höfrungur
Icelandic
Etymology
Earliest attested in 16th century. No cognates in related languages, Faroese has already adopted dolfin. Asgeir Blöndal Magnusson estimates correlation with -hafur (Old English hæfer, Latin caper) comparing the leaps of the dolphin to those of the goat. Doubtful. Perhaps simply from haf ("sea") and ungur, that is, Hefring, a Norwegian mountain butting into the sea; and Hefring, daughter of Ægir the sea spirit.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈhœvruŋkʏr/
Noun
höfrungur m (genitive singular höfrungs, nominative plural höfrungar)
- dolphin; specifically the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
Declension
declension of höfrungur
| m-s1 | singular | plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
| nominative | höfrungur | höfrungurinn | höfrungar | höfrungarnir |
| accusative | höfrung | höfrunginn | höfrunga | höfrungana |
| dative | höfrungi | höfrungnum | höfrungum | höfrungunum |
| genitive | höfrungs | höfrungsins | höfrunga | höfrunganna |
Synonyms
- (Delphinus delphis): léttir
Further reading
- “höfrungur” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)
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