Fjör
Old Norse Dictionary - fjör
Meaning of Old Norse word "fjör" (or fjǫr)
As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:
Old Norse word fjör can mean:fjör
- fjör (fjǫr)
- n., dat. fjörvi, mod. fjöri, [Ulf. renders κόσμος by fairvus; A. S. feorh, pl. feoru = life; Hel. firah; obsolete in Engl., Germ., Swed., and Dan.]:—life, Vsp. 33; með fjörvi, 623. 49: esp. freq. in allit. phrases, eiga fótum fjör at launa; fjör ok fé, FmS. iv. 77, Grág. ii. 21, Sl. 1; frekr er hver til fjörsins, Þorst. St. 54, Nj. 124; allt er fjörvi firr, Ld. 266.
- fjör (fjǫr)
- 2. in poetry it seems to be used of the vital parts, the body; fleinn hitti fjör, Höfuðl. 9, Hm. 7, Vellekla Hkr. i. 175, Gh. 18, Skm. 20; cp. Germ. leib, leben, and the Goth. and A. S. sense of this word.
- fjör (fjǫr)
- 3. in mod. usage freq. in the sense of vitality, vigour, energy, spirits; thus, fjör-fiskr, m., vide fiskr: fjör-kálfr, m. one bounding with life as a young calf,—hann er mesti fjörkálfr; vera með fullu fjöri, to be in the full vigour of life; fjör-lauss, adj. life-less, listless: fjör-maðr, m. a vigorous man: fjör-mikill, adj. full of life.
- fjör (fjǫr)
- II. in poetry fjör is used in a great many compds, chiefly those denoting loss of life, death, e. g. fjör-bann, -grand, -lag, -lát, -lot, -nám, -rán, -spell, -tál: the heart is fjör-segi, a, m. the ‘life-clod,’ Fm. 32.
Orthography: The Cleasby & Vigfusson book used letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Therefore, fjör may be more accurately written as fjǫr.
Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚠᛁᚢᚱ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements
Abbreviations used:
- allit.
- alliteration, alliterative.
- A. S.
- Anglo-Saxon.
- Dan.
- Danish.
- dat.
- dative.
- Engl.
- English.
- esp.
- especially.
- f.
- feminine.
- freq.
- frequent, frequently.
- Germ.
- German.
- gl.
- glossary.
- Hel.
- Heliand.
- l.
- line.
- lit.
- literally.
- m.
- masculine.
- mod.
- modern.
- n.
- neuter.
- pl.
- plural.
- S.
- Saga.
- Swed.
- Swedish.
- Ulf.
- Ulfilas.
- v.
- vide.
- cp.
- compare.
- Goth.
- Gothic.
- adj.
- adjective.
- e. g.
- exempli gratia.
Works & Authors cited:
- Fms.
- Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
- Grág.
- Grágás. (B. I.)
- Ld.
- Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)
- Nj.
- Njála. (D. II.)
- Sl.
- Sólarljóð. (A. III.)
- Vsp.
- Völuspá. (A. I.)
- Gh.
- Guðrúnar-hefna. (A. II.)
- Hkr.
- Heimskringla. (E. I.)
- Hm.
- Hává-mál. (A. I.)
- Höfuðl.
- Höfuðlausn. (A. III.)
- Skm.
- Skírnis-mál. (A. I.)
- Fm.
- Fafnis-mál. (A. II.)