havfrue

English

Etymology

From Danish havfrue.

Noun

havfrue (plural havfrues)

1. (mythology) A type of mermaid of Danish folklore.
   • 1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 153:

     A girl one time fell into the power of a Havfrue and passed fifteen years in her submarine abode without ever seeing the sun.

Danish

havfrue

Etymology

From hav (“sea”) +‎ frue (“wife, lady”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hav.fruːə/, [ˈhɑʊ̯.ˌfʁ̥uːə]

Noun

havfrue c (singular definite havfruen, plural indefinite havfruer)

1. (mythology) a mermaid

Inflection

Declension of havfrue

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	havfrue	havfruen	havfruer	havfruerne
genitive	havfrues	havfruens	havfruers	havfruernes

References

“havfrue” in Den Danske Ordbog

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From hav +‎ frue.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /haːv.frʉːe/, [ˈhaːʋ.ˌfɾʉʷːə]

Noun

havfrue f or m (definite singular havfrua or havfruen, indefinite plural havfruer, definite plural havfruene)

1. (mythology) a mermaid

References

• “havfrue” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• havfru

Etymology

From hav +‎ frue.

Noun

havfrue f (definite singular havfrua, indefinite plural havfruer, definite plural havfruene)

1. (mythology) a mermaid

References

• “havfrue” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.