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.