Sporðr

Old Norse Dictionary - sporðr

Meaning of Old Norse word "sporðr" in English.

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

sporðr Old Norse word can mean:

sporðr: m. a fish’s tail; s. sem á fiski, Sks. 167; hrygg höfuð ok sporð, n. G. l. i. 59. Gþl. 459: of a serpent, Fms. x. 407; hann (the world serpent) bitr í sporð sér, Edda: hence of a ship with dragon heads at her bows, the stern is called sporðr, var á stafni visundar-höfuð, en aptr sporðr, Hkr. iii. 25: phrases, standa e-m; á sporði, to be a match for, metaph. from fighting a dragon; vitr maðr ertú. svá at fáir munu standa á sporði þér, Nj. 244; mun engi maðr þá þér á sporði þér standa, 111; þessa menn er nú hafa mjök yðr á sporði staðit, who have withstood you, hampered you, 655 xiii. B. 2: víta hvárki höfuð né sporð á e-u, to know neither the head nor the tail of a thing, know nothing about it.

sporðr: 2. metaph. the tail or pointed end of a shield (the oblong shield, skjaldar-sporðr): hjó í skjöldinn ok af sporðinn, Nj. 200, Fs. 135:—of a bridge, brúar-sporðr, a bridge’s end (see brú): bryggju-sporðr, bygðar-s., outskirts, Skáld H. sporða-köst, n. pl. the flapping of a fish, salmon, Bb.

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

Abbreviations used:

l.: line.

L.: Linnæus.

m.: masculine.

metaph.: metaphorical, metaphorically.

n.: neuter.

pl.: plural.

Works & Authors cited:

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Gþl.: Gulaþings-lög. (B. II.)

Hkr.: Heimskringla. (E. I.)

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

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Sks.: Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)

Bb.: Búnaðar-bálkr.

Fs.: Forn-sögur. (D. II.)

Skáld H.: Skáld Helga-rímur. (A. III.)

➞ 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.