Höfn
Old Norse Dictionary - höfnMeaning of Old Norse word "höfn" (or hǫfn) in English.
As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:
höfn Old Norse word can mean:
- höfn (hǫfn)
- f., also spelt hömn, gen. hafnar; [hafa]:
- höfn (hǫfn)
- 1. a holding, possession, esp. tenure of land; þá skal þeim dæma eingis-höfnina er heimild kemr til, Grág. (Kb.) ii. 86; jarðar h., tenure of land; at jarðar-höfn ok at fjár-megni, n. G. l. ii. 38; nú skal görðum skipta eptir jarðar-höfn ok öllum áverka, 122; hafnar-vitni, testimony as to tenure of land, opp. to óðals-vitni, n. G. l. i. 246, 247: the allit. phrase, hönd ok höfn, hand and having, absolute power; nema þeim sem hann leggr hendr ok höfn sem hann vill, cp. Dan. ‘skalte og valte med,’ Bs. i. 706, v. l.,—no emend. seems necessary.
- höfn (hǫfn)
- 2. a foetus; lýstr maðr kviðuga konu, svá at höfn sú deyr, er hón ferr með ok skilsk hón við höfnina, Stj. 302; taka við höfn, Lat. concipere, Flóv., Bs. ii. 173, Hom. (St.): the time of pregnancy, á enum níunda mánaði hafnarinnar, 686 B. 14.
- höfn (hǫfn)
- 3. pasture; sauða-höfn í Múla-fjall, Vm. 64; nauta tröð ok hömn, n. G. l. i. 379, D. n. ii. 146, iii. 120.
- höfn (hǫfn)
- 4. a coat, cp. Lat. habitus, esp. = a cloak; hann tók af sér höfnina ok sveipaði um konunginn, Fms. ix. 25; yfir-h., a cloak, cp. Ísl. ii. 245 (in a verse): a kind of stuff; hence hafnar-feldr, m., hafnar-vaðmál, n., hafnar-váð, f. denoting a plain stuff, as it was sold in trade; Grág. i. 504, Nj. 7, D. n. i. 134, ii. 6, iii. 8, 451, Vm. 103, 117, Pm. 57.
- höfn (hǫfn)
- 5. skips-höfn, a ship’s crew; munns-höfn, ‘mouth-habit,’ language.
- höfn (hǫfn)
- B. [Engl. and Dutch haven; Germ. hafen; Dan. havn; Swed. hamn]:—a haven, harbour, Fms. xi. 74, Eg. 79, Hkr. iii. 248, Grág., etc.: eccl., sælu-höfn, lífs-h., passim: sometimes spelt hafn, Ísl. ii. 398: as also in local names, Höfn, Landn.: Hafnar-menn, m. pl., Sturl. ii. 91; Kaupmanna-höfn, Copenhagen; Hraun-höfn, Eb., etc.
- höfn (hǫfn)
- COMPDS: hafnaraustr, hafnarbúi, hafnardyrr, hafnarkross, hafnarlykill, hafnarmark, hafnarrán, hafnartollr, hafnarvágr.
Orthography: The Cleasby & Vigfusson book used letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Therefore, höfn may be more accurately written as hǫfn.
Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚼᚢᚠᚾ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements
Abbreviations used:
- f.
- feminine.
- gen.
- genitive.
- n.
- neuter.
- allit.
- alliteration, alliterative.
- cp.
- compare.
- Dan.
- Danish.
- esp.
- especially.
- l.
- line.
- L.
- Linnæus.
- lit.
- literally.
- opp.
- opposed.
- v.
- vide.
- v. l.
- varia lectio.
- Lat.
- Latin.
- m.
- masculine.
- eccl.
- ecclesiastical.
- Engl.
- English.
- etc.
- et cetera.
- Germ.
- German.
- gl.
- glossary.
- pl.
- plural.
- Swed.
- Swedish.
Works & Authors cited:
- Bs.
- Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)
- Grág.
- Grágás. (B. I.)
- Kb.
- Konungs-bók. (B. I, C. I, etc.)
- N. G. L.
- Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)
- Flóv.
- Flóvents Saga. (G. II.)
- Hom.
- Homiliu-bók. (F. II.)
- Stj.
- Stjórn. (F. I.)
- D. N.
- Diplomatarium Norvagicum. (J. II.)
- Vm.
- Vilkins-máldagi. (J. I.)
- Fms.
- Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
- Nj.
- Njála. (D. II.)
- Pm.
- Pétrs-máldagi. (J. I.)
- Eb.
- Eyrbyggja Saga. (D. II.)
- Eg.
- Egils Saga. (D. II.)
- Hkr.
- Heimskringla. (E. I.)
- Landn.
- Landnáma. (D. I.)
- Sturl.
- Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)
Also available in related dictionaries:
This headword also appears in dictionaries of other languages descending from Old Norse.