ekkja

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse ekkja, from Proto-Germanic *ainakjǭ, related to Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌺𐌻𐍃 (ainakls, “alone”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛʰt͡ʃːa/

  Rhymes: -ɛʰt͡ʃːa

Noun

ekkja f (genitive singular ekkju, plural ekkjur)

1. (archaic) widow

Declension

f1	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ekkja	ekkjan	ekkjur	ekkjurnar
accusative	ekkju	ekkjuna	ekkjur	ekkjurnar
dative	ekkju	ekkjuni	ekkjum	ekkjunum
genitive	ekkju	ekkjunnar	ekkja	ekkjanna

Synonyms

• einkja

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse ekkja, from Proto-Germanic *ainakjǭ, related to Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌺𐌻𐍃 (ainakls, “alone”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛhca/

  Rhymes: -ɛhca

Noun

ekkja f (genitive singular ekkju, nominative plural ekkjur)

1. widow

Declension

Declension of ekkja (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ekkja	ekkjan	ekkjur	ekkjurnar
accusative	ekkju	ekkjuna	ekkjur	ekkjurnar
dative	ekkju	ekkjunni	ekkjum	ekkjunum
genitive	ekkju	ekkjunnar	ekkna	ekknanna

Related terms

• ekkill

References

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), “ekkja”, in Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)

Old Norse

Alternative forms

• ęnkja — Old East Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ainakjǭ, related to Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌺𐌻𐍃 (ainakls, “alone”).

Noun

ekkja f

1. widow
2. (poetic) maiden, lass
   • c. 850, Þjóðólfr of Hvinir, Haustlǫng, stanza 15:

     seðr gekk Svǫlnis ekkja / sundr

     at once the wife of Svǫlnir [= Earth] split asunder.

Descendants

• Icelandic: ekkja
• Faroese: ekkja
• Norwegian Nynorsk: ekkje (today non-standard)
• Old Danish: ænkia
  • Danish: enke
  • Faroese: einkja
  • Norwegian Bokmål: enke
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: enke, enkje
• Old Swedish: ænkia
  • Elfdalian: aintja
  • Swedish: änka

See also

• hæll

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), “ekkja”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive
• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), “ekkja”, in Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)