Efri
Old Norse Dictionary - efri
Meaning of Old Norse word "efri"
As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:
Old Norse word efri can mean:efri
- efri
- compar.; EFSTR, superl.; older form öfri, Hkv. 2. 36, Ó. H. ch. 248 (in a verse), Greg. 42, n. G. l. i. 10, 384, Íb. 5, Hom. 116; öfstr, FmS. x. 394, 686 C. 2, LS. 50, 51, Hbl. 18, Edda 115, 116 (Gl.); compar. and superl. without the positive [as Lat. superior, supremus, Gr. ὑπέρτερος], but formed from the root syllable ‘of-,’ cp. ofar, yfir; very old MSS. therefore mostly spell with ö, a vowel change of o; the mod. form, as well as that of most MSS., is with e, efri, efstr, Am. 50, Og. 23:
- efri
- I. the upper, higher; the phrase, bera efra skjöld, to carry the higher shield, i. e. carry the day, FmS. x. 394 (MS. æfra): opp. to neðri = upper, at Mosfelli enu öfra, Íb. 5: the adverb, phrase ‘it efra’ denoting the upper or inland road, opp. to the shore; allt hit efra suðr, Eg. 58; sumir fóru it efra til Þríhyrnings-hálsa, Nj. 207; hit efra um Upplönd, FmS. i. 22: by land, opp. to the sea, Hkr. ii. 8: of the inner part of a building, opp. to fremri or the part nearest the door, Eg. 43: in the air, opp. to the earth, SkS. 115: superl. efstr, the hindermost, e. liðr, the hindermost joint, 623. 32: neut. efst as adv. highest up, uppermost, efst á stólpanum, 655 xxv. 2.
- efri
- β. metaph. superior, better; er öllum öfri er, Greg. 43.
- efri
- II. the latter, last part:
- efri
- 1. temp., á efra aldri, in the decline of life, Eg. 4; inn öfri, the latter, opp. to fyrri, n. G. l. i. 342; efri hluti sumars, in the decline of summer, Eg. 712; Ólafs-messa hin öfri (= síðari), the latter (i. e. second) day of St. Olave (viz. Aug. 3), opp. to Ólafs-messa fyrri (July 29), n. G. l. i. 10; efsti dómr, the last judgment, Stj. 58; öfsti dómr, id., 686 l. c.; efsta vika, the last week of Lent = the Passion week, Orkn. 386, Mar. 78; öfsti dagr Paska, the last day in Easter, n. G. l. i. 348; efsta bæn, the last prayer, 623. 50; þeim gef ek erni efstum bráðir, FaS. i. 429 (in a verse); efsta sinni, for the last time, 227; þó vér ritim hana öfri en aðrar, Hom. 116.
- efri
- 2. loc., where aptari and aptastr or eptri and eptstr are the common words; fyrstr and efstr are opposed, foremost and last, in a rank, LS. l. c.; sá fyrstr er efstr gekk inn, Grág. i. 32.
Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᛁᚠᚱᛁ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements
Abbreviations used:
- ch.
- chapter.
- compar.
- comparative.
- cp.
- compare.
- Gr.
- Greek.
- l.
- line.
- L.
- Linnæus.
- Lat.
- Latin.
- m.
- masculine.
- mod.
- modern.
- S.
- Saga.
- superl.
- superlative.
- v.
- vide.
- adv.
- adverb.
- i. e.
- id est.
- neut.
- neuter.
- opp.
- opposed.
- metaph.
- metaphorical, metaphorically.
- id.
- idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
- l. c.
- loco citato.
- n.
- neuter.
- temp.
- temporal.
- viz.
- namely.
- loc.
- local, locally.
Works & Authors cited:
- Am.
- Atla-mál. (A. II.)
- Edda
- Edda. (C. I.)
- Fms.
- Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
- Greg.
- Gregory. (F. II.)
- Hbl.
- Harbarðs-ljóð. (A. I.)
- Hkv.
- Helga-kviða Hundingsbana. (A. II.)
- Hom.
- Homiliu-bók. (F. II.)
- Íb.
- Íslendinga-bók. (D. I.)
- Ls.
- Loka-senna. (A. I.)
- N. G. L.
- Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)
- Og.
- Oddrúnar-grátr. (A. II.)
- Ó. H.
- Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)
- Eg.
- Egils Saga. (D. II.)
- Hkr.
- Heimskringla. (E. I.)
- Nj.
- Njála. (D. II.)
- Sks.
- Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)
- Aug.
- Augustinus Saga. (F. III.)
- Fas.
- Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)
- Mar.
- Maríu Saga. (F. III.)
- Orkn.
- Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)
- Stj.
- Stjórn. (F. I.)
- Grág.
- Grágás. (B. I.)