Á-drykkja

Meaning of Old Norse word "á-drykkja"

As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:

Old Norse word á-drykkja can mean:á-drykkja

á-drykkja

u, f. [drekka á], prop. a drinking to, pledging, esp. used n the phrase, at sitja fyrir ádrykkju e-s;—a custom of the olden time. The master of the house, for instance, chose one of his guests as his ‘cup-fellow,’ seated him over against himself in the hall, drank to him, and then sent the cup across the hall to him, so that they both drank of it by turns. This was deemed a mark of honour. Thus, Egill at fyrir ádrykkju Arinbjarnar, Egil sale over against Arinbjorn as his cup-mate, Eg. 253; skal hann sitja fyrir á. minni í kveld, in the pretty story of king Harold and the blind skald Stuf, Fms. vi. 391; cp. annat öndvegi var á hinn æðra pall gegnt konungi, skyldi þar itja hinn æðsti ráðgjafi (the king’s highest councillor) konungs fyrir hans á. ok þótti þat mest virðing at sitja fyrir konungs á., 439; sat Gizurr fyrir á. konungs innarr enn lendir menn, Bs. i. 19. See also the description of the banquet in Flugumyri on the 19th Oct. in the year 1253,—drukku þeir af einu silfrkeri ok mintust við jafnan um daginn þá er hvorr drakk til annars, Sturl. iii. 183.

á-drykkja

COMPD: ádrykkjuker.

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᛅ-ᛏᚱᚢᚴᚴᛁᛅ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements