Frjáls

Old Norse Dictionary - frjáls

Meaning of Old Norse word "frjáls" in English.

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

frjáls
adj., dat. and gen. sing. fem. and gen. pl. frjálsi, frjálsar, and frjálsa in old writers, but mod. frjálsri, frjálsrar, frjálsra, inserting r, [a contracted form from fri-hals; Ulf. freihals; O. H. G. frihals; the A. S. freols is prob. Scandin., as it is not used in old poetry: frjáls therefore properly means ‘free-necked,’ a ring round the neck being a badge of servitude; but the Icel. uses the word fri only in the compound frjáls, which is lost in Dan., though it remains in Swed. frälse and ufrälse man; the mod. Dan. and Swed. fri is borrowed from the Germ. frei, and so is the Icel. frí:—Ulf. renders ἐλευθερία by freihals, but ἐλεύθερος by freis]:—free, opp. to bondsman; frjáls er hverr er frelsi er gefit, n. G. l. i. 32; ef þræll getr barn við frjálsi konu, Grág. (Kb.) i. 224; skal þik bæta sem frjálsan mann, Nj. 57: metaph. free, unhindered, láta e-n fara frjálsan, FmS. i. 15: of property, frjálst forræði, eign, yfirráð, free, full possession, D. n. passim; skógar frjálsir af ágangi konunnga ok íllræðis-manna, FS. 20: neut., eiga … at frjálsu, to possess freely, without restraint, FmS. xi. 211, Jb. 187, Ó. H. 92; með frjálsu, unhindered, Hrafn. 24.

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

Abbreviations used:

adj.
adjective.
A. S.
Anglo-Saxon.
Dan.
Danish.
dat.
dative.
f.
feminine.
fem.
feminine.
gen.
genitive.
Germ.
German.
Icel.
Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
l.
line.
L.
Linnæus.
m.
masculine.
metaph.
metaphorical, metaphorically.
mod.
modern.
n.
neuter.
neut.
neuter.
O. H. G.
Old High German.
opp.
opposed.
pl.
plural.
prob.
probably.
S.
Saga.
Scandin.
Scandinavia, Scandinavian.
sing.
singular.
Swed.
Swedish.
Ulf.
Ulfilas.

Works & Authors cited:

D. N.
Diplomatarium Norvagicum. (J. II.)
Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Fs.
Forn-sögur. (D. II.)
Grág.
Grágás. (B. I.)
Hrafn.
Hrafnkels Saga. (D. II.)
Jb.
Jóns-bók. (B. III.)
Kb.
Konungs-bók. (B. I, C. I, etc.)
N. G. L.
Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)
Nj.
Njála. (D. II.)
Ó. H.
Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)
➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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This headword also appears in dictionaries of other languages descending from Old Norse.

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