Lén

Old Norse Dictionary - lén

Meaning of Old Norse word "lén" in English.

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

lén Old Norse word can mean:

lén: n., mod. also léni, [Dan. len; Germ. lehen], a fief, fee; taka land í lén, Fms. i. 22, iv. 212; halda lönd ok lén af konungi, 232; hann hafði í lén hálfar Færeyjar af Haraldi Gráfeld, ii. 91; þat lén sem hann veitir mér, Gþl. 63 (in an oath of homage); Herra Knútr hafði þá hálft Rygja-fylki ok Sogn hálfan, ok þótti honum þat lén minna en hann vildi, Fms. ix. 428, x. 116; beiðask léns yfir fylki, Fagrsk. 7; þar sem lendr maðr hefir lén, n. G. l. ii. 407:—a royal grant or emolument, bæði um skyldir ok útgerðir ok mörg önnur lén, Fms. vi. 339; hann heitr yðr í mót miklu léni ok trausti, viii. 204; hann gaf honum mikit lén ok land í sínu ríki, O. H. l. 18; hann hafði veitt honum mikit lén, ok gefit honum dýrligar gjafir, 68; skyldu ok þeir sem lénin höfðu missa þeirra, ef þeir flytti eigi þessi bréf, Bs. i. 764:—royal revenue, þitt ríki liggr undir úfriði, ok tekr þú eigi af þvílíkt lén sem þú ættir at hafa, O. H. l. 30:—an office, umboðs-lén, D. n. v. 417; sá konungs umboðs-maðr sem þar hefir lén, n. G. l. ii. 280.

lén: II. metaph. the good things of this life; sumir hafa lítið lén eðr lof, Edda 11. léns-maðr, m. a ‘fief-holder,’ feoffee; in the Middle Ages the king’s governor was so called:—in Norway a kind of officer, bailiff, D. n., Fr. passim.

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

Abbreviations used:

Dan.: Danish.

Germ.: German.

l.: line.

L.: Linnæus.

m.: masculine.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

v.: vide.

Fr.: French in etymologies.

metaph.: metaphorical, metaphorically.

Works & Authors cited:

Bs.: Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)

D. N.: Diplomatarium Norvagicum. (J. II.)

Fagrsk.: Fagrskinna. (K. I.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Gþl.: Gulaþings-lög. (B. II.)

N. G. L.: Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)

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

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

Fr.: Fritzner’s Dictionary, 1867.

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This headword also appears in dictionaries of other languages descending from Old Norse.