svefn

Icelandic

Alternative forms

• svöfn (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Norse svefn, from Proto-Germanic *swefnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *swépnos, an extension of *swep- (“sleep”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /svɛpn/

  Rhymes: -ɛpn

Noun

svefn m (genitive singular svefns, no plural)

1. sleep

   Antonyms: vaka, vakning

2. (archaic) a dream

Declension

Declension of svefn (sg-only masculine)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	svefn	svefninn
accusative	svefn	svefninn
dative	svefni	svefninum
genitive	svefns	svefnsins

Derived terms

in phrases

• falla í svefn (“to fall asleep”) (uncommon)
• í fasta svefni (“to be sound asleep”)
• leggjast til svefns (“to go to bed”)
• sofna svefninum langa, sofna hinsta svefni (“to die”)
• svefninn langi (“death”)
• tala upp úr svefni (“to sleep talk”)

in compound words

• djúpsvefn
• smásvefn
• svefnbekkur
• svefnfriður
• svefnherbergi n (“bedroom”)
• svefnklefi
• svefnlaus
• svefnleysi n (“insomnia”)
• svefnleysislegur
• svefnléttur
• svefnlyf
• svefnmeðal
• svefnmók
• svefnpilla
• svefnpoka
• svefnpurka f (“sleepyhead, lie-a-bed, sluggard”)
• svefnrof
• svefnró
• svefnsófi
• svefnsýki
• svefntafla
• svefnugur
• svefnvana
• svefnþungur
• vetrarsvefn

Related terms

• sofa

Old Norse

Alternative forms

• sömn — non, Trønder dialect of Old Norwegian

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *swefnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *swépnos, an extension of *swep- (“sleep”). Cognate with Old Saxon sweƀan, Old English swefn, English sweven. The Indo-European root also led to Ancient Greek ὕπνος (húpnos), Latin somnus, Old Irish suan, Old Church Slavonic съпати (sŭpati), Russian спать (spatʹ), Latvian sapnis.

Noun

svefn m

1. sleep

Declension

Declension of svefn (strong a-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	svefn	svefninn	svefnar	svefnarnir
accusative	svefn	svefninn	svefna	svefnana
dative	svefni	svefninum	svefnum	svefnunum
genitive	svefns	svefnsins	svefna	svefnanna

Related terms

• sofa
• sofna

Descendants

• Icelandic: svefn, svöfn
• Faroese: svøvnur
• Norwegian Nynorsk: svebn, svemn, svevn, svøbn, svømn, sømn, søvn
• Elfdalian: swemmen
• Old Swedish: syfn, sømn
  • Swedish: sömn
• Old Danish: syfn, søfn
  • Danish: søvn
    • Norwegian Bokmål: søvn
• Gutnish: svivn, syvn, svämn, svömn

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “svefn”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive
• M. Hægstad (1899) Gamalt trøndermaal : upplysningar um maalet i Trøndelag fyrr 1350 og ei utgreiding um vokalverket, page 1</ref>