þrymm

Old English

FWOTD – 28 July 2013

Alternative forms

• þrym

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *þrumi, from Proto-Germanic *þrumjaz, akin to Old Norse þrymr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θrymm/, [θrym]

Noun

þrymm m

1. host, army
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     Hwǣr cōm mearg? Hwǣr cōm mago? · Hwǣr cōm māþþumġyfa?
     Hwǣr cōm symbla ġesetu? · Hwǣr sindon seledrēamas?
     Ēalā beorht bune! · Ēalā byrnwiga!
     Ēalā þēodnes þrym! · Hū sēo þrāg ġewāt,
     ġenāp under nihthelm, · swā hēo nō wære.

     Whither did the horse come? Whither did the man come? Whither did the treasure-giver come?
     Whither did the seats of feasts come? Where are the hall-joys?
     Alack and alas, bright cup! Alack and alas, mailed warrior!
     Alack and alas, the army of the king! How did the time pass,
     grow dark under the cover of night, as if it never did.

2. force, power, glory
   • c. 950, Maxims II, Lines 4-5

     [...] þunar byð þragum hludast. Þrymmas syndan Cristes myccle.
     Wyrd byð swiðost, winter byð cealdost [...]

     [...] thunder is sometimes loudest. Christ’s glories are great.
     Fate is strongest, winter is coldest [...]

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	þrymm	þrymmas
accusative	þrymm	þrymmas
genitive	þrymmes	þrymma
dative	þrymme	þrymmum

Derived terms

• þrymsetl