alda bǫrn

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Old Norse

Etymology

From genitive plural of ǫld + plural of barn. Has parallels in Old English ielda bearn and Old Saxon eldibarn, possibly stemming from a Proto-Germanic *aldijǫ̂ barnō.

Noun

alda bǫrn n pl (genitive alda barna)

  1. (poetic, kenning) "sons of men"; mankind
    • Vǫluspá, verse 20, in 1867, S. Bugge, Norrœn fornkvæði: Sæmundar Edda hins fróða. Christiania, page 4:
      Þaðan koma meyjar / margs vitandi
      þrjár, ór þeim sal / er und þolli stendr;
      Urð hétu eina, / aðra Verðandi,
      skáru á skíði, / Skuld ina þriðju;
      þær lög lögðu, / þær líf kuru
      alda börnum, / örlög seggja.
      Thence come maidens / much knowing
      three from the hall / which under that tree stands;
      Urd hight the one, / the second Verdandi,
      on a tablet they graved, / Skuld the third;
      Laws they established, / life allotted
      to the sons of men, / destinies pronounced.

Declension