Nef

Meaning of Old Norse word "nef"

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

Old Norse word nef can mean:nef

nef

n., gen. pl. nefja, dat. nefjum; [A. S. nebbe; Engl. neb]:—the nose, prop. the beak, bone of the nose, opp. to nasar (nös, q. v.), Grág. ii. 11; liðr á nefi, Ld. 272; þeir hafa hvárki nef né nasar, ‘neb nor nose,’ i. e. neither lower part nor cartilage, Stj. 79; hann rak hnefann á nasir mér ok braut í mér nefit, FaS. iii. 392; kom á nasir þeim ok brotnaði í honum nefit, FmS. iii. 186; gnúa nefit, Orkn. 394, passim: also in the phrases, stinga nefi í feld, to hide the nose (face) in one’s cloak, from dismay, FmS. x. 401; cp. stinga nösum í felda, Sighvat; stinga saman nefjum, to put noses together = lay heads together, i. e. discuss closely, ironic., Grett. (in a verse); kveða, tala í nef, to talk through the nose, Skálda 162; taka í nefið, to snuff up; sjúga upp í nefit, to suck up through the nose; of nær nefi kvað karl …, too near the nose, quoth the carle, when he was hit in the eye, FmS. vii. 288; náit er nef augum, the neb is near akin to the eye, Nj., cp. FmS. iii. 188; draga bust ór nefi einum, see burst.

nef

2. as a law term in regard to tax, dues, poll (cp. the English phrase ‘to count noses’); um alla Svíþjóð guldu menn Óðni skatt, penning fyrir nef hvert, Yngl. S. ch. 8; hefir þú nú gört fyrir þitt nef þangat út, i. e. thou hast done thy share, Fbr. 33; gjalda eyri fyrir net hvert, to pay a ‘nose-tax’ of an ounce, poll-tax, Lv. 89; penning fyrir nef hvert, Hkr. ii. 231; skal göra mann út at sjaunda nefi, n. G. l. i. 97; ertug fyrir sex tigu nefja innan laga várra, 7; skutilsveinar til þriggja nefja ok hverr húskarl til tveggja nefja, H. E. i. 420; yrkja níðvísu fyrir nef hvert er á var landinu, Hkr. i. 227; skal búandi hverr augljós nef hafa af bryggju-sporði á skoru-kefli fyrir ármann, i. e. every franklin has to shew up the poll on a score-roll before the king’s officer, n. G. l. i. 200.

nef

3. the neb, beak, bill, of birds, FmS. viii. 10; nefin ok klærnar, Nj. 272, Stj. 90; fugls-nef, uglu-nef, arnar-nef, hrafns-nef, Sdm. passim; also hrúts-nef, a ram’s nose, 1812. 66: the saying, lítið er nef várt en breiðar fjaðrir, BS. i. 676, of high aspirations and weak efforts, see fjöðr: of things, klappar-nef, a jutting rock; skogar-nef, q. v.; steðja nef, the nose (small end) of a stithy; keips-nef, a thole, a rowlock pin: cp. the riddle or pun, liggr á grúfu og horfir upp nef—á ausu ! of the hook on a ladle’s handle.

nef

II. as a nickname, Gísl.; = Nosey, cp. Lat. Naso.

nef

COMPDS: nefbjörg, nefdreyri, neffölr, nefgildi, nefglita, neflangr, neflauss, neflítill, nefljótr, nefmikill, nefmæltr.

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