stafr

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Norse ᛋᛏᛡᛒᛡ (stᴀbᴀ) (accusative plural), from Proto-Germanic *stabaz, whence also Old English stæf, Old High German stap. Some forms from an i-stem variant *stabiz, whence also Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐍆𐍃 (stafs).

Noun

stafr m (genitive stafs, plural stafir)

1. staff
2. letter (of the Latin or Runic alphabet)

Declension

Declension of stafr (strong i-stem, s-genitive)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	stafr	stafrinn	stafir	stafirnir
accusative	staf	stafinn	stafi	stafina
dative	staf	stafinum	stǫfum	stǫfunum
genitive	stafs	stafsins	stafa	stafanna

Declension of stafr (strong a-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	stafr	stafrinn	stafar	stafarnir
accusative	staf	stafinn	stafa	stafana
dative	stafi	stafinum	stǫfum	stǫfunum
genitive	stafs	stafsins	stafa	stafanna

Derived terms

• bókstafr m (“letter (of the Latin alphabet)”)
• rúnastafr m (“letter of the Runic alphabet”)
• samstafa f (“syllable”)
• Stafangr
• stafkarl m

Descendants

• Icelandic: stafur
• Faroese: stavur
• Norwegian Nynorsk: stav
• Norwegian Bokmål: stav
• Old Swedish: staver
  • Swedish: stav, staf (pre-1906 spelling)
• Old Danish: staf
  • Danish: stav
• Gutnish: stav

Further reading

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