ᚠᚨᚺᛁ

Proto-Norse

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *faihijō, first-person singular present indicative of *faihijaną (“to paint”).

Verb

ᚠᚨᚺᛁ (fahi /fāhī/) (first-person singular present indicative)

1. I draw, I paint
   • 450-600, Noleby Runestone (KJ 67, Vg 63)

     ᚱᚢᚾᛟᚠᚨᚺᛁᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᚨᚴᚢᛞᛟᛏᛟᛡᛖᚴᚨ […]

     runofahiraginakudotojeka

     /rūnō fāhī raginakundō tōjeka/

     I paint the rune of divine origin, I prepare

Attested forms

• (first-person singular present active indicative) — ᚠᚨᚺᛁ (fahi /⁠fāhī⁠/)
• (first-person singular past active indicative) — ᚠᚨᛁᚺᛁᛞᛟ (faihido /⁠faihidō⁠/), ᚠᚨᚺᛁᛞᛟ (fahido /⁠fāhidō⁠/)
• (third-person singular past active indicative) — ᚠᚨᚺᛁᛞᛖ (fahide /⁠fāhidē⁠/)

Descendants

• Old Norse: fá, fáa
  • Icelandic: fá

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *fēhiz or Proto-Germanic *fahiz, related to Gothic 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰𐍆𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (fullafahjan, “to satisfy”), 𐍆𐌰𐌲𐍂𐍃 (fagrs, “suitable”).

Adjective

ᚠᚨᚺᛁ (fahi /fāhi/) (feminine accusative singular)

1. suitable, fitting
   • 450-600, Noleby Runestone (KJ 67, Vg 63)

     ᚱᚢᚾᛟᚠᚨᚺᛁᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᚨᚴᚢᛞᛟᛏᛟᛡᛖᚴᚨ […]

     runofahiraginakudotojeka

     /rūnō fāhi raginakundō tōjeka/

     I prepare the suitable rune of divine origin

Usage notes

• While most editors read ᚠᚨᚺᛁ (fahi) on the Noleby stone as “I paint”, Elmer Antonsen instead reads it as an adjective “suitable”.

Further reading

• Elmer H., Antonsen (2002) Runes and Germanic Linguistics (Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs), volume 140, Berlin, New York: Mouton De Gruyter, →ISBN, pages 180-185