Old Norse Dictionary Entry

ÍKORNI

Old Norse Dictionary Entry

Definitions

1 definitions

1 ÍKORNI

a, m. a squirrel. This word is undoubtedly, as Grimm suggests (s. v. eichhorn), not of Teut. origin, but a popular corruption of the Gr. σκί-ουρος (= shade-tail), from which word all mod. European languages have borrowed the name of this animal; A. S. âcvern; early Dutch êncoren; Dutch eekhoren, eikhoren, inkhoren; O. H. G., mid. H. G., and Germ. eichorne, eichorn; Dan. egern; Swed. ickorn, ekorre: in the Romance languages, old Fr. escuriere; Fr. ecureuil; Ital. schiriuolo; whence Engl. squirrel. The word íkorni occurs in the heathen poem Gm., but the word is outside the metre, spoiling the flow of the verse, and was no doubt added afterwards; therefore, instead of ‘Rata-töskr heitir íkorni | er renna skal,’ read ‘Rata-töskr heitir | er renna skal.’ Perhaps the ancient Scandin. name of the animal was töskr, akin to Engl. tusk, A. S. tux, from its sharp teeth, and then Rati (= the climber?) would in the verse be the pr. name, töskr the appellative of that animal; and thus Rata-töskr would stand for Ratitöskr = Rati the squirrel; see also Edda, Ó. H. 85, Sks. 115, Gþl. 448.

Similar Words

Runic Inscription

ÍKORNI

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark

The runic text above represents the Old Norse word "ÍKORNI" 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.
Fr: French in etymologies.
Fr.: French in etymologies.
Germ: German.
Germ.: German.
gl: glossary.
gl.: glossary.
Gr.: Greek.
id: idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
id.: idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
Ital.: Italian.
l.: Linnæus.
m.: masculine.
mid. H. G.: Middle High German.
mod: modern.
mod.: modern.
n.: neuter.
O. H. G.: Old High German.
orig: original, originally.
pr.: proper.
rel.: relative.
S.: South, Southern.
s. v.: sub verbo.
Scandin.: Scandinavia, Scandinavian.
Swed: Swedish.
Swed.: Swedish.
Teut.: Teutonic.
v.: vide, verb.

Works & Authors

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)
Fr.: Fritzner’s Dictionary, 1867.
Gm.: Grímnis-mál. (A. I.)
Gþl.: Gulaþings-lög. (B. II.)
Ó. H.: Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)
Sks.: Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)

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