Old Norse Dictionary Entry

BÝ

Old Norse Dictionary Entry

Definitions

1 definitions

1 BÝ

n. [Lat. apis; the Goth. word is not on record; A. S. beo; Engl. bee; O. H. G. pia; Germ. biene, and older form beie, Grimm i. 1367; Swed.-Dan. bi]:—a bee; the spelling in Icel. with ý is fixed by long usage, and by a rhyme in the Höfuðl., Jöfurr sveigði ý | flugu unda bý, where ý (a bow) and bý (bees) rhyme; because perhaps an etymology from bú floated before the mind, from the social habits of bees, Barl. 86; the simple by is quite obsolete in Icel. which only uses the compd,

Similar Words

Runic Inscription

BÝ

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark

The runic text above represents the Old Norse word "BÝ" as it might appear in runic inscriptions from the Viking Age (c. 800-1100 CE).

Abbreviations Used

Common Abbreviations

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.
ch: chapter.
Dan: Danish.
Dan.: Danish.
Engl: English.
Engl.: English.
Germ: German.
Germ.: German.
gl: glossary.
gl.: glossary.
Goth.: Gothic.
Icel: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
Icel.: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
l.: Linnæus.
Lat: Latin.
Lat.: Latin.
m.: masculine.
n.: neuter.
O. H. G.: Old High German.
S.: South, Southern.
Swed: Swedish.
Swed.: Swedish.

Works & Authors

Barl.: Barlaams Saga. (F. III.)
Höfuðl.: Höfuðlausn. (A. III.)

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