Hjú

Meaning of Old Norse word "hjú"

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

Old Norse word hjú can mean:hjú

hjú

n. [for the etymology see híbýli, p. 265; the fundamental notion is family, house]

hjú

I. man and wife; hve þik hétu hjú, how did thy parents call thee? Fsm. 46; hjú görðu hvílu, Am. 9; er vér heil hjú heima várum, Vkv. 14; bæði hjú, man and wife, Pd. 5, 56; ef hjú skiljask (are divorced), Grág. i. 239; ef frændsemi eða sifjar koma upp með hjúm, 378; þau hjú (Herod and his queen) ollu lífláti Joans Baptizta, Ver. 40.

hjú

II. the domestics, family, household: mér ok mínum hjúm, Glúm. (in a verse), Grág. i. 473; lét Koðran þá skíra sik ok hjú hans öll nema Ormr son hans, Bs. i. 5; hjú ok hjörð, house-people and cattle, Þorf. Karl. 376; slíkt er mælt um hjú at öllu, Grág. i. 143; auka hjú sín, 287; þá skulu þeir ala jafnvel sem hjú sín, 445; Hildir ok hjú hans öll, Nj. 158; tók hann við trú ok hjú hans öll, id. The mod. usage distinguishes between hjú, domestics, servants, and hjón, Lat. conjuges: even in sing., dyggt hju, a faithful servant; ódyggt hjú, a faithless servant; öll hjúin á heimilinu, all the servants of the house, etc.; vinnu-hjú, servants; vinnuhjúa-skildagi (= the 14th of May).

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