Köstr
Old Norse Dictionary - köstr
Meaning of Old Norse word "köstr" (or kǫstr)
As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:
- köstr (kǫstr)
- m., gen. kastar, dat. kesti, pl. kestir, acc. köstu; [akin to kös]:—a pile; bera saman í köstu, Grág. ii. 297; þar féll hverr um annan þveran, svá at þar var k. mikill. Fms. ix. 225; hjoggu ok báru saman í einn köst, Sturl. i. 69; val-köstr, a pile of slain; hris-k., a pile of fagots; kastar skurðr, the right of digging peat enough to make a stack, Vm. 64: esp. a pile of fuel, whence poët., lífs köstr, ‘life’s-pile’ = the body, Eb. (in a verse); kastar hel, ‘pile’s-bane’ = fire, Lex. poët.
Orthography: The Cleasby & Vigfusson book used letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Therefore, köstr may be more accurately written as kǫstr.
Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚴᚢᛋᛏᚱ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements
Abbreviations used:
- acc.
- accusative.
- dat.
- dative.
- esp.
- especially.
- gen.
- genitive.
- l.
- line.
- m.
- masculine.
- n.
- neuter.
- pl.
- plural.
- poët.
- poetically.
Works & Authors cited:
- Eb.
- Eyrbyggja Saga. (D. II.)
- Fms.
- Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
- Grág.
- Grágás. (B. I.)
- Lex. Poët.
- Lexicon Poëticum by Sveinbjörn Egilsson, 1860.
- Sturl.
- Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)
- Vm.
- Vilkins-máldagi. (J. I.)