Frændi

Old Norse Dictionary - frændi

Meaning of Old Norse word "frændi" in English.

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

frændi Old Norse word can mean:

frændi: an irreg. part. of the obsolete frjá, pl. frændr. gen. frænda, dat. frændum, [Ulf. renders φίλος by frijonds; A. S. freond; Engl. friend; Hel. friund; O. H. G. friunt; Germ. freund; all of them meaning friend = Lat. amicus; whereas in the Scandin. languages, Icel. as well as mod. Swed. and Dan., it is only used in a metaph. sense; Dan. frænde; Swed. frände]:—a kinsman; not a single instance is on record of the word having ever been used in another sense, unless an exception be allowed in the allit. phrase, sem frændr en eigi sem fjándr, in the old Griðamál, Grág. (Kb.) i. 170:—the same usage prevails in the oldest poems, e. g. Hm.,—deyr fé, deyja frændr, 75; sumr er af senum sæll sumr af frændum, 68; and Dags frændr, the kinsmen (great grandsons) of Dag, Ýt. 10. This change in the sense of the word is very curious and characteristic of the Scandinavians, with whom the bonds of kinship and brotherhood were strong, and each family formed a kind of confederacy or fellowship equally bound in rights and in duties; cp. such phrases as, frænd-bálkr, frænd-garðr: frændr often denotes kinsmen in a narrower sense = brethren; yet sons and frændr are distinguished in Hm. 68; but generally frændr is a collective word, Nj. 4; of a brother, FS. 57; frændi, my son, Nj. 143, cp. FmS. vii. 22, 315, the laws and Sagas passim; ná-frændi, a near kinsman.

frændi: COMPDS: frændaafli, frændabálkr, frændagengi, frændagipta, frændalát, frændalið, frændaráð, frændaróg, frændaskömm, frændastyrkr, frændatjón.

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚠᚱᛅᚾᛏᛁ
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.

cp.: compare.

Dan.: Danish.

dat.: dative.

e. g.: exempli gratia.

Engl.: English.

f.: feminine.

gen.: genitive.

Germ.: German.

gl.: glossary.

Hel.: Heliand.

Icel.: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.

irreg.: irregular.

l.: line.

Lat.: Latin.

lit.: literally.

m.: masculine.

metaph.: metaphorical, metaphorically.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

O. H. G.: Old High German.

part.: participle.

pl.: plural.

S.: Saga.

Scandin.: Scandinavia, Scandinavian.

Swed.: Swedish.

Ulf.: Ulfilas.

Works & Authors cited:

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Fs.: Forn-sögur. (D. II.)

Grág.: Grágás. (B. I.)

Hm.: Hává-mál. (A. I.)

Kb.: Konungs-bók. (B. I, C. I, etc.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

➞ 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.