byrdling
Old English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editApparently from a Proto-Germanic *burdilingaz (equivalent to bord + -ling), though there are no cognates. Perhaps the literal meaning was originally "little shield," though in the surviving texts bord only means "shield" in poetry. Every modern Germanic language except English has the word "shield" in the word for "turtle": West Frisian skyldpod, Dutch schildpad, German Schildkröte, and Swedish sköldpadda all mean “shield toad,” Icelandic skjaldbaka and Faroese skjaldbøka both mean “shield back.” Also a few non-Germanic languages, cf. Estonian kilpkonn (literally “shield frog”) and Finnish kilpikonna (literally “shield toad”).
Pronunciation
editNoun
editbyrdling m
Declension
editDeclension of byrdling (strong a-stem)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | byrdling | byrdlingas |
| accusative | byrdling | byrdlingas |
| genitive | byrdlinges | byrdlinga |
| dative | byrdlinge | byrdlingum |