Frjáls
Old Norse Dictionary - frjáls
Meaning of Old Norse word "frjáls"
As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:
- frjáls
- adj., dat. and gen. sing. fem. and gen. pl. frjálsi, frjálsar, and frjálsa in old writers, but mod. frjálsri, frjálsrar, frjálsra, inserting r, [a contracted form from fri-hals; Ulf. freihals; O. H. G. frihals; the A. S. freols is prob. Scandin., as it is not used in old poetry: frjáls therefore properly means ‘free-necked,’ a ring round the neck being a badge of servitude; but the Icel. uses the word fri only in the compound frjáls, which is lost in Dan., though it remains in Swed. frälse and ufrälse man; the mod. Dan. and Swed. fri is borrowed from the Germ. frei, and so is the Icel. frí:—Ulf. renders ἐλευθερία by freihals, but ἐλεύθερος by freis]:—free, opp. to bondsman; frjáls er hverr er frelsi er gefit, n. G. l. i. 32; ef þræll getr barn við frjálsi konu, Grág. (Kb.) i. 224; skal þik bæta sem frjálsan mann, Nj. 57: metaph. free, unhindered, láta e-n fara frjálsan, FmS. i. 15: of property, frjálst forræði, eign, yfirráð, free, full possession, D. n. passim; skógar frjálsir af ágangi konunnga ok íllræðis-manna, FS. 20: neut., eiga … at frjálsu, to possess freely, without restraint, FmS. xi. 211, Jb. 187, Ó. H. 92; með frjálsu, unhindered, Hrafn. 24.
Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚠᚱᛁᛅᛚᛋ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements
Abbreviations used:
- adj.
- adjective.
- A. S.
- Anglo-Saxon.
- Dan.
- Danish.
- dat.
- dative.
- f.
- feminine.
- fem.
- feminine.
- gen.
- genitive.
- Germ.
- German.
- Icel.
- Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
- l.
- line.
- L.
- Linnæus.
- m.
- masculine.
- metaph.
- metaphorical, metaphorically.
- mod.
- modern.
- n.
- neuter.
- neut.
- neuter.
- O. H. G.
- Old High German.
- opp.
- opposed.
- pl.
- plural.
- prob.
- probably.
- S.
- Saga.
- Scandin.
- Scandinavia, Scandinavian.
- sing.
- singular.
- Swed.
- Swedish.
- Ulf.
- Ulfilas.
Works & Authors cited:
- D. N.
- Diplomatarium Norvagicum. (J. II.)
- Fms.
- Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
- Fs.
- Forn-sögur. (D. II.)
- Grág.
- Grágás. (B. I.)
- Hrafn.
- Hrafnkels Saga. (D. II.)
- Jb.
- Jóns-bók. (B. III.)
- Kb.
- Konungs-bók. (B. I, C. I, etc.)
- N. G. L.
- Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)
- Nj.
- Njála. (D. II.)
- Ó. H.
- Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)