Sif

Old Norse Dictionary - sif

Meaning of Old Norse word "sif" in English.

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

sif Old Norse word can mean:

sif: f., pl. sifjar; [Ulf. sibja. Gal. iv. S. Rom. ix. 4; A. S. and Scot. sib; Engl. gos-sip = god-sib; Hel. sibbia; O. H. G. sibba; Germ. sippe]:—affinity.

sif: 2. in sing. the word is only used as a pr. name ot the goddess Sif, gen. sifjar (dat. sifju, Edda i. 340). Sif, the golden-haired goddess, wife of Thor, betokens mother earth with her golden sheaves of grain; she was the goddess of the sanctity of the family and wedlock, whence her name, see Edda and the old poems passim.

sif: 3. plur. ‘sib’, affinity, connection, by marriage; the word is used in ancient poems and in the law, and in compds; byggja sifjar, to marry; jafnnáit skal byggja sifjar ok frændsemi, Grág. i. 308; eigi skulu vera skyldri sifjar með þeim enn fimmta manni, i. e. no marriage nearer than the fifth degree, 310; sifjar (affinity) is opp. to frændsemi (blood relationship), flest stórmenni var bundit í frændsemi eða sifjum við hann, FmS. vii. 299, v. l.; spilla sifjum, to commit adultery; munu systrungar sifjum spilla, cousins will ‘spoil the sib,’ referring to adulterous intercourse with near relations in law, Vsp.; slíta sifjum = spilla sifjum, Merl. 154: again, þyrma sifjum, to hold the sifjar holy, Skv. 3. 28: hence sifja-slit and sifja-spell, n. pl. violation of the law of affinity, adultery; frændsemis-spell ok sifja-spell, Grág. i. 341, SkS. 338 B; þat eru sifjaslit en meiri, er maðr liggr með systrungum tveim, Grág. i. 358; í manndrápum ok í sifjasliti, Edda. The word sifjar also remains in bú-sifjar (q. v.), Landn. 147, Eg. 750, FS. 31; guð-sifjar (q. v.), as also guð-sefi, guð-sifja (q. v.), a gossip, sponsor: in karl-sift, kvenn-sift, q. v.; cp. also barna sifjar, the bond or unity arising from having had children together, or = adoption (?), cp. Ulf. suniwe-sibja = υἱοθεσία, Gal. iv. 5, LS. 16: lastly, the phrase, blanda sifjum, to blend sifjar together, to blend souls together (?), Hm. 125 (akin to sefi, q. v.)

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

Abbreviations used:

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.

Engl.: English.

f.: feminine.

Germ.: German.

gl.: glossary.

Hel.: Heliand.

l.: line.

m.: masculine.

O. H. G.: Old High German.

pl.: plural.

S.: Saga.

Scot.: Scottish.

Ulf.: Ulfilas.

v.: vide.

dat.: dative.

gen.: genitive.

n.: neuter.

pr.: proper, properly.

sing.: singular.

cp.: compare.

i. e.: id est.

opp.: opposed.

plur.: plural.

q. v.: quod vide.

v. l.: varia lectio.

Works & Authors cited:

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

Eg.: Egils Saga. (D. II.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Fs.: Forn-sögur. (D. II.)

Grág.: Grágás. (B. I.)

Hm.: Hává-mál. (A. I.)

Landn.: Landnáma. (D. I.)

Ls.: Loka-senna. (A. I.)

Merl.: Merlinus Spa. (A. III.)

Sks.: Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)

Skv.: Sigurðar-kviða. (A. II.)

Vsp.: Völuspá. (A. 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.