fåfængt

Danish

FWOTD – 20 October 2020

Etymology

From Old Danish fofæng, a compound of få (“few”) and a cognate of the Germanic adjective *fangiz (“catchable”), literally "catching only a little". Reintroduced in the 19th century from Norwegian Nynorsk fåfengd and Swedish fåfäng.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfɔˀˌfɛŋˀd̥]

Adjective

fåfængt (plural and definite singular attributive fåfængte)

1. (archaic) futile, vain

   Synonym: forgæves

   • 1911, Axel Borge (trans), Sven Anders Hedin, Transhimalaya, p. 103:
   • Ja, men det er bedre end den stadige Blæst, den skarpe Kulde og den faafængte Venten paa Regn.

     Well, it is better than the constant wind, the severe cold and the futile waiting for rain.

   • 1933, Biblen paa Dansk, Psalm 2:1:

     Hvorfor fnyser Hedninger, hvi pønser Folkefærd på hvad fåfængt er?

     Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

References

• “faafængt” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog