Old Norse Dictionary Entry

Val-

Old Norse Dictionary Entry

Definitions

2 definitions

1 val-

[A. S. wealh-], Welsh, foreign, in several compds, see below.

2 val-

II. in pr. names, Val-brandr, Val-garðr, Val-gautr, Val-þjófr; Val-þýflingar, m. pl. the descendants of Waltheof, Landn.: and of women, Val-dís, Val-gerðr, Landn.: it is strange that none of these names seem to appear on the old Runic monuments of Sweden and Denmark; they are therefore scarcely to be derived from valr (the slain), but from A. S. wealh = Welsh, foreign; in England such names were frequent; in Icel. they first appear in families connected with the British Isles; Valþjófr in the Landnáma is evidently borrowed from the English. In Sweden a Valgautr appears in the 11th century, Ó. H.

Similar Words

Runic Inscription

val-

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark

The runic text above represents the Old Norse word "val-" 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.
Engl: English.
freq: frequent, frequently.
gl: glossary.
Icel: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
Icel.: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
id: idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
l.: Linnæus.
m.: masculine.
n.: neuter.
pl.: plural.
pr.: proper.
Runic: Runic.
S.: South, Southern.
Swed: Swedish.

Works & Authors

Landn.: Landnáma. (D. I.)
Ó. H.: Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)

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