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.