Old Norse Dictionary -

Meaning of Old Norse word "" in English.

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

Old Norse word can mean:

1. f., gen. rár, with the article rárinnar, Fbr. 133; flat, and acc. rá, with the article rána, ránni, n. G. l. ii. 282; pl. rár, rá, rám: [Dan. raa; Swed. rå; Shetl, rae]:—a sail-yard, Skálda 162. n. G. l. i. 100; en ef rá brestr í aktaumum eða fyrir útan eða innan, ii. 283; rár langar, Hkv. 1. 48; við miðja rá, Orkn. 356 (in a verse); drekar báru blá segl við rá, Ó. H. 161 (in a verse); brotnaði ráin, Korm. 178; gengr í sundr segl-rá, Fbr. 132; siglu-tréit ok rána, Fms. xi. 143; látið nú koma féit í seglit ok hefla upp um rána, vi. 381; seglit var heflat upp við rána, Nj. 135; festa seglit við rána, Fbr. 133: allit., skip með rá ok reiða, Finnb. 278; meðr rá ok öllu reiði. D. n. iii. 160; rár-endi, rár-hlutr, id.
2. metaph. a pole on which fish are hung for drying: poët., rá-fákr, m. a ‘sail-yard nag,’ i. e. a ship, Lex. poët.
2. f. (nom. r́, Skálda Thorodd). originally vrá, [Dan. vraa; Swed. vrå]:—a corner, nook; rá (r́) er hyrning húss, Skálda 162; leyniligar róar (rár, v. l.) helvítis fylsna, Sks. 536; verja forskálann ok húsin, stóð þar fremstr við rána Jón toddi, Sturl. ii. 249; kleif í rá hverja. Am. 58.
2. a cabin on board ship. Edda (Gl.); as also in the saying, skammar eru skips rár, short, small are the ship’s cabins, giving small accommodation, Hm. 73, (skipsins eru skammar rár, Mkv.); cp. rá-skinn, a ‘cabin-skin,’ hammock.
3. f. a roe: veiða rauðdýri ok rá, Barl. 137, Bev. 11.
4. n. [Swed. ], a landmark; hence perh. the poët., rás seil, rás fagrsili, the thong of the mark, i. e. a snake, Merl. 2. 1, 12: rás viðr, perh. landmark palings (?), Hm. 152; see also rámerki; the word is obsolete in Icel., but is freq. in early Swed. in the allit, phrase rå och rör.

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

Abbreviations used:

acc.
accusative.
allit.
alliteration, alliterative.
Dan.
Danish.
f.
feminine.
gen.
genitive.
id.
idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
l.
line.
L.
Linnæus.
lit.
literally.
m.
masculine.
n.
neuter.
pl.
plural.
Swed.
Swedish.
v.
vide.
i. e.
id est.
metaph.
metaphorical, metaphorically.
poët.
poetically.
nom.
nominative.
v. l.
varia lectio.
cp.
compare.
freq.
frequent, frequently.
Icel.
Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
perh.
perhaps.

Works & Authors cited:

D. N.
Diplomatarium Norvagicum. (J. II.)
Fbr.
Fóstbræðra Saga. (D. II.)
Finnb.
Finnboga Saga. (D. V.)
Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Hkv.
Helga-kviða Hundingsbana. (A. II.)
Korm.
Kormaks Saga. (D. II.)
N. G. L.
Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)
Nj.
Njála. (D. II.)
Orkn.
Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)
Ó. H.
Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)
Skálda
Skálda. (H. I.)
Lex. Poët.
Lexicon Poëticum by Sveinbjörn Egilsson, 1860.
Am.
Atla-mál. (A. II.)
Sks.
Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)
Sturl.
Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)
Edda
Edda. (C. I.)
Hm.
Hává-mál. (A. I.)
Mkv.
Málshátta-kvæði. (A. III.)
Barl.
Barlaams Saga. (F. III.)
Bev.
Bevus Saga. (G. II.)
Merl.
Merlinus Spa. (A. III.)
➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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