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kerling. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
kerling, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
kerling in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
kerling you have here. The definition of the word
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Icelandic
Etymology
From Old Norse kerling.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈcʰɛrtliŋk/ (more formal, used especially in senses 1 and 2)
- IPA(key): /ˈcʰɛtliŋk/
- Rhymes: -ɛtliŋk
Noun
kerling f (genitive singular kerlingar, nominative plural kerlingar)
- (old) woman
- (chiefly historical) a lower-class woman, as opposed to frú, dama, maddama
- (derogatory) wuss, wimp (referring to a man or boy)
- (informal, sometimes derogatory) wife
- a general term of endearment for a female; girl, old girl
Declension
Old Norse
Etymology
From karl + -ing.
Noun
kerling f (genitive kerlingar, plural kerlingar)
- woman, wife
- old woman
Declension
Derived terms
Descendants
Further reading
- Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “kerling”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive