heiðinn

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse heiðinn.

Adjective

heiðinn (feminine heiðin, neuter heiðið)

1. pagan, heathen

Declension

positive forms of heiðinn

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	heiðinn	heiðin	heiðið
	accusative	heiðinn	heiðna
	dative	heiðnum	heiðinni	heiðnu
	genitive	heiðins	heiðinnar	heiðins
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	heiðnir	heiðnar	heiðin
	accusative	heiðna
	dative	heiðnum
	genitive	heiðinna
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	heiðni	heiðna	heiðna
	acc/dat/gen	heiðna	heiðnu
	plural (all-case)	heiðnu

comparative forms of heiðinn

weak declension (definite)		masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular (all-case)	heiðnari	heiðnari	heiðnara
	plural (all-case)	heiðnari

superlative forms of heiðinn

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	heiðnastur	heiðnust	heiðnast
	accusative	heiðnastan	heiðnasta
	dative	heiðnustum	heiðnastri	heiðnustu
	genitive	heiðnasts	heiðnastrar	heiðnasts
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	heiðnastir	heiðnastar	heiðnust
	accusative	heiðnasta
	dative	heiðnustum
	genitive	heiðnastra
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	heiðnasti	heiðnasta	heiðnasta
	acc/dat/gen	heiðnasta	heiðnustu
	plural (all-case)	heiðnustu

Derived terms

• heiðnir menn (“heathens”)
• heiðni f (“heathenism, the heathen country, the time of heathendom”)
• heiðin-dómur (“heathendom”)
• heiðingi m (“heathen, gentile”, noun)
• heiðinglegur (“heathen”, adjective)
• heiðnast (“to become heathen”)

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *haiþinaz, probably a specifically Christian use of the base of heiðr (“uncultivated land”). Compare Old English hæþen.

Adjective

heiðinn

1. heathen, pagan
2. unbaptized

   heiðit barn

   an unbaptized child

Declension

Strong declension of heiðinn

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðinn	heiðin	heiðit
accusative	heiðnan	heiðna	heiðit
dative	heiðnum	heiðinni	heiðnu
genitive	heiðins	heiðinnar	heiðins
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðnir	heiðnar	heiðin
accusative	heiðna	heiðnar	heiðin
dative	heiðnum	heiðnum	heiðnum
genitive	heiðinna	heiðinna	heiðinna

Weak declension of heiðinn

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðni	heiðna	heiðna
accusative	heiðna	heiðnu	heiðna
dative	heiðna	heiðnu	heiðna
genitive	heiðna	heiðnu	heiðna
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðnu	heiðnu	heiðnu
accusative	heiðnu	heiðnu	heiðnu
dative	heiðnum	heiðnum	heiðnum
genitive	heiðnu	heiðnu	heiðnu

Declension of comparative of heiðinn

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðnari	heiðnari	heiðnara
accusative	heiðnara	heiðnari	heiðnara
dative	heiðnara	heiðnari	heiðnara
genitive	heiðnara	heiðnari	heiðnara
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðnari	heiðnari	heiðnari
accusative	heiðnari	heiðnari	heiðnari
dative	heiðnurum	heiðnurum	heiðnurum
genitive	heiðnari	heiðnari	heiðnari

Strong declension of superlative of heiðinn

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðnastr	heiðnust	heiðnast
accusative	heiðnastan	heiðnasta	heiðnast
dative	heiðnustum	heiðnastri	heiðnustu
genitive	heiðnasts	heiðnastrar	heiðnasts
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðnastir	heiðnastar	heiðnust
accusative	heiðnasta	heiðnastar	heiðnust
dative	heiðnustum	heiðnustum	heiðnustum
genitive	heiðnastra	heiðnastra	heiðnastra

Weak declension of superlative of heiðinn

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðnasti	heiðnasta	heiðnasta
accusative	heiðnasta	heiðnustu	heiðnasta
dative	heiðnasta	heiðnustu	heiðnasta
genitive	heiðnasta	heiðnustu	heiðnasta
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðnustu	heiðnustu	heiðnustu
accusative	heiðnustu	heiðnustu	heiðnustu
dative	heiðnustum	heiðnustum	heiðnustum
genitive	heiðnustu	heiðnustu	heiðnustu

Descendants

• ⇒ Danish: hedensk
  • → Norwegian Bokmål: hedensk
• Icelandic: heiðinn
• Old Swedish: heþin
  • Swedish: heden

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “heiðinn”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 190; also available at the Internet Archive
• James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Heiðinn”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC.