hryggur

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈr̥ɪkːʏr/

  Rhymes: -ɪkːʏr

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *hrewwjaz, related to the verb *hrewwaną (“to cause regret”). Cognate with English rue.

Adjective

hryggur (comparative hryggari, superlative hryggastur)

1. sad, regretful, sorrowful, woeful

Declension

positive forms of hryggur

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hryggur	hrygg	hryggt
	accusative	hryggan	hrygga
	dative	hryggum	hryggri	hryggu
	genitive	hryggs	hryggrar	hryggs
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hryggir	hryggar	hrygg
	accusative	hrygga
	dative	hryggum
	genitive	hryggra
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hryggi	hrygga	hrygga
	acc/dat/gen	hrygga	hryggu
	plural (all-case)	hryggu

comparative forms of hryggur

weak declension (definite)		masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular (all-case)	hryggari	hryggari	hryggara
	plural (all-case)	hryggari

superlative forms of hryggur

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hryggastur	hryggust	hryggast
	accusative	hryggastan	hryggasta
	dative	hryggustum	hryggastri	hryggustu
	genitive	hryggasts	hryggastrar	hryggasts
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hryggastir	hryggastar	hryggust
	accusative	hryggasta
	dative	hryggustum
	genitive	hryggastra
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	hryggasti	hryggasta	hryggasta
	acc/dat/gen	hryggasta	hryggustu
	plural (all-case)	hryggustu

Etymology 2

From Old Norse hryggr.

Noun

hryggur m (genitive singular hryggjar or (uncommon except in compounds, sometimes proscribed) hryggs, nominative plural hryggir)

1. (anatomy) the spine, the back
   • 1928, Krummavísa (“Raven Song”, on the Icelandic Wikisource) by Jón Ásgeirsson

     Krummi krunkar úti,
     kallar á nafna sinn:
     „Ég fann höfuð af hrúti
     hrygg og gæruskinn.“
     Komdu nú og kroppaðu með mér,
     krummi nafni minn.

     “Krummi croaks outside,
     calling his namesake:
     ‘I found the head of a ram,
     backbone and sheepskin.’
     Come now and peck with me,
     Krummi, my namesake.”

2. (landscape) a ridge

   Synonym: fjallsás

Declension

Declension of hryggur (masculine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hryggur	hryggurinn	hryggir	hryggirnir
accusative	hrygg	hrygginn	hryggi	hryggina
dative	hrygg	hryggnum	hryggjum	hryggjunum
genitive	hryggjar, hryggs1	hryggjarins, hryggsins1	hryggja	hryggjanna

¹Uncommon except in compounds, sometimes proscribed.

Derived terms

• mjóhryggur