geirfugl

Faroese

Noun

geirfugl

1. indefinite accusative singular of geirfuglur

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse geirfugl.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈceir.fʏkl/

Noun

geirfugl m (genitive singular geirfugls, nominative plural geirfuglar)

1. great auk

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse geirfugl, from geirr (“spear”, referring to the beak) +‎ fugl (“bird”). Cognate with Faroese gorfuglur, geirfuglur, Swedish garfågel and English garefowl.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²jɛɪːrfʊɡl/, (from written form) /²ɡɛɪːr-/
• Note: See pronunciations of -fugl on fugl.

Noun

geirfugl m (definite singular geirfuglen, indefinite plural geirfuglar, definite plural geirfuglane)

1. great auk

Related terms

• geir (“spear”)
• fugl (“bird”)

Old Norse

Etymology

From geirr (“spear”) +‎ fugl (“bird”).

Noun

geirfugl m (genitive geirfugls, plural geirfuglar)

1. great auk
2. gyrfalcon

Declension

  Declension of geirfugl (strong a-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	geirfugl	geirfuglinn	geirfuglar	geirfuglarnir
accusative	geirfugl	geirfuglinn	geirfugla	geirfuglana
dative	geirfugli	geirfuglinum	geirfuglum	geirfuglunum
genitive	geirfugls	geirfuglsins	geirfugla	geirfuglanna

Synonyms

• (gyrfalcon): geirfalki

Descendants

• Icelandic: geirfugl
• Faroese: gorfuglur, geirfuglur (AD 1605 recorded as goirfugel)
  • → French: gorfou
• Norwegian Nynorsk: geirfugl
• Swedish: garfågel
• Scottish Gaelic: gearra-bhall, gearbhal, gearbhul
  • English: garefowl, gairfowl, gurfel
• → Danish: gejrfugl (through Faroese or Norwegian)
  • Norwegian Bokmål: geirfugl

References

• “geirfugl”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press