alda bǫrn

Old Norse

Etymology

From genitive plural of ǫld + plural of barn. Has parallels in Old English ielda bearn and Old Saxon eldibarn, possibly stemming from a Proto-Germanic *aldijǫ̂ barnō.

Noun

alda bǫrn n pl (genitive alda barna)

1. (poetic, kenning) "sons of men"; mankind
   • Vǫluspá, verse 20, in 1867, S. Bugge, Norrœn fornkvæði: Sæmundar Edda hins fróða. Christiania, page 4:

     Þaðan koma meyjar / margs vitandi
     þrjár, ór þeim sal / er und þolli stendr;
     Urð hétu eina, / aðra Verðandi,
     skáru á skíði, / Skuld ina þriðju;
     þær lög lögðu, / þær líf kuru
     alda börnum, / örlög seggja.

     Thence come maidens / much knowing
     three from the hall / which under that tree stands;
     Urd hight the one, / the second Verdandi,
     on a tablet they graved, / Skuld the third;
     Laws they established, / life allotted
     to the sons of men, / destinies pronounced.

Declension

Declension of alda bǫrn (strong a-stem, plural only)

neuter	plural
	indefinite	definite
nominative	bǫrn	bǫrnin
accusative	bǫrn	bǫrnin
dative	bǫrnum	bǫrnunum
genitive	barna	barnanna

Related terms

• alda synir