heiðinn

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse heiðinn.

Adjective

heiðinn (feminine heiðin, neuter heiðið)

1. pagan, heathen

Inflection

    positive (strong declension)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðinn	heiðin	heiðið
accusative	heiðinn	heiðna	heiðið
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

    positive (weak declension)

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	heiðnu	heiðnu	heiðnu
genitive	heiðnu	heiðnu	heiðnu

    comparative

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

    superlative (strong declension)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heiðnastur	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

    superlative (weak declension)

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	heiðnustu	heiðnustu	heiðnustu
genitive	heiðnustu	heiðnustu	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

References

• heiðinn in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, G. T. Zoëga, Clarendon Press, 1910, at Internet Archive.
• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.