leyfa

See also: leifa

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse leyfa, from Proto-Germanic *(uz)laubijaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈleiːva/
• Rhymes: -eiːva
• Homophone: leifa

Verb

leyfa (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative leyfði, supine leyft)

1. to allow, to permit, to give permission for [with accusative ‘something’]
2. to allow, to permit, to give (someone) permission for [with dative ‘someone’, along with accusative ‘something’ or að (+ infinitive) ‘to do something’]
   • Timothy 2:11-12 (English, Icelandic)

     Konan á að læra í kyrrþey, í allri undirgefni. Ekki leyfi ég konu að kenna eða taka sér vald yfir manninum, heldur á hún að vera kyrrlát.

     A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.

   Ég leyfði honum að leika sér með boltann.

   I gave him permission to play with his ball.

Conjugation

leyfa – active voice (germynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að leyfa
supine sagnbót		leyft
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		leyfandi
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	leyfi	leyfði		leyfi	leyfði
	þú	leyfir	leyfðir		leyfir	leyfðir
	hann, hún, það	leyfir	leyfði		leyfi	leyfði
plural	við	leyfum	leyfðum		leyfum	leyfðum
	þið	leyfið	leyfðuð		leyfið	leyfðuð
	þeir, þær, þau	leyfa	leyfðu		leyfi	leyfðu
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	leyf (þú), leyfðu
plural	þið	leyfið (þið), leyfiði1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

leyfast – mediopassive voice (miðmynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að leyfast
supine sagnbót		leyfst
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		leyfandist (rare; see appendix)
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	leyfist	leyfðist		leyfist	leyfðist
	þú	leyfist	leyfðist		leyfist	leyfðist
	hann, hún, það	leyfist	leyfðist		leyfist	leyfðist
plural	við	leyfumst	leyfðumst		leyfumst	leyfðumst
	þið	leyfist	leyfðust		leyfist	leyfðust
	þeir, þær, þau	leyfast	leyfðust		leyfist	leyfðust
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	leyfst (þú), leyfstu
plural	þið	leyfist (þið), leyfisti1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

leyfður — past participle (lýsingarháttur þátíðar)

strong declension (sterk beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	leyfður	leyfð	leyft	leyfðir	leyfðar	leyfð
accusative (þolfall)	leyfðan	leyfða	leyft	leyfða	leyfðar	leyfð
dative (þágufall)	leyfðum	leyfðri	leyfðu	leyfðum	leyfðum	leyfðum
genitive (eignarfall)	leyfðs	leyfðrar	leyfðs	leyfðra	leyfðra	leyfðra
weak declension (veik beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	leyfði	leyfða	leyfða	leyfðu	leyfðu	leyfðu
accusative (þolfall)	leyfða	leyfðu	leyfða	leyfðu	leyfðu	leyfðu
dative (þágufall)	leyfða	leyfðu	leyfða	leyfðu	leyfðu	leyfðu
genitive (eignarfall)	leyfða	leyfðu	leyfða	leyfðu	leyfðu	leyfðu

Related terms

• leyfi

Old Norse

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *laubijaną, whence also Old English līfan, lēfan, lȳfan, Old High German gilouben (“believe”) and irlouben (“allow”) (German glauben, erlauben), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 (uslaubjan, “allow”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to hold dear; love”).

Verb

leyfa

1. to allow, permit
2. to praise
   • c. 825, Bragi “the Old” Boddason, Ragnarsdrápa, stanza 1:

     Vilið, Hrafnketill, heyra,
     hvé hreingróit steini
     Þrúðar skalk ok þengil
     þjófs ilja blað leyfa?

     Do you wish, Hrafnketill, to hear how I shall praise the leaf of the footsoles of the thief of Þrúðr <goddess> [= Hrungnir > SHIELD], bright-planted with colour, and the prince?

   • c. 850, anonymous author, Hávamǫ́l:

     At kveldi skal dag leyfa · konu er brennd er
     mę́ki er reyndr er, · mey er gefin er,
     ís er yfir kømr, · ǫl er drukkit er.

     At evening shall one praise day, a woman when she is burned, a sword when it is tested, a maiden when she is married off, ice when one comes over, ale when it is drunk.

Conjugation

Conjugation of leyfa — active (weak class 1)

infinitive	leyfa
present participle	leyfandi
past participle	leyfðr
	indicative			subjunctive
	present	past		present	past
1st person singular	leyfi	leyfða		leyfa	leyfða
2nd person singular	leyfir	leyfðir		leyfir	leyfðir
3rd person singular	leyfir	leyfði		leyfi	leyfði
1st person plural	leyfum	leyfðum		leyfim	leyfðim
2nd person plural	leyfið	leyfðuð		leyfið	leyfðið
3rd person plural	leyfa	leyfðu		leyfi	leyfði
imperative	present
2nd person singular	leyf, leyfi
1st person plural	leyfum
2nd person plural	leyfið

Conjugation of leyfa — mediopassive (weak class 1)

infinitive	leyfask
present participle	leyfandisk
past participle	leyfzk
	indicative			subjunctive
	present	past		present	past
1st person singular	leyfumk	leyfðumk		leyfumk	leyfðumk
2nd person singular	leyfisk	leyfðisk		leyfisk	leyfðisk
3rd person singular	leyfisk	leyfðisk		leyfisk	leyfðisk
1st person plural	leyfumsk	leyfðumsk		leyfimsk	leyfðimsk
2nd person plural	leyfizk	leyfðuzk		leyfizk	leyfðizk
3rd person plural	leyfask	leyfðusk		leyfisk	leyfðisk
imperative	present
2nd person singular	leyfsk, leyfisk
1st person plural	leyfumsk
2nd person plural	leyfizk

Related terms

• leyfi n (“permission”)
• leyfð f (“praise”)
• lof n (“praise, leave, permission”)

Descendants

• Icelandic: leyfa
• Faroese: loyva
• Norwegian Nynorsk: løyva
  • → Norwegian Bokmål: løyve

Further reading

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

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

leyfa

1. genitive plural of leyfi