Örkn

Old Norse Dictionary - örkn

Meaning of Old Norse word "örkn" (or ǫrkn) in English.

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

örkn (ǫrkn)
n. a kind of seal, [cp. Lat. orca, supposed to be the grampus]; sá hón örkn mikit liggja á steini, Bs. i. 335, Bjarn. (in a verse), Edda (Gl.): also called örkn-selr, m., Sks. 176, where it is described; perh. the mod. urta, urtu-selr, is corrupted from örkn. örkn-höfði, a nickname, Sturl. i. (in a verse).

Orthography: The Cleasby & Vigfusson book used letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Therefore, örkn may be more accurately written as ǫrkn.

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

Abbreviations used:

cp.
compare.
l.
line.
Lat.
Latin.
m.
masculine.
mod.
modern.
n.
neuter.
perh.
perhaps.

Works & Authors cited:

Bjarn.
Bjarnar Saga. (D. II.)
Bs.
Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)
Edda
Edda. (C. I.)
Sks.
Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)
Sturl.
Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)
➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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