Níðuðr

non-decl-blank-sing-indef

Níðuðr

Níðuðr (indefinite nominative)
Níðuð (accusative indefinite)
Níðaði (dative indefinite)
Níðaðar (genitive indefinite)

From Proto-Germanic *Nīþahaduz. Cognate with Old English Nīþhæd.


Vilhjalmr

Vilhjalmr

Vilhjálmr (indefinite nominative)
Vilhjálm (accusative indefinite)
Vilhjálmi (dative indefinite)
Vilhjálms (genitive indefinite)

Icelandic: Vilhjálmur

Faroese: Vilhjálmur, Viljormur

desc

Norwegian: Vilhjelm, Vilhjalm; (regional variations) Vilhjålm, Vilhjåm

Old Swedish: Vilhiælm

Danish: Vilhjælm


Gjallarbrú

Danish: Gældebro

→ Icelandic: Gjallarbrú (learned)

Norwegian Nynorsk: Gjeddarbru, Gjallarbru

Swedish: Gillebro

From Gjǫll (“mythic river”) + brú (“bridge”).

Gylfaginning 49, excerpt
hann kom til ariɴar Giallar(ar) ok reið a Giallar brvna
(Normalized spelling): hann kom til árinnar Gjallar ok reið á Gjallarbrúna
he came to the river Gjǫll, and rode on the Gjallarbrú

(Norse mythology) a bridge on the way from Hel


Véþormr

Véþorms (genitive)
Véþormr (indefinite nominative)
Véþorm (accusative indefinite)
Véþormi (dative indefinite)
Véþorms (genitive indefinite)

non-decl-blank-sing-indef

Véþormr

From vé (“(heathen) sanctuary”) + þormr (“reverent, merciful”). Second element of the same root as the verb þyrma.


Norðreyjar

Literally, “Northern Isles”, from norðr (“north”) + eyjar (“islands”).


Sumarliði

Icelandic: Summarliði

Faroese: Summarliði

→ Scottish Gaelic: Somhairle

English: Sorley

sumar (“summer”) + liði (“slider, passer, walker”). Apart from its use as a name, sumarliði means “sailor”, since fleets were gathered in summer. Compare Vetrliði (“Winter-passer”) and Old English sumorlida (“summer fleet”).


Jakobsland

non-decl-blank-sing-indef

Jakobsland

Jakobsland (indefinite nominative)
Jakobsland (accusative indefinite)
Jakobslandi (dative indefinite)
Jakobslands (genitive indefinite)

Icelandic: Jakobsland

Galicia (a medieval kingdom in modern northwestern Spain)


Garðaríki

Garðaríki

Garðaríki (indefinite nominative)
Garðaríki (accusative indefinite)
Garðaríki (dative indefinite)
Garðaríkis (genitive indefinite)

Icelandic: Garðaríki

From garðr (“farmstead, enclosure”) + ríki (“realm, kingdom”), i.e. “realm of the farmsteads”.

compound

Kievan Rus (a medieval principality in Eastern Europe centred around Kyiv; at its maximum extent covering much of modern Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia and considered an early predecessor of each country) (especially its northern part)


Austrvegr

desc

→ Norwegian Nynorsk: Austerveg (learned)

→ Norwegian Bokmål: Austerveg (learned)

→ Swedish: Österväg (learned)

austr (“east”) + vegr (“way”), compare Norðvegr, Noregr (“Norway”).

Haraldur dvaldist í Garðaríki nokkura vetur og fór víða um Austurveg. Síðan byrjaði hann ferð sína út í Grikkland og hafði mikla sveit manna. Þá hélt hann til Miklagarðs

(Can we date this quote?), chapter 2, in Haralds saga Sigurðarsonar:

Harald stayed in Garðaríki for some years and fared far and wide around the Austurveg. Afterwards he began his journey out to Byzantium and had a large group of men. Then he held to Constantinople.

Route from the Varangians to the Greeks (the area roughly bounded by the Volga and Dnieper river systems, connecting Byzantium with ancient Scandinavia)


Miðgarðsormr

Icelandic: Miðgarðsormur

Swedish: Midgårdsormen (with definite suffix)

From Miðgarðr (“the Earth”) + ormr (“serpent”).


Véurr

From Proto-Norse *ᚹᛁᚺᚨᚹᚨᚱᛃᚨᛉ (*wihawarjaʀ), from *ᚹᛁᚺᚨᛉ (*wihaʀ), from Proto-Germanic *wīhą, + *ᚹᚨᚱᛃᚨᛉ (*warjaʀ). By surface analysis, vé (“mansion, house; temple, holy place”) + -urr (“guardian, defender”).

surf

(Norse mythology, poetic) Thor, especially in his role as protector of human settlements and temples


garmr

non-decl-blank-full

garmr

garmr (indefinite nominative singular)
garmrinn (definite nominative singular)
garmar (indefinite nominative plural)
garmarnir (definite nominative plural)
garm (accusative indefinite singular)
garminn (accusative definite singular)
garma (accusative indefinite plural)
garmana (accusative definite plural)
garmi (dative indefinite singular)
garminum (dative definite singular)
gǫrmum (dative indefinite plural)
gǫrmunum (dative definite plural)
garms (genitive indefinite singular)
garmsins (definite genitive singular)
garma (genitive indefinite plural)
garmanna (definite genitive plural)

Icelandic: garmur

Uncertain, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to growl”).


Fáfnir

Faroese: Fávnir

Icelandic: Fáfnir

→ Swedish: Fafner, Fafne

Derived from faðma + -na + -ir, literally “fathomer”. The spelling fáfn- steems from an excrescence following the m, introducing a short /b/ or /p/, in turn morphing into an /f/, thus something akin to /faðmnair/ → /faðmb͡hnair/ → /fahmb͡hnir/ → /fámhp͡hnir/ → /fáfnir/ (compare Danish favne, Old Swedish fampna, fambna, from Old Norse faðma, “fathom”).

the one who embraces; the name of a dragon


Gymir

Gymis (genitive)
Gymir (indefinite nominative)
Gymi (accusative indefinite)
Gymi (dative indefinite)
Gymis (genitive indefinite)

non-decl-blank-sing-indef

Gymir

Icelandic: Gymir

Uncertain, probably formed from Proto-Norse *gumijaʀ or late Proto-Norse *gymeʀ. Some relate it to Old Norse gumi, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰmṓ (“earth”) + Proto-Germanic *-jaz (“agent suffix”). Others relate it to Old Norse gamall or Icelandic góa. Compare Old Norse gymbr and Icelandic gimbill, gimbur and Swedish gumse. Possibly ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰéyōm 'winter'.
Alternatively from Old Norse gymir 'sea'.


Óttarr

Icelandic: Óttarr, Óttar

Faroese: Óttar, Ottar

Norwegian: Ottar

Swedish: Ottar

Believed to be from ótti (“fear”) + herr (“army”), from Proto-Germanic *Uhtaharjaz. Cognate with Old English Ohthere.


Gullintanni

Gullintanni

Gullintanni (indefinite nominative)
Gullintanna (accusative indefinite)
Gullintanna (dative indefinite)
Gullintanna (genitive indefinite)

gullinn (“golden”) + tǫnn (“tooth”) + -i (masculine nominal suffix). Cognate with Sanskrit हिरण्यदन्त (hiraṇyadanta, “Golden-toothed”, epithet of Agni), which has been used to argue for Heimdallr’s role as a fire-god.

cog

epithet of Heimdall, whose teeth were made of gold


Gullintanna

accusative/dative/genitive singular of Gullintanni


Sváfaland

Icelandic: Sváfaland

*sváfar (“Swabians, Suebi”) + land (“land”). Cognate with German Schwabenland.

compound

Swabia (a historic region of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, Germany)


Tribuðiz

Probably of Slavic origin. Probably identical to German Tribsees.

an ancient area in north-eastern part of modern Germany, Tribusana province, where Tribsees is located today


Hliðskjǫlf

Hliðskjalfar (genitive)
Hliðskjǫlf (indefinite nominative)
Hliðskjǫlf (accusative indefinite)
Hliðskjǫlf (dative indefinite)
Hliðskjalfar (genitive indefinite)
Hliðskjálf (alternative)

non-decl-blank-sing-indef

Hliðskjǫlf

hlið (“side”) + *skjǫlf (“shelf, ledge”).

compound

harri Hliðskjalfar

(Norse mythology) the lookout seat of the gods


Guðþormr

Guðþorms (genitive)
Guðþormr (indefinite nominative)
Guðþorm (accusative indefinite)
Guðþormi (dative indefinite)
Guðþorms (genitive indefinite)
Goðþormr (alternative)
Guttormr (alternative)
Gottormr (alternative)

non-decl-blank-sing-indef

Guðþormr

From goð (“(heathen) god”) + þormr (“reverent, merciful”). Second element of the same root as the verb þyrma.


Valterborg

(hapax legomenon) The capital of Húnaland according to Thidrek’s saga, before it was conquered by Attila, who moved its capital to Súsat.


Húnaland

non-decl-blank-sing-indef

Húnaland

Húnaland (indefinite nominative)
Húnaland (accusative indefinite)
Húnalandi (dative indefinite)
Húnalands (genitive indefinite)

(mythology) the kingdom of Huns mentioned in sagas, somewhere in Central Europe, only loosely based on the historical kingdom


Súsat

May be same as Soest in today’s Netherlands, close to Frisia, where Attila came from according to the saga. But an alternative form found in the text is Susakk, which is not similar to the name of Soest. Yet another is Susa, and may be declined as a Latin noun.

(hapax legomenon) The capital of Húnaland in Thidrek’s saga after it was conquered by Attila, who, according to the saga, was not a Hun, but just usurped the throne


Falstrskógr

From Falstr + skógr. The first part is also written as Falar in one of the versions of the text («skógi er Falar heiter»). May be of same etymology as German Faldera in Neumünster, also known as Latin pagus Falderensis.

(hapax legomenon) a forest in Germany mentioned in Thidreks saga, on the border to Denmark


Marsteinn

Probably from marksteinn. The k was lost in copying of the manuscript.

(hapax legomenon) a castle in Germany mentioned in Thidreks saga, in Falstrskógr


Jassarfjǫll

Unknown. The last part is plural of fjall (“mountain”).

(hapax legomenon) Mountains somewhere in Central Europe mentioned in Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks.