ᛖᚱᚨᚠᚨᛉ

Proto-Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *erfaz. Possibly related to Old Norse jarpr (brown), Old English eorp (brown; dark, dusky), from Proto-Germanic *erpaz (light brown), in which case from Proto-Indo-European *h₁erbʰ-, cognate with Ancient Greek ὀρφνός (orphnós, dark brown).

Noun

ᛖᚱᚨᚠᚨᛉ (erafaz /erᵃfaz/) m

  1. wolverine (Gulo gulo)
    • 5th century, Hogganvik runestone:
      [] ᛖᚲᚾᚨᚢᛞᛁᚷᚨᛊᛏᛁᛉ ¶ ᛖᚲᛖᚱᚨᚠᚨᛉ []
      [] eknaudigastiz ¶ ekerafaz []
      ek Naudigastiz, ek erᵃfaz
      I, Need-guest, I the Wolverine

Usage notes

  • Names/nicknames connected with certain (especially predatory) animals were common in Germanic society, compare ᚺᚼᚦᚢᚹᛟᛚᚼᚠᛦ, ᚺᚼᚱᛁᚹᛟᛚᚼᚠᛦ, ᚺᚨᚱᚨᛒᚨᚾᚨᛉ (harabanaʀ).

Descendants

  • Old Norse: jarfr
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