Fjörðr
Old Norse Dictionary - fjörðr
Meaning of Old Norse word "fjörðr" (or fjǫrðr)
As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:
- fjörðr (fjǫrðr)
- m., gen. fjarðar; dat. firði; pl. firðir, gen. fjarða: acc. fjörðu, mod. firði: [Swed.-Dan. fjord; North. E. and Scot. firth, frith; Engl. ford is a kindred word, but not identical]:—a firth, bay, a Scandin. word; but a small crescent-formed inlet or creek is called vík, and is less than fjörðr, hence the saying, fjörðr milli frænda, en vík milli vina, let there be a firth between kinsmen, but a creek between friends, denoting that kinship is not always so trustworthy as friendship: the allit. phrase, fjall ok fjörðr, vide fjall; freq. in Icel. and Scandin. local names combined with some other word expressing the shape, etc., Breiði-f., Mjófi-f., Djúpi-f., Grunni-f., Eyja-f., Lima-f. or Eylíma-f., Arnar-f., Alpta-f., Vatns-f., etc. In Icel. and old Scandin. countries the shore districts are freq. divided into counties, bearing the name of the firth, just as the inland is divided into dales; thus Eyja-f. and Skaga-f. denote both the firth and the county bordering on the firth. The western and eastern parts of Icel. are called Vest-firðir and Aust-firðir; in Norway a county is called Firðir; cp. Rb. 324 sqq., where over a hundred names of Icel. fjords are recorded, Landn. (Index), and the Sagas: fjarða-gol, n. a breeze blowing off a fjord, Fær. 203, Fms. iv. 302; fjarðar-botn, m. the bottom or head of a fjord, Eb. 188; fjarðar-horn, n. the creek at the head of a fjord, Gísl. 55, also freq. as a local name; fjarðar-íss, m. fjord-ice, Eb. 242, Bs. i. 327; fjarðar-kjöptr or fjarðar-minni, n. the mouth (opening) of a fjord, Sturl. i. 121, Hkr. iii. 118; fjarðar-menn, m. pl. the inhabitants of a fjord county, Sturl. ii. 199.
Orthography: The Cleasby & Vigfusson book used letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Therefore, fjörðr may be more accurately written as fjǫrðr.
Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚠᛁᚢᚱᚦᚱ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements
Abbreviations used:
- acc.
- accusative.
- allit.
- alliteration, alliterative.
- cp.
- compare.
- Dan.
- Danish.
- dat.
- dative.
- Engl.
- English.
- etc.
- et cetera.
- f.
- feminine.
- freq.
- frequent, frequently.
- gen.
- genitive.
- gl.
- glossary.
- Icel.
- Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
- l.
- line.
- lit.
- literally.
- m.
- masculine.
- mod.
- modern.
- n.
- neuter.
- North. E.
- Northern English.
- pl.
- plural.
- Scandin.
- Scandinavia, Scandinavian.
- Scot.
- Scottish.
- Swed.
- Swedish.
- v.
- vide.
Works & Authors cited:
- Bs.
- Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)
- Eb.
- Eyrbyggja Saga. (D. II.)
- Fms.
- Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
- Fær.
- Færeyinga Saga. (E. II.)
- Gísl.
- Gísla Saga. (D. II.)
- Hkr.
- Heimskringla. (E. I.)
- Landn.
- Landnáma. (D. I.)
- Rb.
- Rímbegla. (H. III.)
- Sturl.
- Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)