Fróðr

Old Norse Dictionary - fróðr

Meaning of Old Norse word "fróðr" in English.

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

fróðr Old Norse word can mean:

fróðr: adj. [Ulf. frôþs = φρόνιμος, σοφός, σώφρων, συνετός; Hel. frôd; A. S. frôd]:—knowing, learned, well-instructed; fróðr, er margkunnigr er, FmS. xi. 413; hón var fróð at mörgu, Nj. 194; þat er sögn fróðra manna, Ísl. ii. 206; verða fróðari um e-t, SkS. 37; at Finnum tveim er hér eru fróðastir (greatest wizards), FmS. i. 8; fás er fróðum vant, little is lacking to the knowing, cp. the Engl. ‘knowledge is power,’ Hm. 107: of books, containing much information, instructive, bækr beztar ok fróðastar, BS. i. 429.

fróðr: β. in some passages in Hm. fróðr seems to mean clever, Hm. 7, 27, 30, 6l, 107; þá nam ek at frævask ok fróðr vera, 142; fróðir menn, knowing men, Ýt. 6; fróð regin, the wise powers, Vþm. 26; enn fróði jötunn, 30, 33, 35:—in some few poët. compds (in which it seems to be used almost = prúðr, brave, valiant, as böð-f., eljun-f.) the true meaning is skilled in war (cp. the Gr. δαιφρων); sann-f., truly informed; óljúgfróð, Íb. 4; ú-fróðr, ignorant, = Goth. unfróþs, which Ulf. uses to translate ἄφρων, ἀνόητος; sögu-fróðr, skilled in old lore. As fróðr chiefly refers to historical knowledge, ‘hinn Fróði’ was an appellation given to the old Icel. chroniclers—Ari Fróði, Brandr Fróði, Sæmundr Fróði, Kolskeggr Fróði, who lived between 1050 and 1150 A. D. But the historians of the next age were seldom called by this name: Odd Munk (of the end of the 12th century) is only once called so, (Ing. S. fine); Snorri (of the 13th) twice, viz. Ann. 1241 in a single MS., and Sturl. iii. 98, but in a part of the Saga probably not written by Sturla himself; Sturla (who died in 1284) is never called by that name; and the only real exception is Styrmir ‘Fróði’ (who died in 1245), though he least deserved the name. Of foreign writers the Icel. gave the name Fróði to Bede (Landn. pref.), whom they held in great honour.

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

Abbreviations used:

adj.: adjective.

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.

cp.: compare.

Engl.: English.

f.: feminine.

gl.: glossary.

Hel.: Heliand.

l.: line.

m.: masculine.

S.: Saga.

Ulf.: Ulfilas.

A. D.: Anno Domini.

Goth.: Gothic.

Gr.: Greek.

Icel.: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.

n.: neuter.

poët.: poetically.

pref.: preface.

viz.: namely.

Works & Authors cited:

Bs.: Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Hm.: Hává-mál. (A. I.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Sks.: Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)

Ann.: Íslenzkir Annálar. (D. IV.)

Íb.: Íslendinga-bók. (D. I.)

Landn.: Landnáma. (D. I.)

Sturl.: Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)

Vþm.: Vafþrúðnis-mál. (A. 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.