Dumba

Old Norse Dictionary - dumba

Meaning of Old Norse word "dumba"

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

dumba: u, f. a mist; cp. the mod. dumbungr, m. a dark, misty, gloomy sky. dumbungs-veðr, m. gloomy weather. In the east of Icel. dumba is the bran of oats when ground, Fél. ii. 155; in Edda (Gl.) it is even mentioned as a sort of seed; hann (the wizard) hristi einn poka, ok þar ór fýkr ein dumba svört (black powder like mist) … blés þar ór vindi miklum móti dumbunni, svá at hon fauk aptr í augu á Gríms mönnum, svá þeir urðu þegar blindir, Fas. iii. 338. dumbr, m. id., also occurs as a name of a giant, the misty; the Polar Sea is called Dumbs-haf = the Misty, Foggy Sea, cp. Bárð. ch. 1; cp. also Gr. τυφος, τυφών, which probably are kindred words.

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

Abbreviations used:

ch.: chapter.

cp.: compare.

f.: feminine.

Gr.: Greek.

Icel.: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.

id.: idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation

l.: line.

m.: masculine.

mod.: modern.

Works & Authors cited:

Bárð.: Bárðar Saga. (D. V.)

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

Fas.: Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)

Fél.: Félags-rit.

➞ See all works cited in the dictionary