kostr

See also: kǫstr

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *kustuz (“trial, choice”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵéwstus (“taste”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵews-. Compare with Latin gustus.

Noun

kostr m (genitive kostar, plural kostir)

1. choice, alternative

   mun ek engan kost á gøra

   I will give no choice in the matter

2. choice, terms

   hugsat hefi ek kostinn

   I have thought over the terms

3. choice, chance, opportunity
4. match
5. state, condition
6. cost, expense
7. means, victuals, provisions
8. food
9. board
10. stores, goods
11. good quality, good things

    segja kost ok lǫst á einhverju

    to tell both the good and the bad of something

12. virtue

Declension

Declension of kostr (strong u-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	kostr	kostrinn	kostir	kostirnir
accusative	kost	kostinn	kosti, kostu	kostina, kostuna
dative	kosti	kostinum	kostum	kostunum
genitive	kostar	kostarins	kosta	kostanna

Note the irregular lack of umlaut.

Antonyms

• lǫstr (antonym(s) of “virtue”):

Derived terms

• afarkostr
• kostnaðr

Related terms

• kjósa

Descendants

• Icelandic: kostur
• Faroese: kostur
• Norwegian Nynorsk: kost
• Norwegian Bokmål: kost
• Old Swedish: koster, kuster
  • Swedish: kost, like in farkost
• Danish: kost
• → Old English: cost
  • Middle English: cost
    • English: cost

Further reading

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