hamingja

English

Noun

hamingja (plural hamingjas)

1. (Norse mythology) A female guardian angel in Norse mythology, believed to accompany a person and decide their luck and happiness.

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse hamingja.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhaːmiɲca/

Noun

hamingja f (genitive singular hamingju, no plural)

1. happiness

   Synonym: sæla

2. luck, fortune

   Synonyms: gæfa, heill, gifta

Declension

Declension of hamingja (sg-only feminine)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	hamingja	hamingjan
accusative	hamingju	hamingjuna
dative	hamingju	hamingjunni
genitive	hamingju	hamingjunnar

Derived terms

• hamingjulaus (“luckless”)
• hamingjusamur (“lucky; happy”)
• til hamingju

Old Norse

Etymology

From an earlier *ham-gengja (“that which goes around in a case or wrapping”), composed of the same elements underlying hamr (“skin, shape”) +‎ ganga (“to go, walk”) (see also gengi (“luck, help”)). Hamingjas were "shapewalker" guardian spirits in Norse mythology who would accompany people and determine their luck.

Noun

hamingja f

1. luck
2. guardian spirit, hamingja

Declension

  Declension of hamingja (weak jōn-stem)

feminine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hamingja	hamingjan	hamingjur	hamingjurnar
accusative	hamingju	hamingjuna	hamingjur	hamingjurnar
dative	hamingju	hamingjunni	hamingjum	hamingjunum
genitive	hamingju	hamingjunnar	hamingja	hamingjanna

Synonyms

• gæfa

Descendants

• Icelandic: hamingja
• Danish: hamingje

Further reading

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