Jaur

Old Norse Dictionary - jaur

Meaning of Old Norse word "jaur" in English.

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

jaur: adv., also spelt júr, Skálda 163 (Thorodd), Art. 126: in mod. usage proncd. double, jur-jór or jir-jór (sounded yer-yor), which word was at the end of the last century still used in the north of Iceland (Thingeyjar-sýsla): [it is a compd particle, from já = yea and r, which may be a pers. pron., analogous to the early Gmn. jâ ich! jâ dû! jâ sî! jâ ir! Grimm’s Gramm. iii. 765; other Teutonic languages have preserved this particle, although in a somewhat different sense, mid. H. G. jâra or jâr-ia, jâra-ja]:—yea, yes! with emphasis, yea, in sooth, yes indeed, yes certainly, as a reply to an expression of doubt or denial. Of this interesting particle only six instances are found in old writers:—three in O. H. l., biskup leit útar í kirkjuna ok sá hvar Ólafr stóð ok mælti, nú er konungr út kominn, þeir sögðu at hann var eigi út kominn.—Answer, Jaur, sagði biskup, sá er sannr konungr, er nú er út kominn, 10; hvat er nú um félag þat er konungrinn á með yðr? þeir drápu niðr höfði ok kváðusk ekki haus félag hafa.—Jaur, sagði hann, þér sögðusk víst vera hans félagar, 45; Maðr svarar, hvá mælir þú þat ?—Jaur, segir hann, þat var mér þá í hug, etc., 69; one in Thorn, (the Norse Recension), ekki var ek þar nærri, ok því sá ek enga þessa hluti, ekki heyrða ek ok þat er þú segir í frá.—Jaur, segir hann, Guð þat veit, at ek em uruggr um þat at ek sá þik þar, 246; one in Art. 126 (spelt júr); and lastly, one in Thorodd, austr, eárn, eir, júr, eyrir, vín, Skálda 163. Gudmund Andreae mentions this particle as in use in his time, and as sounded jör-jur, e. g. er ekki dagr?—answer, jör-jur! viltú ekki þetta?—answer, jör-jur! but his derivation from Lat. jure is erroneous.

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

Abbreviations used:

adv.: adverb.

e. g.: exempli gratia.

etc.: et cetera.

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

l.: line.

L.: Linnæus.

Lat.: Latin.

m.: masculine.

mid. H. G.: middle High German.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

pers.: person.

pron.: pronoun.

proncd.: pronounced.

v.: vide.

Works & Authors cited:

Art.: Artus-kappa Sögur. (G. II.)

O. H. L.: Ólafs Saga Helga Legendaria. (E. I.)

Skálda: Skálda. (H. I.)

➞ 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.