Hannörð

Meaning of Old Norse word "hannörð" (or hannǫrð)

As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:

hannörð (hannǫrð)

or hannyrð, f., esp. used in pl. and sounded hannyrðir; [this word is formed from hannr or hannar in the same way as einörð or einurð from einarðr]:—handiness, skill, fine work, esp. used of ladies’ needlework, embroidery, or the like, and freq. in mod. usage; enda er hannorð (skill, beauty) á hvívetna því er þú tekr þínum höndum til at göra, Clem. 24; hannörðir (pl.), 25; svá skyldi hans kona bera af öllum konum hannyrðir sem hón var hverri þeirra fríðari, Vígl. 48 new Ed.; kyrtill gullofinn ok gerr hannyrðum, hannyrð vefnaðar, Konr. (MS.); hón saumaði ok tefldi eða vann aðrar hannyrðir, BS. i. 241; kenna konu við hannyrðir, Edda ii. 513; merkit var gert af miklum hannyrðum ok ágætum hagleik, Orkn. 28; hafa á skriptum ok hannyrðum, Gkv. 2. 15; hón hafði heima verit ok numit hannorðe (i. e. hannörð), VölS. S. 135 new Ed.; hón vandisk við borða ok hannyrðir, FaS. i. 523. hannyrða-kona, u, f. a woman skilled in needlework. ☞ This word is to be distinguished from hönd as it is spelt and sounded nn not nd, cp. Bugge’s interesting remarks in Hist. Tidskrift.

Orthography: The Cleasby & Vigfusson book used letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Therefore, hannörð may be more accurately written as hannǫrð.

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚼᛅᚾᚾᚢᚱᚦ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements