ambátt

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse ambátt, compare ambaga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈam.pauht]

Noun

ambátt f (genitive singular ambáttar, nominative plural ambáttir)

1. female slave, bondwoman, handmaid

Old Norse

Alternative forms

• ambǫ́tt, ambótt

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ambahtō, feminine form of *ambahtaz, whence also Old English ambiht, Old High German ambaht, Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌱𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (andbahts). Compare Latin ambactus.

Noun

ambátt f

1. female slave, bondwoman, handmaid
   • Gróttasöngr, verse 2, 1932 edition by Finnur Jónsson, retrieved at heimskringla.no

     […] hét hvárigri / hvílð né ynði,
     áðr hann hęyrði / hljóm ambátta

     […] he gave them neither / rest nor delight,
     before he heard / the noise of the bondwomen.

Declension

  Declension of ambátt (strong ō-stem, ar and ir-plurals)

feminine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ambátt	ambáttin	ambáttar, ambáttir	ambáttarnar, ambáttirnar
accusative	ambátt	ambáttina	ambáttar, ambáttir	ambáttarnar, ambáttirnar
dative	ambátt	ambáttinni	ambáttum	ambáttunum
genitive	ambáttar	ambáttarinnar	ambátta	ambáttanna

Coordinate terms

• þræll (“(male) slave, thrall”)

Descendants

• Icelandic: ambátt
• Old Swedish: ambot, ambut, ambat
• Old Gutnish: ambatn
• → Middle English: ammbohht