Frýnn
Old Norse Dictionary - frýnnMeaning of Old Norse word "frýnn" in English.
As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:
- frýnn
- or frýniligr, adj.; this word is never used but as compounded with the prefix ú- (except FaS. ii. 351 in a bad and late Saga), viz. ú-frýnn or ú-frýniligr = frowning. The sense as well as the etymology of frýnn is somewhat dubious; there is the Germ. fron or frohn or fran; but that word seems purely German and is by Grimm supposed to be qs. fro min = my lord (vide Hel.); neither does Icel. frýnn or Germ. frohn correspond properly as to the root vowel (cp. e. g. Germ. lohn = Icel. laun): on the other hand there is the Engl. frown, which in form answers to the simple frýnn, but in sense to the compd ú-frýnn; as no similar word is found in A. S. (nor in Germ. nor in Hel.), frown is most likely a Scandin. word; and we suppose that the Icel. prefix syllable ú- is not in this instance = un-, that is to say, negative, but = of-, that is to say, intensive (= too, very, greatly); the original forms of-frýnn, of-frýniligr were contr. and assimilated into ófrýnn, ófrýniligr, meaning very frowning, and these compds then superseded the primitive simple word: this is confirmed by the freq. spelling in MSS. with ‘of-’ e. g. ofrynn, Ó. H. 144; all-ofrynn, Eg. Cod. Wolph.; heldr ofrynn, Ó. H. 167; but yet more freq. with ‘ú-’ e. g. Orkn. 440, Boll. 358, Fær. 50, FmS. i. 40, Fb. i. 73; the ekki frýnn, FaS. l. c., is again a variation of úfrýnn: the statement by Björn that frýnn is = bland, affable, is a mere guess by inference from the compd.
Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚠᚱᚢᚾᚾ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements
Abbreviations used:
- adj.
- adjective.
- A. S.
- Anglo-Saxon.
- Cod.
- Codex.
- compd.
- compound.
- contr.
- contracted.
- cp.
- compare.
- e. g.
- exempli gratia.
- Engl.
- English.
- freq.
- frequent, frequently.
- Germ.
- German.
- gl.
- glossary.
- Hel.
- Heliand.
- Icel.
- Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
- l.
- line.
- l. c.
- loco citato.
- m.
- masculine.
- n.
- neuter.
- qs.
- quasi.
- S.
- Saga.
- Scandin.
- Scandinavia, Scandinavian.
- viz.
- namely.
Works & Authors cited:
- Björn
- Biörn Halldórsson.
- Boll.
- Bolla-þáttr. (D. V.)
- Eg.
- Egils Saga. (D. II.)
- Fas.
- Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)
- Fb.
- Flateyjar-bók (E. I.)
- Fms.
- Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
- Fær.
- Færeyinga Saga. (E. II.)
- Orkn.
- Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)
- Ó. H.
- Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)
Also available in related dictionaries:
This headword also appears in dictionaries of other languages descending from Old Norse.