frekr er hver til fjörsins, Þorst. St. 54, Nj. 124; allt er fjörvi firr, Ld. 266.
fjör (fjǫr)
2. in poetry it seems to be used of the vital parts, the body; fleinn hitti fjör, Höfuðl. 9, Hm. 7, Vellekla Hkr. i. 175, Gh. 18, Skm. 20; cp. Germ. leib, leben, and the Goth. and A. S. sense of this word.
fjör (fjǫr)
3. in mod. usage freq. in the sense of vitality, vigour, energy, spirits; thus, fjör-fiskr, m., vide fiskr: fjör-kálfr, m. one bounding with life as a young calf,—hann er mesti fjörkálfr; vera með fullu fjöri, to be in the full vigour of life; fjör-lauss, adj. life-less, listless: fjör-maðr, m. a vigorous man: fjör-mikill, adj. full of life.
fjör (fjǫr)
II. in poetry fjör is used in a great many compds, chiefly those denoting loss of life, death, e. g. fjör-bann, -grand, -lag, -lát, -lot, -nám, -rán, -spell, -tál: the heart is fjör-segi, a, m. the ‘life-clod,’ Fm. 32.

Orthography: The Cleasby & Vigfusson book used letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Therefore, fjör may be more accurately written as fjǫr.

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

Abbreviations used:

allit.
alliteration, alliterative.
A. S.
Anglo-Saxon.
Dan.
Danish.
dat.
dative.
Engl.
English.
esp.
especially.
f.
feminine.
freq.
frequent, frequently.
Germ.
German.
gl.
glossary.
Hel.
Heliand.
l.
line.
lit.
literally.
m.
masculine.
mod.
modern.
n.
neuter.
pl.
plural.
S.
Saga.
Swed.
Swedish.
Ulf.
Ulfilas.
v.
vide.
cp.
compare.
Goth.
Gothic.
adj.
adjective.
e. g.
exempli gratia.

Works & Authors cited:

Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Grág.
Grágás. (B. I.)
Ld.
Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)
Nj.
Njála. (D. II.)
Sl.
Sólarljóð. (A. III.)
Vsp.
Völuspá. (A. I.)
Gh.
Guðrúnar-hefna. (A. II.)
Hkr.
Heimskringla. (E. I.)
Hm.
Hává-mál. (A. I.)
Höfuðl.
Höfuðlausn. (A. III.)
Skm.
Skírnis-mál. (A. I.)
Fm.
Fafnis-mál. (A. II.)
➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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