Íþrótt

Old Norse Dictionary - íþrótt

Meaning of Old Norse word "íþrótt" in English.

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

íþrótt Old Norse word can mean:

íþrótt: f., also spelt iðrótt, prob. from ið- and þrótt or þróttr, power, qs. ið-þrótt; the long vowel seems due to absorption, analogous to Svíþjóð = Svið-þjóð; the rhyme, iþróttir … níu, Orkn. l. c., shews that the vowel was sounded long: [Dan. idræt; Swed. idrott; but not in Saxon nor Germ.]:—accomplishment, art, skill, in olden times esp. of athletic exercises, but also of literary skill; king Harold (in the verse in Mork. 15, íðróttir kann ek átta) counts eight íðróttir,—poetry, riding, swimming, sliding in snow-shoes, shooting, rowing, playing the harp, and versification; earl Rognvald (in the verse in Orkn. ch. 61) counts nine,—chess playing, Runes, ‘book,’ smíð, sliding on ‘skíð,’ shooting, rowing, playing the harp, and versification; cp. also the tale in Edda of Thor and Útgarða-Loki, where running a race, eating fast, drinking, lifting the cat, and wrestling are among íþróttir. In mod. usage the word is applied especially to the fine arts (painting, sculpture); kann ek þá íþrótt, at engi er hér sá inni er skjótara skal eta mat sinn en ek, Edda 31; vel búinn at íþróttum, Nj. 61; vel at sér görr um íþróttir, Eg. 111; hann lét Gunnar reyna ymsar íþróttir við menn sína, ok vóru þeir engir er né eina íþrótt hefði til jafns við hann, Nj. 46, Edda 31; nú sýnir Sigmundr íþrótt sína, Fær. 76; inna íþrótt, Edda 31; góð íþrótt. id.; með ágætri iðrótt, of music, Bs. i. 155; iðrótt sú er Grammatica heitir, 163; iðrótt þá er grammatica heitir, Clem. 33; af iðrótt þeirri er dialectica heitir, Al. 3.

íþrótt: COMPDS: íþróttalauss, íþróttamaðr.

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

Abbreviations used:

ch.: chapter.

cp.: compare.

Dan.: Danish.

esp.: especially.

f.: feminine.

Germ.: German.

id.: idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation

l.: line.

l. c.: loco citato.

m.: masculine.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

prob.: probably.

qs.: quasi.

Swed.: Swedish.

Works & Authors cited:

Al.: Alexanders Saga. (G. I.)

Bs.: Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)

Clem.: Clements Saga. (F. III.)

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

Eg.: Egils Saga. (D. II.)

Fær.: Færeyinga Saga. (E. II.)

Mork.: Morkinskinna. (E. I.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Orkn.: Orkneyinga Saga. (E. 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.