svanni

Old Norse

Etymology

Possibly a diminutive from svanr (“swan”), meaning “little swan”. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

svanni m (genitive svanna)

  1. (poetic, heiti) lady, woman
    sá hvítjarpr svanni
    the light-brown-haired lady
    • 1093–1103, King Magnús barefoot Óláfsson, loose verse 4
      […] Þungan berk af þingi
      þann harm, es skalk svanna
      — skreytask menn á móti —
      minn aldrigi finna.
      Heavy I carry away from the assembly, the sorrow that I shall never — men adorn themselves at the meeting — find my lady.

Usage notes

The gender is not an error; although this word does refer to a woman, it is still grammatically masculine.

Declension
  Declension of svanni (weak an-stem)
masculine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative svanni svanninn svannar svannarnir
accusative svanna svannann svanna svannana
dative svanna svannanum svǫnnum svǫnnunum
genitive svanna svannans svanna svannanna
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