Holt

Old Norse Dictionary - holt

Meaning of Old Norse word "holt" in English.

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

holt Old Norse word can mean:

holt
n. [A. S. holt = sylva; Germ. holz = lignum; in E. Engl. and North. Engl. holt means copsewood, and the word often occurs in local names]
holt
1. prop. wood, copsewood, a coppice; but this sense is almost obsolete, though it remains in the saying, opt er í holti heyrandi nær, in a holt a hearer is nigh, answering to the Engl. leaves have ears, in Germ. die blätter haben ohren, Grett. 133: as also in old poems, holt ok hrár viðr, Skm. 32; ösp í holti, Hðm. 4; Hoddmímis holt, Vþm.; fara ór holti, to go from the woods, Vkv. 15: whence holt-skriði, a, m. ‘holt-creeper,’ poët. for a snake, Edda: holta-þór, m. reynard the fox: in laws, yrkja holt né haga, Gþl. 315; h. eða haga eða veiði-staði, 362; but otherwise rare in common prose, holt eðr skógar, Eg.; smákjörr ok holt, FmS. vi. 334: in local names, Holtsetar (Holsetar), m. pl. ‘holt-sitters,’ the men of Holsten; Holtseta-land, n. the land of the Holtsetar (Holstenland), whence the mod. Germ. Holstein. In barren Icel., Holt, Holtar are freq. local names, as also in compds, e. g. Lang-holt, Skála-holt, Geldinga-holt, Villinga-holt, Reykja-holt, Holta-vað, see Landn.; in olden times; all these places were no doubt covered with copse (of dwarf birch).
holt
2. in common Icel. usage holt means any rough stony hill or ridge, opp. to a marsh or lea, FmS. v. 70, 97, Ld. 96, Eg. 713, FS. 19, 22, 67, passim, as also in mod. usage.
holt
COMPDS: holtarót, holtasóley, holtbarð, holtsgata, holtshnjúkr, holtsmúli.

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

Abbreviations used:

A. S.
Anglo-Saxon.
Engl.
English.
Germ.
German.
gl.
glossary.
l.
line.
m.
masculine.
n.
neuter.
S.
Saga.
e. g.
exempli gratia.
freq.
frequent, frequently.
Icel.
Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
mod.
modern.
pl.
plural.
poët.
poetically.
prop.
proper, properly.
v.
vide.
opp.
opposed.
s. v.
sub voce.

Works & Authors cited:

Edda
Edda. (C. I.)
Eg.
Egils Saga. (D. II.)
Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Grett.
Grettis Saga. (D. II.)
Gþl.
Gulaþings-lög. (B. II.)
Hðm.
Hamðis-mál. (A. II.)
Landn.
Landnáma. (D. I.)
Skm.
Skírnis-mál. (A. I.)
Vkv.
Völundar-kviða. (A. II.)
Vþm.
Vafþrúðnis-mál. (A. I.)
Fs.
Forn-sögur. (D. II.)
Ld.
Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)
➞ 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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