geirfugl

Faroese

Noun

geirfugl

1. indefinite accusative singular of geirfuglur

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse geirfugl.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈceir.fʏkl/

Noun

geirfugl m (genitive singular geirfugls, nominative plural geirfuglar)

1. great auk

Declension

Declension of geirfugl (masculine, based on fugl)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	geirfugl	geirfuglinn	geirfuglar	geirfuglarnir
accusative	geirfugl	geirfuglinn	geirfugla	geirfuglana
dative	geirfugli	geirfuglinum	geirfuglum	geirfuglunum
genitive	geirfugls	geirfuglsins	geirfugla	geirfuglanna

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse geirfugl, from geirr (“spear”, referring to the beak) +‎ fugl (“bird”). Cognate with Faroese gorfuglur, geirfuglur, Swedish garfågel and English garefowl.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²jɛɪːrfʊɡl/, (from written form) /²ɡɛɪːr-/
• Note: See pronunciations of -fugl on fugl.

Noun

geirfugl m (definite singular geirfuglen, indefinite plural geirfuglar, definite plural geirfuglane)

1. great auk

Related terms

• geir (“spear”)
• fugl (“bird”)

Old Norse

Etymology

From geirr (“spear”) +‎ fugl (“bird”).

Noun

geirfugl m (genitive geirfugls, plural geirfuglar)

1. great auk
2. gyrfalcon

   Synonym: geirfalki

Declension

Declension of geirfugl (strong a-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	geirfugl	geirfuglinn	geirfuglar	geirfuglarnir
accusative	geirfugl	geirfuglinn	geirfugla	geirfuglana
dative	geirfugli	geirfuglinum	geirfuglum	geirfuglunum
genitive	geirfugls	geirfuglsins	geirfugla	geirfuglanna

Descendants

• Icelandic: geirfugl
• Faroese: gorfuglur, geirfuglur (AD 1605 recorded as goirfugel)
  • → French: gorfou
• Norwegian Nynorsk: geirfugl
• Swedish: garfågel
• Scottish Gaelic: gearra-bhall, gearbhal, gearbhul
  • English: garefowl, gairfowl, gurfel
• → Danish: gejrfugl (through Faroese or Norwegian)
  • Norwegian Bokmål: geirfugl

Further reading

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