finnball

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From finn +‎ ball, referring to Sami shamans.

(hairball): Attested as finbal by Jacob Nicolai Wilse in 1780 in his dictionary of Spydeberg dialect.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /finːbalː/
• IPA^(key): /fiɲːbaʎː/ (dialects with palatalization)

Noun

finnball m (definite singular finnballen, indefinite plural finnballar, definite plural finnballane)

1. (folklore) a magic hairball, which can be found in cow stomach
2. (folklore) magic force in form of a ball, e.g. a disease sent through air by a wizard, similar to gandfluge, Swedish villappaskott and Komi-Zyrian шева (ševa).

Synonyms

• (magic hairball): bustein
• (both senses): finnskot