megin

See also: megin-

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse megin, from Proto-Germanic *maginą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeːjɪn/

  Rhymes: -eːjɪn

Noun

megin n (genitive singular megins, uncountable)

1. (rare) strength, power, ability

Declension

Declension of megin (singular only)
n3s	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	megin	meginið
accusative	megin	meginið
dative	megini	megininum
genitive	megins	meginsins

Synonyms

• megi f or n
• máttur m

Derived terms

• megin-

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse megin, from Proto-Germanic *maginą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeiːjɪn/

  Rhymes: -eiːjɪn

Noun

megin n (genitive singular megins, no plural)

1. strength, power, ability
2. the main part, greater part

Adverb

megin

1. used after qualifiers to mean "on X side"; often followed by a prepositional phrase

   Risaeðlurnar voru hinum megin í Vetrarbrautinni.

   The dinosaurs were on the other side of the Milky Way.

   Ég segi honum að setjast í framsætið og hann reynir undir eins að fara inn bílstjóramegin.

   I tell him to sit in the front, and he immediately tries to get in on the driver's side.

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *maginą (“might, power”). Cognate with Old English mæġen, Old Saxon megin, Old High German megin, magan.

Pronunciation

• (12th century Icelandic) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛ̃ɡɪ̃n/

Noun

megin n (genitive megins)

1. (singular only) might, power, strength
   • Vǫluspá, verse 1, lines 7-8, in 1860, T. Möbius, Edda Sæmundar hins fróða: mit einem Anhang zum Theil bisher ungedruckter Gedichte. Leipzig, page 1:

     […] máni þat né vissi / hvat hann megins átti, […]

     […] moon yet knew not / what its might was, […]

2. (singular only, especially in compounds) the main, chief part of a thing
   • Upphaf Rikis Haralds Harfagra 5, in 1835, F. Magnússon, C. C. Rafn, Fornmanna sögur, Volume X. Copenhagen, page 184:

     […] allan Þrándheim ok allt megin landsins, […]

     […] the whole Trondheim and all the mainland, […]

Declension

  Declension of megin (strong a-stem, singular only)

neuter	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	megin	megnit
accusative	megin	megnit
dative	megni, magni	megninu, magninu
genitive	megins	meginsins

Synonyms

• máttr

Derived terms

Terms derived from megin

• jarðarmegin (“the wide earth”)
• hafsmegin (“theopen sea”)
• landsmegin (“mainland”)
• meginafl (“main strength”)
• meginá (“main river”)
• megináss (“Odin”)
• meginborg (“main castle”)
• meginbygð (“main district”)
• megindómar (“great events”)
• megindróttning (“the Virgin Mary”)
• megindýrr (“dearly beloved”)
• meginfjall (“great mountain”)
• meginfjarri (“very far off”)
• meginfjǫldi (“vast multitude”)
• meginflokkr (“main body”)
• meginflótti (“main body of a host”)
• megingjǫrð (“girdle of power”)
• megingóðr (“mighty good”)
• megingóðvætliga (“very kindly”)
• megingrimmr (“very fierce”)
• meginhaf (“ocean”)
• meginherr (“main army”)
• meginherað (“main district”)
• meginhúfr (“main hull of a ship”)
• meginhyggja (“wisdom”)
• meginhǫfn (“main harbour”)
• meginkátr (“mighty glad”)
• meginland (“mainland”)
• meginlauss (“powerless”)
• meginleikr (“main of a thing”)
• meginleysi (“weakness”)
• meginlið (“main body of the army”)
• meginligr (“important”)
• meginlítill (“weak”)
• meginljótr (“very hideous”)
• meginmeingjarn (“very mischievous”)
• meginmerki (“chief standard”)
• meginmildr (“very mild”)
• meginmǫrk (“main forest”)
• meginrás (“main course”)
• meginrúnar (“mighty runes”)
• meginstjarna (“main star”)
• meginstormr (“mighty gale”)
• megintíðendi (“mighty tidings”)
• megintírr (“great fame”)
• megintrygðir (“firm truce”)
• meginveðr (“mighty gale”)
• meginvel (“mighty well”)
• meginverk (“mighty feat”)
• meginþing (“great meeting”)
• meginþǫrf (“great need”)
• úmegin (“swoon”)
• vanmegin (“weakness”)
• vetrarmegin (“main part of winter”)

Descendants

• Icelandic: megin n
• Faroese: megin n
• Old Swedish: mæghin
  • Swedish: mägen (obsolete)
• Old Danish: mæghæn
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: megje (obsolete)

References

• “megin”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• megin in An Icelandic-English Dictionary, R. Cleasby and G. Vigfússon, Clarendon Press, 1874, at Internet Archive.
• megin in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, G. T. Zoëga, Clarendon Press, 1910, at Internet Archive.

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *maginą (“might, power”). Cognate with Old English mæġen, Old Norse megin, Old High German megin, magan.

Noun

megin n

1. power

Declension

Declension of megin (neuter a-stem)

	singular	plural
nominative	megin	megin
accusative	megin	megin
genitive	megines	meginō
dative	megine	meginun
instrumental	—	—

Related terms

• meginfard
• meginfolk
• meginkraft
• meginstrengi
• meginsundia
• meginthioda
• meginthiof

References

• "mėgin" in Köbler, Gerhard, Altsächsisches Wörterbuch (5th edition 2014)

Welsh

Etymology

Possibly from Proto-Celtic *makīnā, from the root *mak- (“leather bag”).

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /mɛɡɪn/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /meːɡɪn/, /mɛɡɪn/

Noun

megin f (plural meginau)

1. bellows

Derived terms

• megino

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
megin	fegin	unchanged	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “megin”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies