Old Norse Dictionary Entry

RÁ

Old Norse Dictionary Entry

Definitions

6 definitions

1 RÁ

1. f., gen. rár, with the article rárinnar, Fbr. 133; flat, and acc. rá, with the article rána, ránni, N. G. L. ii. 282; pl. rár, rá, rám: [Dan. raa; Swed. rå; Shetl, rae]:—a sail-yard, Skálda 162. N. G. L. i. 100; en ef rá brestr í aktaumum eða fyrir útan eða innan, ii. 283; rár langar, Hkv. 1. 48; við miðja rá, Orkn. 356 (in a verse); drekar báru blá segl við rá, Ó. H. 161 (in a verse); brotnaði ráin, Korm. 178; gengr í sundr segl-rá, Fbr. 132; siglu-tréit ok rána, Fms. xi. 143; látið nú koma féit í seglit ok hefla upp um rána, vi. 381; seglit var heflat upp við rána, Nj. 135; festa seglit við rána, Fbr. 133: allit., skip með rá ok reiða, Finnb. 278; meðr rá ok öllu reiði. D. N. iii. 160; rár-endi, rár-hlutr, id.

2 RÁ

2. metaph. a pole on which fish are hung for drying: poët., rá-fákr, m. a ‘sail-yard nag,’ i. e. a ship, Lex. Poët.

3 RÁ

2. f. (nom. r́, Skálda Thorodd). originally vrá, [Dan. vraa; Swed. vrå]:—a corner, nook; rá (r́) er hyrning húss, Skálda 162; leyniligar róar (rár, v. l.) helvítis fylsna, Sks. 536; verja forskálann ok húsin, stóð þar fremstr við rána Jón toddi, Sturl. ii. 249; kleif í rá hverja. Am. 58.

4 RÁ

2. a cabin on board ship. Edda (Gl.); as also in the saying, skammar eru skips rár, short, small are the ship’s cabins, giving small accommodation, Hm. 73, (skipsins eru skammar rár, Mkv.); cp. rá-skinn, a ‘cabin-skin,’ hammock.

5 RÁ

3. f. a roe: veiða rauðdýri ok rá, Barl. 137, Bev. 11.

6 RÁ

4. n. [Swed. rå], a landmark; hence perh. the poët., rás seil, rás fagrsili, the thong of the mark, i. e. a snake, Merl. 2. 1, 12: rás viðr, perh. landmark palings (?), Hm. 152; see also rámerki; the word is obsolete in Icel., but is freq. in early Swed. in the allit, phrase rå och rör.

Similar Words

Runic Inscription

RÁ

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark

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

Abbreviations Used

Common Abbreviations

acc.: accusative.
allit.: alliteration, alliterative.
ch: chapter.
cp: compare.
cp.: compare.
Dan: Danish.
Dan.: Danish.
f.: feminine.
freq: frequent, frequently.
freq.: frequent, frequently.
gen.: genitive.
gl: glossary.
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.
lit: literally.
lit.: literally.
m.: masculine.
metaph.: metaphor, metaphorical.
mod: modern.
n.: neuter.
nom.: nominative.
orig: original, originally.
p.: page.
perh.: perhaps.
pl.: plural.
poët.: poetical, poetically.
Swed: Swedish.
Swed.: Swedish.
v.: vide, verb.
v. l.: varia lectio.

Works & Authors

Am.: Auðunnar-máldagi. (J. I.)
Barl.: Barlaams Saga. (F. III.)
Bev.: Bevus Saga. (G. II.)
D. N.: Diplomatarium Norvagicum. (J. II.)
Edda: Edda. (C. I.)
Fbr.: Fóstbræðra Saga. (D. II.)
Finnb.: Finnboga Saga. (D. V.)
Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Hkv.: Helga-kviða Hundingsbana. (A. II.)
Hm.: Hává-mál. (A. I.)
Korm.: Kormaks Saga. (D. II.)
Lex. Poët.: Lexicon Poëticum by Sveinbjörn Egilsson, 1860.
Merl.: Merlinus Spa. (A. III.)
Mkv.: Málshátta-kvæði. (A. III.)
N. G. L.: Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)
Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)
Ó. H.: Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)
Orkn.: Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)
Skálda: Skálda. (H. I.)
Sks.: Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)
Sturl.: Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)

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