smyrja

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse smyrva, smyrja, from Proto-Germanic *smirwijaną.

Verb

smyrja (third person singular past indicative smurdi, third person plural past indicative smurdu, supine smurt)

1. to smear

Conjugation

Conjugation of smyrja (group v-23)

infinitive	smyrja
supine	smurt
	present	past
first singular	smyrji	smurdi
second singular	smyrt	smurdi
third singular	smyr	smurdi
plural	smyrja	smurdu
participle (a7)1	smyrjandi	smurdur
	imperative
singular	smyr!
plural	smyrjið!

¹Only the past participle being declined.

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse smyrva, smyrja, from Proto-Germanic *smirwijaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsmɪrja/

  Rhymes: -ɪrja

• (non-standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈsmʏrja/

  Rhymes: -ʏrja

Verb

smyrja (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative smurði, supine smurt)

1. to butter; to cover (e.g. a slice of bread) with butter or another spread [with accusative]
2. (by extension) to make, prepare (a slice of bread, sandwich, etc., which might have more than just a spread on it, e.g. ham, cheese, cucumber etc.) [with accusative]
3. to cover with a fatty substance, cream, etc.; smear [with accusative]
4. to oil, grease, lubricate [with accusative]
5. to spread [with dative ‘a thick or fatty substance’, along with adverb or prepositional phrase ‘onto something’]
6. to embalm [with accusative]
7. to anoint [with accusative]
8. (of a fox) to savage (a sheep) on the snout, making it bloody [with accusative]

Related terms

• smjör
• smurning
• smyrsl

References

• Mörður Árnason (2019) ““smyrja””, in Íslensk orðabók, 5th edition, Reykjavík: Forlagið
• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989) “smyrja”, in Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

smyrja (present tense smyr, past tense smurde)

1. (pre-1938) alternative form of smørja

Noun

smyrja f (definite singular smyrja, indefinite plural smyrjer or smyrjor, definite plural smyrjene or smyrjone)

1. (pre-1938) alternative form of smørje

Old Norse

Alternative forms

• smyrva

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *smirwijaną.

Verb

smyrja (singular past indicative smurði, plural past indicative smurðu, past participle smurðr)

1. to anoint, to rub with ointment [with accusative]

Conjugation

Conjugation of smyrja — active (weak class 1)

infinitive	smyrja
present participle	smyrjandi
past participle	smurðr
	indicative			subjunctive
	present	past		present	past
1st person singular	smyr	smurða		smyrja	smyrða
2nd person singular	smyrr	smurðir		smyrir	smyrðir
3rd person singular	smyrr	smurði		smyri	smyrði
1st person plural	smyrjum	smurðum		smyrim	smyrðim
2nd person plural	smyrið	smurðuð		smyrið	smyrðið
3rd person plural	smyrja	smurðu		smyri	smyrði
imperative	present
2nd person singular	smyr
1st person plural	smyrjum
2nd person plural	smyrið

Conjugation of smyrja — mediopassive (weak class 1)

infinitive	smyrjask
present participle	smyrjandisk
past participle	smyrzk
	indicative			subjunctive
	present	past		present	past
1st person singular	smyrjumk	smurðumk		smyrjumk	smyrðumk
2nd person singular	smyrsk	smurðisk		smyrisk	smyrðisk
3rd person singular	smyrsk	smurðisk		smyrisk	smyrðisk
1st person plural	smyrjumsk	smurðumsk		smyrimsk	smyrðimsk
2nd person plural	smyrizk	smurðuzk		smyrizk	smyrðizk
3rd person plural	smyrjask	smurðusk		smyrisk	smyrðisk
imperative	present
2nd person singular	smyrsk
1st person plural	smyrjumsk
2nd person plural	smyrizk

Related terms

• smjǫr
• smyrsl

Descendants

• Icelandic: smyrja
• Faroese: smyrja
• Norwegian Nynorsk: smyrja, smørja, smørje
• Old Swedish: smyria
  • Swedish: smörja
• Old Danish: smyriæ, smøræ
  • Danish: smøre
    • Norwegian Bokmål: smøre

Further reading

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