hamskifte

Danish

Etymology

ham (“skin”) +‎ skifte (“change”)

Noun

hamskifte

1. (mythology, fantasy) shapeshifting
   • 2015, Niels Hein, Ulv!: Dyret - myten - fremtiden, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN:

     Fænomenet hamskifte har også dette lovløse aspekt. Det er en bogstavelig forvandling til ulv. Hamskifte skal ikke forveksles med varulve, som vi kender fra middelalderens overtro eller fra nutidens popkultur.

     The phenomenon of shape-shifting also has this lawless aspect. It is a literal transformation into wolf. Shape-shifting should not be confused for werewolves, which we know from Medieval superstition or from present-day pop culture.

   • 2011, Annette Lassen, Odin på kristent pergament, Museum Tusculanum Press, →ISBN, page 247:

     Jeg har nævnt, at sejd anvendes i forbindelse med kampene i Gǫngu-Hrólfs saga. Heller ikke synskhed endsige evnen til hamskifte er forbeholdt guder.

     I have mentioned that seiðr [a kind of magic] is used in connection to the fight scenes in the saga of Gǫngu-Hrólf. Nor is psychicness, let alone the ability of shape-shifting preserved for the gods.

Declension

Declension of hamskifte

neuter gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hamskifte	hamskiftet	hamskifter	hamskifterne
genitive	hamskiftes	hamskiftets	hamskifters	hamskifternes

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From ham (“outer skin, fur, feathers”) +‎ skifte.

Noun

hamskifte n (definite singular hamskiftet, indefinite plural hamskifter, definite plural hamskifta or hamskiftene)

1. (zoology, also figurative) shedding of skin, moult, moulting

References

• “hamskifte” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “hamskifte” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From ham (“outer skin, fur, feathers”) +‎ skifte.

Noun

hamskifte n (definite singular hamskiftet, indefinite plural hamskifte, definite plural hamskifta)

1. (zoology, also figurative) shedding of skin, moult, moulting

References

• “hamskifte” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.