Icelandic

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Etymology

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From ganga (to walk) +‎ bein (leg), literally [a woman] who travels by foot.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈceiŋcɪlˌpeiːna/

Noun

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gengilbeina f

  1. a waitress, a female waiter
  2. (archaic) a woman who travels by foot
  3. (archaic, poetic) an ambátt (female slave)

Usage notes

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In modern speech this term can only mean “waitress”, but it is sufficiently rare that many younger speakers are unfamiliar with it. Þjónn is a far more common term.

Declension

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