Gnaga

Old Norse Dictionary - gnaga

Meaning of Old Norse word "gnaga" in English.

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

gnaga: að, mod. naga, but in allit. and old writers with g, as ok um grjót gnaga, Hm. 106: it was originally a strong verb, pret. gnóg, as ala ól, and is still used so in some provincial dialects of Norway, vide Ivar Aasen; hence part. gnagit, Barl. 56 (Norse); in old Icel. writers it only remains in poetry, viz. pres. gnegr, Fms. vi. 310 (in a verse of the 11th century); gengr, i. e. gnegr, Edda (A. m.) i. 68, note 12: [Engl. gnaw; Swed. gnaga; Dan. gnave]:—to gnaw; en Níðhöggr gnagar neðan rótina, Edda 10, Gm. 33; hestar gnöguðu beizlin, Karl. 376; þeir gnöguðu skjaldar-rendr, Fas. i. 425; mýss tvær gnagaðu um rætr trésins, Barl. 56.

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

Abbreviations used:

allit.: alliteration, alliterative.

Dan.: Danish.

Engl.: English.

gl.: glossary.

Icel.: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.

i. e.: id est.

l.: line.

lit.: literally.

m.: masculine.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

part.: participle.

pres.: present.

pret.: preterite.

Swed.: Swedish.

viz.: namely.

Works & Authors cited:

A. M.: Arna-Magnacanus.

Barl.: Barlaams Saga. (F. III.)

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

Fas.: Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Gm.: Grímnis-mál. (A. I.)

Hm.: Hává-mál. (A. I.)

Ivar Aasen: Ivar Aasen’s Dictionary, 1850.

Karl.: Karla-magnús Saga. (G. 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.