Auk-nefni

Meaning of Old Norse word "auk-nefni"

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

Old Norse word auk-nefni can mean:auk-nefni

auk-nefni

n. ‘eke-name,’ a nickname:

auk-nefni

α. a defamatory name, punishable with the lesser outlawry, Grág. ii. 146.

auk-nefni

β. in a less strong sense; hann var svartr á hár ok hörund, ok því þótti honum a. gefit er hann var Birtingr kallaðr, he was swarth of hair and skin, and for that it seemed a nickname was given him when he was called ‘Brighting,’ Fms. vii. 157: Helgi átti kenningar nafn, ok var kallaðr hvíti; ok var þat eigi a., því at hann var vænn maðr ok vel hærðr, hvítr á hár, Helgi had a surname (in a good sense), and was called ‘White;’ and that was no nickname, for he was a handsome man and well-haired, white of hair, Fbr. 80: þú hyggr at ek muna vilja giptast einum bastarði,—eigi em ek bastarðr nema at a., of William the Conqueror, Fb. iii. 464. In old times, esp. at the time of the colonisation of Iceland, such nicknames were in freq. use, as may be seen from the index in the Landnama; they gradually went out of use, but still occur now and then throughout the whole of the Saga period in Icel. down to the 14th century.

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