Forn
Old Norse Dictionary - forn
Meaning of Old Norse word "forn"
As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:
Old Norse word forn can mean:forn
- forn
- adj. [Ulf. fairnis = παλαιός; A. S. fyrn; Hel. furn; Swed. forn; lost in Engl.]:—old; forn vinátta, D. I..)">Eg. 729; forn fjándskapr, old enmity, D. I..)">Nj. 49; forn rök, LS. 25; fornt vín, old wine, Pr. 472; en forna fold, the old earth, Hým. 24; forn timbr, the old timbers, Akv. 42: inn forni fjándi, the old fiend, Satan, 686 C. 2; forn jötunn, the old giant, Hým. 13; fornar tóptir, old abodes. Gm. 11: stores preserved from the past year are called forn, forn mjöðr, old mead, Skm. 37; fornari hey, K. Þ. K. 163.
- forn
- 2. with the notion of old, worn, rotten, or the like; byrðings-segl várt hið forna, FmS. iv. 259; forn mörr, Bjarn. 29 (in a verse).
- forn
- 3. old, in temp. sense; in the Icel. Commonwealth the old priesthoods were called forn goðorð and forn goðorðsmaðr, an old priest, opp. to the priesthoods instituted along with the Fifth Court, which were termed ‘new.’
- forn
- 4. time-honoured, old; forn lög, forn lands-siðr, BS. i. 682.
- forn
- 5. at fornu, formerly, in times past, D. I..)">Eg. 767, K. Á. 152, D. I. i. 635; til forna, id., cp. Dan. til forn.
- forn
- 6. in old writers forn is often used of the heathen times with the old mythical lore; forn siðr, the old (heathen) rite, Fb. i. 215; fornir menn, the men of old, Eb. 132; á fornum skjöldum, on shields of old, Edda 87; fornar frásagnir, old tales, Hkr. pref.; forn-menn, forn-tíðindi, forn-sögur, the men, lore, or saws of the olden age, (forn-fræði, id.; forn-spjöll); forn átrúnaðr, forn trúa, the old creed, heathenism; forn-kveðit mál or hið forn-kveðna is a standing phrase for an ‘old saw,’ proverb, the Sagas passim, and vide below.
- forn
- β. metaph. old, i. e. versed in old lore or witchcraft; hann var forn mjök (he was a great wizard) ok hafði jafnan úti setið, Orkn. 234; fróð ok forn í skapi, Ísl. ii. 332, Fb. i. 250 (forneskja).
Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚠᚢᚱᚾ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements
Abbreviations used:
- adj.
- adjective.
- A. S.
- Anglo-Saxon.
- Engl.
- English.
- f.
- feminine.
- gl.
- glossary.
- Hel.
- Heliand.
- l.
- line.
- m.
- masculine.
- S.
- Saga.
- Swed.
- Swedish.
- Ulf.
- Ulfilas.
- v.
- vide.
- n.
- neuter.
- Icel.
- Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
- opp.
- opposed.
- temp.
- temporal.
- cp.
- compare.
- Dan.
- Danish.
- id.
- idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
- pref.
- preface.
- i. e.
- id est.
- metaph.
- metaphorical, metaphorically.
Works & Authors cited:
- Akv.
- Atla-kviða. (A. II.)
- Eg.
- Egils Saga. (D. II.)
- Gm.
- Grímnis-mál. (A. I.)
- Hým.
- Hýmis-kviða. (A. I.)
- K. Þ. K.
- Kristinn-réttr Þorláks ok Ketils = Kristinna-laga-þáttr. (B. I.)
- Ls.
- Loka-senna. (A. I.)
- Nj.
- Njála. (D. II.)
- Skm.
- Skírnis-mál. (A. I.)
- Bjarn.
- Bjarnar Saga. (D. II.)
- Fms.
- Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
- Bs.
- Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)
- D. I.
- Diplomatarium Islandicum. (J. I.)
- K. Á.
- Kristinn-réttr Árna biskups. (B. III.)
- Eb.
- Eyrbyggja Saga. (D. II.)
- Edda
- Edda. (C. I.)
- Fb.
- Flateyjar-bók (E. I.)
- Hkr.
- Heimskringla. (E. I.)
- Orkn.
- Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)