hreinn

See also: Hreinn

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /r̥eitn/
• Rhymes: -eitn
• Homophone: Hreinn

Etymology 1

From Old Norse hreinn, from Proto-Germanic *hrainiz.

Adjective

hreinn (comparative hreinni, superlative hreinastur)

1. clean

   Antonyms: óhreinn, skítugur

   hreinn skyr ― plain skyr

2. pure
3. (slang, figuratively) virgin

   Ertu ennþá hreinn?

   Are you still a virgin? (referring to a man)

   Ertu ennþá hrein?

   Are you still a virgin? (referring to a woman)

Declension

positive forms of hreinn

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hreinn	hrein	hreint
	accusative	hreinan	hreina
	dative	hreinum	hreinni	hreinu
	genitive	hreins	hreinnar	hreins
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hreinir	hreinar	hrein
	accusative	hreina
	dative	hreinum
	genitive	hreinna
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hreini	hreina	hreina
	acc/dat/gen	hreina	hreinu
	plural (all-case)	hreinu

comparative forms of hreinn

weak declension (definite)		masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular (all-case)	hreinni	hreinni	hreinna
	plural (all-case)	hreinni

superlative forms of hreinn

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hreinastur	hreinust	hreinast
	accusative	hreinastan	hreinasta
	dative	hreinustum	hreinastri	hreinustu
	genitive	hreinasts	hreinastrar	hreinasts
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hreinastir	hreinastar	hreinust
	accusative	hreinasta
	dative	hreinustum
	genitive	hreinastra
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hreinasti	hreinasta	hreinasta
	acc/dat/gen	hreinasta	hreinustu
	plural (all-case)	hreinustu

Derived terms

• hreinleiki
• hreinn sveinn (“male virgin”)
• hrein mey (“female virgin”)
• hreinlega

Etymology 2

From Old Norse hreinn.

Noun

hreinn m (genitive singular hreins, nominative plural hreinar)

1. (male) reindeer

Declension

Declension of hreinn (masculine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hreinn	hreinninn	hreinar	hreinarnir
accusative	hrein	hreininn	hreina	hreinana
dative	hreini	hreininum	hreinum	hreinunum
genitive	hreins	hreinsins	hreina	hreinanna

Derived terms

• hreindýr

Old Norse

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *hrainaz, most likely derived from Proto-Indo-European *ḱérh₂-s (“horn”). Akin to German Ren (“reindeer”) and Old English hrān (“reindeer”).

Noun

hreinn m (genitive hreins, plural hreinar)

2. reindeer

   Synonym: hreindýri

Declension

Declension of hreinn (strong a-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hreinn	hreinninn	hreinar	hreinarnir
accusative	hrein	hreininn	hreina	hreinana
dative	hreini	hreininum	hreinum	hreinunum
genitive	hreins	hreinsins	hreina	hreinanna

Derived terms

• hreinbjalbi m
• hreindýri n
• hreinstaka f

Descendants

• Icelandic: hreinn
• Faroese: rein-, (reindýr, reindjór)
• Norwegian Nynorsk: rein
  • → Norwegian Bokmål: rein
• Old Swedish: rēn
  • Swedish: ren
• Danish: ren
• → Old English: hrān
• → German: Ren

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “hreinn”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 208; also available at the Internet Archive

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *hrainiz.

Adjective

hreinn (comparative hreinni, superlative hreinstr)

2. clean
3. bright
4. clear
5. pure, sincere

Declension

Strong declension of hreinn

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hreinn	hrein	hreint
accusative	hreinan	hreina	hreint
dative	hreinum	hreinni	hreinu
genitive	hreins	hreinnar	hreins
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hreinir	hreinar	hrein
accusative	hreina	hreinar	hrein
dative	hreinum	hreinum	hreinum
genitive	hreinna	hreinna	hreinna

Weak declension of hreinn

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hreini	hreina	hreina
accusative	hreina	hreinu	hreina
dative	hreina	hreinu	hreina
genitive	hreina	hreinu	hreina
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hreinu	hreinu	hreinu
accusative	hreinu	hreinu	hreinu
dative	hreinum	hreinum	hreinum
genitive	hreinu	hreinu	hreinu

Declension of comparative of hreinn

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hreinni	hreinni	hreinna
accusative	hreinna	hreinni	hreinna
dative	hreinna	hreinni	hreinna
genitive	hreinna	hreinni	hreinna
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hreinni	hreinni	hreinni
accusative	hreinni	hreinni	hreinni
dative	hreinnum	hreinnum	hreinnum
genitive	hreinni	hreinni	hreinni

Strong declension of superlative of hreinn

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hreinstr	hreinst	hreinst
accusative	hreinstan	hreinsta	hreinst
dative	hreinstum	hreinstri	hreinstu
genitive	hreinsts	hreinstrar	hreinsts
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hreinstir	hreinstar	hreinst
accusative	hreinsta	hreinstar	hreinst
dative	hreinstum	hreinstum	hreinstum
genitive	hreinstra	hreinstra	hreinstra

Weak declension of superlative of hreinn

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hreinsti	hreinsta	hreinsta
accusative	hreinsta	hreinstu	hreinsta
dative	hreinsta	hreinstu	hreinsta
genitive	hreinsta	hreinstu	hreinsta
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hreinstu	hreinstu	hreinstu
accusative	hreinstu	hreinstu	hreinstu
dative	hreinstum	hreinstum	hreinstum
genitive	hreinstu	hreinstu	hreinstu

Derived terms

• hreinferði n (“purity”)
• hreinferðugr (“pure, chaste”)
• hreinhjartaðr (“pure of heart”)
• hreinleikr m (“cleanliness; chastity”)
• hreinlifnaðr m (“pure life”)
• hreinliga (“cleanly”)
• hreinligr (“clean, pure”)
• hreinlyndr (“clean of heart”)
• hreinlátr (“clean, chaste”)
• hreinlæti n (“cleanness”)
• hreinlífi n (“pure life”)
• hreinlífr (“pure of life”)
• hreinmannligr (“of a noble or manly bearing”)
• óhreinn (“unclean”)

Related terms

• hreinsa

Descendants

• Icelandic: hreinn
• Faroese: reinur
• Norwegian Nynorsk: rein
  • → Norwegian Bokmål: rein
• Elfdalian: rien
• Old Swedish: rēn
  • Swedish: ren
• Danish: ren
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ren
• Gutnish: rainar, rain

Further reading

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