adj. [from the A. S. prâd; old French prudhomme], fine, magnificent, stately. The word is used in Sighvat, and appears at the beginning of the 11th century (in the reign of king Canute); it is very freq. in the poets of the following century, but less freq. in prose; it is also freq. in mod. usage, although not in the mod. Engl. sense of ‘proud,’ which is a derived one; drekans prúða, the proud ship: af þramval prúðum, id.; prúðar ekkjur, the proud ladies; várum þá. prúðir, then were we grand, Fms. vi. (in a verse), and so passim in Lex. Poët.; er ér lituð þá svá prúða, stirðu ér veslugir upp á þeirra fegrð, Mar.; ríðr nu sá prúðr, er vanr var at ganga fátækliga, MS. 4. 6; prúð hibýli, Ísl. ii. 415; konu dýrliga ok prúða, a stately lady, Str.; hár-prúðr, having splendid hair:—of manners, fine; hann var hverjum manni kurteisari, því var hann kallaðr Ásbjörn prúði, Fb. i. 524; hátt-p., sið-p., híbýla-p. (q. v.); geð-p., gentle: a nickname, Hugi inn Prúði, Orkn.

II. gallant, brave; hug-p., hjarta-p., q. v.