Yggdrasil
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Borrowed from Old Norse Yggdrasill; commonly accepted as being composed Yggr (“terrible”) + drasill (“steed”), where “steed” refers to a hanging tree or possibly from *dʰer- (“to hold, support”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɪɡdɹəsɪl/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
Proper noun
Yggdrasil
- (Norse mythology) An immense ash tree that is central in Norse cosmology, believed to connect the nine worlds.
- 1863, The London Quarterly Review, volumes 113-114, page 117:
- Yet it is not easy to pluck out the heart of its mystery; and the descriptions of certain ancient representatives of Yggdrasil do not lessen the difficulty.
- 1963, Spike Milligan, chapter 1, in Puckoon, page 1:
- With nostrils and legs akimbo, she towered over him like some human Yggdrasill, blotting out the sun.
- 1996, Carolyne Larrington (editor and translator), The Seeress's Prophecy, The Poetic Edda, page 6,
- I know that an ash-tree stands called Yggdrasill,
- a high tree, soaked with shining loam;
- from there come the dews which fall in the valley,
- ever green, it stands over the well of fate.
- 2007, Bob Curran, Ian Daniels, Walking with the Green Man: Father of the Forest, Spirit of Nature, page 66:
- In Norse mythology, for example, the World Tree, or Yggdrasil, connected the nine existences that straddled the worlds of gods and men with its mighty roots. Yggdrasil was reputedly a gigantic ash tree (and was the central feature of Norse cosmology), around the base of which the serpent Níôhöggr had twisted its body.
- 2007, J. A. Hunsinger, The Settlers: An Axe of Iron Novel, page 333:
- “Yggdrasil!” Gudbjartur's voice was filled with awe. “It is Yggdrasil, the world-tree!” He looked at Halfdan, his eyes wide. “The Sacred Grove is here in this land!”
Translations
the world tree in Norse mythology
|
Further reading
- Yggdrasil on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- Norse cosmology § Nine Worlds on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Faroese
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Old Norse Yggdrasill, from Yggr + drasill (“steed”).
Norwegian Nynorsk
Alternative forms
- Ygdrasil (alternative spelling)
- Yggdrasel, Ygdrasel
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Old Norse Yggdrasill, from Yggr + drasill (“steed”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /²ʏɡːˌdraːsɪl/, (more commonly) /²ʏ(ɡ)draˌsiːl/
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.