svangur

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse svangr (“slender, slim, thin”), from svangi (“the groins”), also spelled svangr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsvɛŋkʊɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɛŋkʊɹ

Adjective

svangur (comparative svangari, superlative svangastur)

1. hungry

Declension

Declension of svangur (a13)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	svangur	svong	svangt
accusative	svangan	svanga	svangt
dative	svongum	svangari	svongum
genitive	svangs	svangar	svangs
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	svangir	svangar	svong
accusative	svangar	svangar	svong
dative	svongum	svongum	svongum
genitive	svanga	svanga	svanga

Antonyms

• mettur (full)

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsvauŋkʏr/
• Rhymes: -auŋkʏr

Etymology 1

From Old Norse svangr (“slender, slim, thin”), from Proto-Germanic *swangaz (“thin, slim”). The original meaning in Germanic was probably 'curved inwards', discernible from the derived Old Norse svangi (“flank, groin”), i.e., 'the sides of the abdomen which curve inwards slightly'. Within Icelandic the meaning developed from 'thin' to 'feeling hungry'. Cognates are Faroese svangur (“hungry”), Danish svang (“thin, famished”), Norwegian svang (“hungry”), dialectal Swedish svånger (“thin, hungry, empty”), Middle Swedish svanger (“slender, emaciated, very thin”), Middle High German swanger (“flexible, slender”).

Further origin unsure, perhaps related to Old Irish seng (“narrow, thin”). Not related to Danish svanger, Norwegian svanger, Dutch zwanger, and German schwanger (“pregnant”).

Adjective

svangur (comparative svengri or svangari, superlative svengstur or svangastur)

1. hungry, peckish

   Synonyms: hungraður, soltinn

   Ertu svöng?

   Are you hungry?

   Ég er mjög svangur.

   I'm really hungry.

2. (obsolete) thin, slender, slim

   Synonyms: mjór, grannur, magur, mjósleginn

Declension

positive forms of svangur (umlauted-comp)

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	svangur	svöng	svangt
	accusative	svangan	svanga
	dative	svöngum	svangri	svöngu
	genitive	svangs	svangrar	svangs
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	svangir	svangar	svöng
	accusative	svanga
	dative	svöngum
	genitive	svangra
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	svangi	svanga	svanga
	acc/dat/gen	svanga	svöngu
	plural (all-case)	svöngu

comparative forms of svangur (umlauted-comp)

weak declension (definite)		masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular (all-case)	svengri, svangari	svengri, svangari	svengra, svangara
	plural (all-case)	svengri, svangari

superlative forms of svangur (umlauted-comp)

strong declension (indefinite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	svengstur, svangastur	svengst, svöngust	svengst, svangast
	accusative	svengstan, svangastan	svengsta, svangasta
	dative	svengstum, svöngustum	svengstri, svangastri	svengstu, svöngustu
	genitive	svengsts, svangasts	svengstrar, svangastrar	svengsts, svangasts
	plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	svengstir, svangastir	svengstar, svangastar	svengst, svöngust
	accusative	svengsta, svangasta
	dative	svengstum, svöngustum
	genitive	svengstra, svangastra
weak declension (definite)	singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
	nominative	svengsti, svangasti	svengsta, svangasta	svengsta, svangasta
	acc/dat/gen	svengsta, svangasta	svengstu, svöngustu
	plural (all-case)	svengstu, svöngustu

Derived terms

• ég er svangur (“I am hungry”)

Related terms

• svangi (“flank, groin”)
• svengd (“hunger”)
• svengja (“to be hungry”)

See also

• hungraður

References

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989) Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)
• Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2025), “svangur”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
• Mörður Árnason (2019) Íslensk orðabók, 5th edition, Reykjavík: Forlagið
• “svangur” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)
• “svangur”, in Ritmálssafn Orðabókar Háskólans [The Written Collection of the Lexicological Institute] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, (Can we date this quote?)

Etymology 2

A noun of the adjectival form svangur (“hungry; thin”). Compare the Old Norse svangi (“the groins, especially of animals”) which was also spelled svangr (“the groins, especially of animals”).

Noun

svangur m (genitive singular svangs, no plural)

1. an empty or hungry stomach; used in set phrases

   Ég held að ég fái mér eitthvað í svanginn.

   I think I'll get something to eat.

Usage notes

• In modern Icelandic, this word is predominantly used in the accusative case with a definite article (svanginn) in the set phrase fá sér eitthvað í svanginn (“to get something to eat”).

Declension

Declension of svangur (sg-only masculine)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	svangur	svangurinn
accusative	svang	svanginn
dative	svang	svangnum
genitive	svangs	svangsins

Derived terms

• fá sér í svanginn (“to get something to eat”)