hræ

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse hræ, from Proto-Germanic *hraiwą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /r̥aiː/
• Rhymes: -aiː

Noun

hræ n (genitive singular hræs, nominative plural hræ)

1. carcass; body of a dead animal or human

   Synonyms: lík (usually of a human corpse), nár (“human corpse”)

2. (figuratively, informal) a worn out and useless machine

Usage notes

• It is considered coarse and unbefitting to use this word for a human corpse in the modern language, although it seemed to be commonly used without insult in earlier times.

Declension

Declension of hræ (neuter)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hræ	hræið	hræ	hræin
accusative	hræ	hræið	hræ	hræin
dative	hræi	hræinu	hræjum	hræjunum
genitive	hræs	hræsins	hræja	hræjanna

Derived terms

• bílhræ
• hrææta

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *hraiwą.

Noun

hræ n

1. dead body, corpse, carrion
2. wreck, wreckage, fragments

Declension

Declension of hræ (strong wa-stem)

neuter	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hræ	hræit	hræ	hræin
accusative	hræ	hræit	hræ	hræin
dative	hrævi	hrævinu	hrævum	hrævunum
genitive	hræs	hræsins	hræva	hrævanna

Alternatively, the different forms could be spelled with an -f- instead of an -v-, leading to forms such as hræfi instead of hrævi and hræfar instead of hrævar.

Derived terms

• hrædýri
• hræfugl
• Hræsvelgr

Descendants

• Icelandic: hræ
• Faroese: ræ
• Danish: ræ (archaic)