Kona

Old Norse Dictionary - kona

Meaning of Old Norse word "kona" in English.

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

kona Old Norse word can mean:

kona
u, f., kuna, FmS. vii. 106; gen. pl. kvinna, 109, 274, Hdl. 15, but usually kvenna, which form is a remains of an older obsolete kvina: [Goth. qino = γυνή; Hel. quena; O. H. G. chiona; Swed. kåna; Dan. kone; again, the forms of the Goth. quens or qveins, A. S. cwen, Engl. queen, Scot. quean = Engl. wench, Dan. kvinde answer to the obsolete kván, q. v.]:—a woman; karl ok kona, man and woman, passim; brigðr er karla hugr konum, Hm. 90; kona ok karlmaðr, Grág. i. 171; kona eða karlmaðr, Nj. 190; hón var kvinna fríðust, FmS. vii. 109; henni lézt þykkja agasamt, ok kvað þar eigi kvinna vist, 274; konor þær er óarfgengjar eru, Grág. i. 228; mun þat sannask sem mælt er til vár kvenna, FmS. iv. 132; kveðr hann vera konu níundu nótt hverja ok eiga þá viðskipti við karlmenn, n. G. l. i. 57: sayings, köld er kvenna ráð, Gísl.; meyjar orðum skyli manngi trúa, né því er kveðr kona, Hm. 83; svá er friðr kvenna, 89; hón var væn kona ok kurteis, Nj. 1; ok var hón kvenna fríðust, she was the fairest of women, 50; hón var skörungr mikill ok kvenna fríðust sýnum, hón var svá hög at fár konur vóru jafnhagar henni, hón var allra kvenna grimmust, 147; fundusk mönnum orð um at konan var enn virðuleg, Ld. 16; Unnr var vegs-kona mikil (a stately lady), Landn. 117; konur skulu ræsta húsin ok tjalda, Nj. 175; konu-hár, -klæði, -föt, woman’s hair, attire, FmS. iii. 266, Greg. 53; konu bú, woman’s estate, Grág. ii. 47; konu-líki (liking), woman’s shape, Skálda 172, Grett. 141; konu-nám, konu-tak, eloping, abduction of a woman, Grág. i. 355, Bjarn. 17; konu-mál, rape, fornication, = kvenna-mál, Eb. 182, FS. 62, Stj. 499: frænd-kona, a kinswoman; vin-kona, a female friend; mág-kona, a sister-in-law; álf-kona, an ‘elf-quean;’ troll-kona, a giantess; heit-kona, a spouse; brúð-kona, a bridemaid; vinnu-kona, grið-kona, a female servant; ráðs-kona, a stewardess; bú-kona, hús-kona, a house-mistress, house-wife; spá-kona, a prophetess, Scot. ‘spae-wife;’ skáld-kona, a poëtess.
kona
II. a wife; ek em kona Njáls, Nj. 54; Evu Adams konu, Hom. 31; við hans konu Sophram, Ver. 52; af konu minni eða sonum, Nj. 65; en ef bú þeirra standa, þá munu þeir vitja þeirra ok kvenna sinna, 207; messu-djákn enginn, né kona hans né klerkr hans, n. G. l. i. 97.—The word is now almost disused in sense I, kvennmaðr being the common word, whereas in sense II. it is a household word. konu-efni, n. one’s future wife, bride: konu-fé, n. a marriage portion, JS. 80: konu-lauss, adj. wifeless, unmarried, FS.: konu-leysi, n. the being konulauss: konu-ríki, n., see kvánríki.
kona
B. COMPDS, with the gen. plur. kvenna-: kvenna-askr, m. a kind of half measure, opp. to karlaskr, q. v.; hálfr annarr k. í karlaski, Jb. 375. kvenna-ást, f. amour, BS. i. 282, FmS. v. 341. kvenna-búnaðr, m. a woman’s attire, Skálda 334. kvenna-far, n. love affairs, Lat. amores, FmS. i. 187. kvenna-ferð, f. a journey fit for women, Ld. 240. kvenna-fólk, n. woman-folk, Nj. 199. kvenna-friðr, m. sacredness of women, n. G. l. ii. kvenna-fylgjur, f. pl. female attendants, Grág. i. 342. kvenna-gipting, f. marriage, n. G. l. i. 343, Jb. 6. kvenna-giptir, f. pl. a giving in marriage, n. G. l. i. 27, 343. kvenna-hagr, m. woman’s condition, Rb. 414. kvenna-heiti, n. names of women, Edda (gl.) kvenna-hjal, n. women’s gossip, Gísl. 15. kvenna-hús, n. a lady’s bower, FaS. ii. 162. kvenna-innganga, u, f. entrance of women into the church, churching, B. K. 110. kvenna-klæðnaðr, m. a female dress, Grág. i. 338. kvenna-land, n. the land of the Amazons, Rb. 348, FmS. xi. 414. kvenna-leiðir, m. ‘women-guide,’ a law term used of a child as the sole witness to lawsuit for a rape; barn þat er heitir k., n. G. l. i. 357, 367. kvenna-lið, n. woman-folk, Nj. 199, Lv. 38. kvenna-maðr, m. a woman’s man, given to women; mikill k., Hkr. i. 208, Rb. 414; lítill k., chaste, Fbr. 12. kvenna-mál, n. love matters, Orkn. 334: rape, fornication, 444, Lv. 3. kvenna-munr, m. distinction of women, FmS. x. 387. kvenna-nám, n. a rape, Grág. i. 353. kvenna-ráð, n. pl. women’s counsel, Nj. 177. kvenna-siðr, m. habits of women, Grág. i. 338. kvenna-skap, n. a woman’s temper, Nj. 68. kvenna-skáli, a, m. a woman’s apartment, Sturl. iii. 186. kvenna-skipan, f. arrangement of the ladies (at a banquet), Ld. 202. kvenna-sveit, f. a bevy of ladies, FmS. vi. 1. kvenna-vagn, m. ‘woman’s wain,’ a constellation, opp. to karlsvagn, Rb. 1812. 16. kvenna-vist, f. women’s abode, fit for women, Hkr. iii. 339.

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

Abbreviations used:

A. S.
Anglo-Saxon.
Dan.
Danish.
Engl.
English.
f.
feminine.
gen.
genitive.
gl.
glossary.
Goth.
Gothic.
Hel.
Heliand.
l.
line.
L.
Linnæus.
m.
masculine.
n.
neuter.
O. H. G.
Old High German.
pl.
plural.
q. v.
quod vide.
S.
Saga.
Scot.
Scottish.
Swed.
Swedish.
v.
vide.
adj.
adjective.
Lat.
Latin.
opp.
opposed.
plur.
plural.
s. v.
sub voce.

Works & Authors cited:

Bjarn.
Bjarnar Saga. (D. II.)
Eb.
Eyrbyggja Saga. (D. II.)
Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Fs.
Forn-sögur. (D. II.)
Gísl.
Gísla Saga. (D. II.)
Grág.
Grágás. (B. I.)
Greg.
Gregory. (F. II.)
Grett.
Grettis Saga. (D. II.)
Hdl.
Hyndlu-ljóð. (A. II.)
Hm.
Hává-mál. (A. I.)
Landn.
Landnáma. (D. I.)
Ld.
Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)
N. G. L.
Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)
Nj.
Njála. (D. II.)
Skálda
Skálda. (H. I.)
Stj.
Stjórn. (F. I.)
Hom.
Homiliu-bók. (F. II.)
Js.
Járnsíða. (B. III.)
Ver.
Veraldar Saga. (E. II.)
B. K.
Björgynjar Kálfskinn. (J. II.)
Bs.
Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)
Edda
Edda. (C. I.)
Fas.
Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)
Fbr.
Fóstbræðra Saga. (D. II.)
Hkr.
Heimskringla. (E. I.)
Jb.
Jóns-bók. (B. III.)
Lv.
Ljósvetninga Saga. (D. II.)
Orkn.
Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)
Rb.
Rímbegla. (H. III.)
Sturl.
Sturlunga Saga. (D. 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.

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