Gálgi

Old Norse Dictionary - gálgi

Meaning of Old Norse word "gálgi" in English.

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

gálgi Old Norse word can mean:

gálgi: a, m. [Ulf. renders σταυρός by galga; A. S. gealga; Engl. gallows; Hel. galgo; Germ. galgen; Dan.-Swed. galge]:—the gallows; in olden times they were worked by a lever, and the culprit was hauled up (spyrna gálga), FmS. vii. 13; hence also the phrase, hengja á hæsta gálga, festa upp, and the like, vide Gautr. S. ch. 7; an old Swed. allit. law phrase, á gálga ok gren, on gallows and green tree (Fr.), as trees were used for gallows (cp. the Engl. ‘gallows-tree’); reisa, höggva gálga, Orkn. 436, Ó. H. 46, Am. 37, 55, Grett. 128: in poetry (vide Lex. Poët.) the gallows are called the horse of Sigar, from the love tale of the Danish hero of that name: the cross is now and then called gálgi, e. g. Mar. S., and even in mod. eccl. writers (Vidal.), but very rarely, and only in rhetorical phraseS.

gálgi: COMPDS: gálgafarmr, gálgagramr, gálgatré.

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚴᛅᛚᚴᛁ
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.

ch.: chapter.

cp.: compare.

Dan.: Danish.

eccl.: ecclesiastical.

e. g.: exempli gratia.

Engl.: English.

f.: feminine.

Fr.: French in etymologies.

Germ.: German.

gl.: glossary.

Hel.: Heliand.

l.: line.

lit.: literally.

m.: masculine.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

S.: Saga.

Swed.: Swedish.

Ulf.: Ulfilas.

Works & Authors cited:

Am.: Atla-mál. (A. II.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Fr.: Fritzner’s Dictionary, 1867.

Gautr.: Gautreks Saga. (C. II.)

Grett.: Grettis Saga. (D. II.)

Lex. Poët.: Lexicon Poëticum by Sveinbjörn Egilsson, 1860.

Mar.: Maríu Saga. (F. III.)

Orkn.: Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)

Ó. H.: Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. 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.