elja

Icelandic

Alternative forms

• eljan, eljun

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛlja/
• Rhymes: -ɛlja

Etymology 1

From Old Norse eljan, from Proto-Germanic *aljaną. Cognate with Old English ellen (“strength, courage”).

Noun

elja f (genitive singular elju, no plural)

1. endurance, perseverance

   Synonyms: þolgæði, dugnaður, þrek, atorka

Declension

Declension of elja (sg-only feminine)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	elja	eljan
accusative	elju	eljuna
dative	elju	eljunni
genitive	elju	eljunnar

Etymology 2

From Old Norse elja (“rival wife”). Cognate with Faroese eljustrið.

Noun

elja f (genitive singular elju, nominative plural eljur)

1. concubine, mistress

   Synonyms: hjákona, frilla

Declension

Declension of elja (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	elja	eljan	eljur	eljurnar
accusative	elju	eljuna	eljur	eljurnar
dative	elju	eljunni	eljum	eljunum
genitive	elju	eljunnar	elja	eljanna

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

elja (present tense el, past tense alde or ol, supine alt or ale, past participle ald or alen, present participle eljande, imperative el)

1. alternative form of ala

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *aljô (“rival”), *aljǭ (“zeal”), from Proto-Indo-European *al- (“to burn”).

Cognate with Middle Low German elle (“rival wife”).

Noun

elja f

1. a rival wife (clarification of this definition is needed)

Descendants

• Faroese: eljastríð
• Icelandic: elja
• ⇒ Icelandic: eljari

See also

• eljan
• elskari
• friðla

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “elja”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 110; also available at the Internet Archive