Gísl

Old Norse Dictionary - gísl

Meaning of Old Norse word "gísl" in English.

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

gísl Old Norse word can mean:

gísl
m. [A. S. gîsel; lost in Engl.; Germ. geissel; Swed. gislan; Dan. gidsel; to be distinguished from geisl; mod. Germ. and Dan. confound the two forms, one of which has ei and the other î as root vowel; mid. H. G. retained a distinction]:—a hostage, LS. 39, FmS. v. 171, ix. 359, passim.
gísl
II. a king’s officer, a bailiff; gísl keisarans, FmS. i. 151, cp. BS. i. 9, i. e. of the German emperor:—a warder, watchman, þeir höfðu sett til gísla at gæta hans (of a prisoner), FmS. viii. 23; konungr lagði fe til höfuðs honum ok setti hvervetna fyrir hann gísla (viz. to catch him) hvar sem hann kynni fram at koma, vi. 16:—this sense is very rare, and in Icel. never occurs except in metaph. phraseS.
gísl
III. a pr. name, Gísl and Gísli; in many compds, Þor-gísl, Spá-gísl, Auð-gísl, Her-gísl, but usually by metathesis -gils, e. g. Þor-gils, etc.

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

Abbreviations used:

A. S.
Anglo-Saxon.
Dan.
Danish.
Engl.
English.
Germ.
German.
gl.
glossary.
id.
idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
l.
line.
m.
masculine.
mid. H. G.
middle High German.
mod.
modern.
n.
neuter.
S.
Saga.
s. v.
sub voce.
Swed.
Swedish.
v.
vide.
cp.
compare.
Icel.
Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
i. e.
id est.
metaph.
metaphorical, metaphorically.
viz.
namely.
e. g.
exempli gratia.
etc.
et cetera.
pr.
proper, properly.

Works & Authors cited:

Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Ls.
Loka-senna. (A. I.)
Bs.
Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)
➞ 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.

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