FORN

Definitions

1 FORN

adj. [Ulf. fairnis = παλαιός; A. S. fyrn; Hel. furn; Swed. forn; lost in Engl.]:—old; forn vinátta, Eg. 729; forn fjándskapr, old enmity, Nj. 49; forn rök, Ls. 25; fornt vín, old wine, Pr. 472; en forna fold, the old earth, Hým. 24; forn timbr, the old timbers, Akv. 42: inn forni fjándi, the old fiend, Satan, 686 C. 2; forn jötunn, the old giant, Hým. 13; fornar tóptir, old abodes. Gm. 11: stores preserved from the past year are called forn, forn mjöðr, old mead, Skm. 37; fornari hey, K. Þ. K. 163.

2 FORN

2. with the notion of old, worn, rotten, or the like; byrðings-segl várt hið forna, Fms. iv. 259; forn mörr, Bjarn. 29 (in a verse).

3 FORN

3. old, in temp. sense; in the Icel. Commonwealth the old priesthoods were called forn goðorð and forn goðorðsmaðr, an old priest, opp. to the priesthoods instituted along with the Fifth Court, which were termed ‘new.’

4 FORN

4. time-honoured, old; forn lög, forn lands-siðr, Bs. i. 682.

5 FORN

5. at fornu, formerly, in times past, Eg. 767, K. Á. 152, D. I. i. 635; til forna, id., cp. Dan. til forn.

6 FORN

6. in old writers forn is often used of the heathen times with the old mythical lore; forn siðr, the old (heathen) rite, Fb. i. 215; fornir menn, the men of old, Eb. 132; á fornum skjöldum, on shields of old, Edda 87; fornar frásagnir, old tales, Hkr. pref.; forn-menn, forn-tíðindi, forn-sögur, the men, lore, or saws of the olden age, (forn-fræði, id.; forn-spjöll); forn átrúnaðr, forn trúa, the old creed, heathenism; forn-kveðit mál or hið forn-kveðna is a standing phrase for an ‘old saw,’ proverb, the Sagas passim, and vide below.

7 FORN

β. metaph. old, i. e. versed in old lore or witchcraft; hann var forn mjök (he was a great wizard) ok hafði jafnan úti setið, Orkn. 234; fróð ok forn í skapi, Ísl. ii. 332, Fb. i. 250 (forneskja).

Abbreviations Used

Common Abbreviations

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.
adj: adjective.
adj.: adjective.
ch: chapter.
cp: compare.
cp.: compare.
Dan: Danish.
Dan.: Danish.
eccl: ecclesiastical.
eccl.: ecclesiastical.
Engl: English.
Engl.: English.
f.: feminine.
gl: glossary.
gl.: glossary.
Hel.: Heliand.
i. e.: id est.
Icel: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
Icel.: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
id: idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
id.: idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
l.: Linnæus.
Lat: Latin.
Lat.: Latin.
m.: masculine.
metaph.: metaphor, metaphorical.
n.: neuter.
opp: opposed to.
opp.: opposed.
opp. to: opposed to.
orig: original, originally.
p.: page.
pl.: plural.
pref.: preface.
prob: probable, probably.
prob.: probable, probably.
prop: properly.
q. v.: quod vide.
S.: South, Southern.
sing: singular.
sing.: singular.
Swed: Swedish.
Swed.: Swedish.
temp.: temporal.
Ulf.: Ulfilas.
v.: vide, verb.

Works & Authors

Akv.: Atla-kviða. (A. II.)
Al.: Alexanders Saga. (G. I.)
Am.: Auðunnar-máldagi. (J. I.)
Bjarn.: Bjarnar Saga. (D. II.)
Bs.: Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)
D. I.: Diplomatarium Islandicum. (J. I.)
Eb.: Eyrbyggja Saga. (D. II.)
Edda: Edda. (C. I.)
Eg.: Egils Saga. (D. II.)
Fb.: Flateyjar-bók (E. I.)
Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Fær.: Færeyinga Saga. (E. II.)
Gm.: Grímnis-mál. (A. I.)
Hkr.: Heimskringla. (E. I.)
Hým.: Hýmis-kviða. (A. I.)
K. Á.: Kristinn-réttr Árna biskups. (B. III.)
K. Þ. K.: Kristinn-réttr Þorláks ok Ketils = Kristinna-laga-þáttr. (B. I.)
Ls.: Loka-senna. (A. I.)
Mork.: Morkinskinna. (E. I.)
Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)
Orkn.: Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)
Skm.: Skírnis-mál. (A. I.)
Stj.: Stjórn. (F. I.)
Str.: Strengleikar. (G. II.)
Ver.: Veraldar Saga. (E. II.)
Vídal.: Vídalíns-Postilla.
Vm.: Vilkins-máldagi. (J. I.)

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