fǫlr

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *falwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *polHwós (“pale, gray”).

Adjective

fǫlr (accusative fǫlvan)

1. pale

   fǫlr sem aska (gras, nár)

   pale as ashes (grass, a corpse)

   hann gørði fǫlvan

   he turned pale

   • 1000s, Sigtuna box

     ᚠᚢᚼᛚ × ᚢᛅᛚᚢᛅ × ᛋᛚᛅᛁᛏ × ᚠᛅᛚᚢᚬᚾ × ᚠᚬᚾᚴᛆᚢᚴ × ᚬᚾᚬᛋᛅᚢᚴᛅ
     fuhl × ualua × slait × faluąn × fąnkauk × ąnąsauka

     fugl velva sleit fǫlvan / fann gauk á nás auka

     A bird tore the pale robber apart / one found an increase/swelling [of the stomach] on the corpse-bird.

Declension

Strong declension of fǫlr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fǫlr	fǫl	fǫlt
accusative	fǫlvan	fǫlva	fǫlt
dative	fǫlum	fǫlri	fǫlu
genitive	fǫls	fǫlrar	fǫls
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fǫlvir	fǫlvar	fǫl
accusative	fǫlva	fǫlvar	fǫl
dative	fǫlum	fǫlum	fǫlum
genitive	fǫlra	fǫlra	fǫlra

Weak declension of fǫlr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fǫlvi	fǫlva	fǫlva
accusative	fǫlva	fǫlu	fǫlva
dative	fǫlva	fǫlu	fǫlva
genitive	fǫlva	fǫlu	fǫlva
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fǫlu	fǫlu	fǫlu
accusative	fǫlu	fǫlu	fǫlu
dative	fǫlum	fǫlum	fǫlum
genitive	fǫlu	fǫlu	fǫlu

Declension of comparative of fǫlr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fǫlvari	fǫlvari	fǫlvara
accusative	fǫlvara	fǫlvari	fǫlvara
dative	fǫlvara	fǫlvari	fǫlvara
genitive	fǫlvara	fǫlvari	fǫlvara
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fǫlvari	fǫlvari	fǫlvari
accusative	fǫlvari	fǫlvari	fǫlvari
dative	fǫlurum	fǫlurum	fǫlurum
genitive	fǫlvari	fǫlvari	fǫlvari

Strong declension of superlative of fǫlr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fǫlvastr	fǫlust	fǫlvast
accusative	fǫlvastan	fǫlvasta	fǫlvast
dative	fǫlustum	fǫlvastri	fǫlustu
genitive	fǫlvasts	fǫlvastrar	fǫlvasts
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fǫlvastir	fǫlvastar	fǫlust
accusative	fǫlvasta	fǫlvastar	fǫlust
dative	fǫlustum	fǫlustum	fǫlustum
genitive	fǫlvastra	fǫlvastra	fǫlvastra

Weak declension of superlative of fǫlr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fǫlvasti	fǫlvasta	fǫlvasta
accusative	fǫlvasta	fǫlustu	fǫlvasta
dative	fǫlvasta	fǫlustu	fǫlvasta
genitive	fǫlvasta	fǫlustu	fǫlvasta
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fǫlustu	fǫlustu	fǫlustu
accusative	fǫlustu	fǫlustu	fǫlustu
dative	fǫlustum	fǫlustum	fǫlustum
genitive	fǫlustu	fǫlustu	fǫlustu

Derived terms

• fǫlna (“to palen, turn pale”)
• fǫlnan
• fǫlski
• niðfǫlr

Descendants

• Icelandic: fölur
• Faroese: følin
• Old Swedish:
  • Swedish: fal

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “fölr”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 157; also available at the Internet Archive