Minn

Old Norse Dictionary - minn

Meaning of Old Norse word "minn" in English.

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

minn Old Norse word can mean:

minn: f., mín, n., mitt, posS. pron.:—in the possessive pronouns minn, þinn, sinn (meus, tuus, suus), mod. usage pronounces i long (í) before one consonant, but short (i) before a double consonant, and accordingly all modern editions of old writers make a distinction in the root vowel, thus, minn, minnar, minni, minna, but mín, mínir, mínar, mínum; whereas the ancients pronounced í throughout, as is seen from Thorodd, who distinguishes between the short i in minna (memorare) and the long í in mínna (meorum), Skálda 163; and still more clearly from rhymes, mítt and hvíti, Bjarn. 63; mínn (meum) and sína, Arnór (Orkn. 104); mítt, frítt, and mítt, sítt, VölS. R. 136, 137. As late as the 14th century, in the corrections by the second hand of the Flatey-book, mijtt = mítt; the older vellums do not distinguish between i and í; cp. also the cognate languages: [Goth. meins; A. S. and O. H. G. mîn; Engl. mine; Germ. mein; Dan. mîn.]

minn: B. Mine and my = Lat. meus, in countless instances: the possessive pronoun is usually put after the noun, bróðir minn, faðir minn; for the sake of emphasis only can it stand before, minn hamar, Þkv. 3; minn dróttinn, Skm. 3; minn Sigurðr, Gkv. 1. 18; míns málvinar, 20; mínu bölvi, id.; mínir bræðr, 2. 3; minn herra, FmS. vii. 197; mínar eru sorgirnar þungar sem blý, Sturl. (in a verse): in eccl. writers, perhaps influenced by Luther’s Bible, this use has increased, and is freq. in the n. T., PasS., Vídal.; in popular speech, however, the old usage still holds good, (cp. Engl. mother mine, etc.)

minn: 2. in addressing, my dear! Jón minn! Sigríðr mín! móðir mín! barnið mitt! etc.

minn: II. as neut. subst. mitt; [GR. το ἐμόν; Lat. meum]:—mine, my part; skal ek ekki mitt til spara, mine, all I have, Nj. 3; malit hefi ek mitt, I have done my share, GS. 16.

minn: III. ellipt. usage; eru slíkar mínar, such are mine (viz. affairs), Ísl. ii. 245.

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

Abbreviations used:

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.

cp.: compare.

Dan.: Danish.

Engl.: English.

f.: feminine.

Germ.: German.

gl.: glossary.

Goth.: Gothic.

l.: line.

m.: masculine.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

O. H. G.: Old High German.

pron.: pronoun.

R.: Rimur.

S.: Saga.

eccl.: ecclesiastical.

etc.: et cetera.

freq.: frequent, frequently.

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

Lat.: Latin.

v.: vide.

Gr.: Greek.

neut.: neuter.

subst.: substantive.

ellipt.: elliptical, elliptically.

viz.: namely.

Works & Authors cited:

Bjarn.: Bjarnar Saga. (D. II.)

Orkn.: Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)

Skálda: Skálda. (H. I.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Gkv.: Guðrúnar-kviða. (A. II.)

N. T.: New Testament.

Pass.: Passiu-Sálmar.

Skm.: Skírnis-mál. (A. I.)

Sturl.: Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)

Vídal.: Vídalíns-Postilla.

Þkv.: Þryms-kviða. (A. I.)

Gs.: Grótta-söngr. (A. II.)

Nj.: Njála. (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.