Fjörðr

Old Norse Dictionary - fjörðr

Meaning of Old Norse word "fjörðr" (or fjǫrðr) in English.

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

fjörðr (fjǫrðr)
m., gen. fjarðar; dat. firði; pl. firðir, gen. fjarða: acc. fjörðu, mod. firði: [Swed.-Dan. fjord; North. E. and Scot. firth, frith; Engl. ford is a kindred word, but not identical]:—a firth, bay, a Scandin. word; but a small crescent-formed inlet or creek is called vík, and is less than fjörðr, hence the saying, fjörðr milli frænda, en vík milli vina, let there be a firth between kinsmen, but a creek between friends, denoting that kinship is not always so trustworthy as friendship: the allit. phrase, fjall ok fjörðr, vide fjall; freq. in Icel. and Scandin. local names combined with some other word expressing the shape, etc., Breiði-f., Mjófi-f., Djúpi-f., Grunni-f., Eyja-f., Lima-f. or Eylíma-f., Arnar-f., Alpta-f., Vatns-f., etc. In Icel. and old Scandin. countries the shore districts are freq. divided into counties, bearing the name of the firth, just as the inland is divided into dales; thus Eyja-f. and Skaga-f. denote both the firth and the county bordering on the firth. The western and eastern parts of Icel. are called Vest-firðir and Aust-firðir; in Norway a county is called Firðir; cp. Rb. 324 sqq., where over a hundred names of Icel. fjords are recorded, Landn. (Index), and the Sagas: fjarða-gol, n. a breeze blowing off a fjord, Fær. 203, Fms. iv. 302; fjarðar-botn, m. the bottom or head of a fjord, Eb. 188; fjarðar-horn, n. the creek at the head of a fjord, Gísl. 55, also freq. as a local name; fjarðar-íss, m. fjord-ice, Eb. 242, Bs. i. 327; fjarðar-kjöptr or fjarðar-minni, n. the mouth (opening) of a fjord, Sturl. i. 121, Hkr. iii. 118; fjarðar-menn, m. pl. the inhabitants of a fjord county, Sturl. ii. 199.

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

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

Abbreviations used:

acc.
accusative.
allit.
alliteration, alliterative.
cp.
compare.
Dan.
Danish.
dat.
dative.
Engl.
English.
etc.
et cetera.
f.
feminine.
freq.
frequent, frequently.
gen.
genitive.
gl.
glossary.
Icel.
Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
l.
line.
lit.
literally.
m.
masculine.
mod.
modern.
n.
neuter.
North. E.
Northern English.
pl.
plural.
Scandin.
Scandinavia, Scandinavian.
Scot.
Scottish.
Swed.
Swedish.
v.
vide.

Works & Authors cited:

Bs.
Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)
Eb.
Eyrbyggja Saga. (D. II.)
Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Fær.
Færeyinga Saga. (E. II.)
Gísl.
Gísla Saga. (D. II.)
Hkr.
Heimskringla. (E. I.)
Landn.
Landnáma. (D. I.)
Rb.
Rímbegla. (H. III.)
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.

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