dáð

Forms

dáð f (strong i-stem)^[1] Runic plural taiþir on the Karlevi stone in Öland.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *dēdiz (“deed”),^[4][5] the source also of Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌴𐌸𐍃 (gadēþs), Old English dǣd, Old Frisian dēde, Old Saxon dād and Old High German tāt.^[4] It is an abstract noun in *-ti- from the root of the verb “to do”, Old English dōn and Old High German tuon, which Old Norse does not have.^[6][4]

The root is Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, do”),^[4] also seen in Ancient Greek τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put”) and Latin faciō (“to make”).^[7][6] Trier sought a concrete starting point in timber-frame building, as he did for other words.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Karlevi stone in Öland, of the end of the tenth century by Rundata's dating, says of the dead man that the greatest deeds, maistar · taiþir, followed him.^[3][2] In the manuscripts the word is first dated about 1175, in the Elucidarius text that ONP cites as Eluc674, in dóþ oc speke “virtue and wisdom”.^[8]

Semantic evolution

In prose ONP gives the sense “virtue, capability, courage and drive”, most often in the pair dáð ok drengskapr;^[8] “deed” is found in phrases such as ráð eða dáð and drýgja dáð “to do a daring deed”.^[8] Cleasby and Vigfússon note that the word is rare in prose and that its many compounds, such as dáðrakkr and dáðsterkr, are poetic epithets.^[9] In skaldic poetry the plural dáðir means glorious deeds, of kings and of saints' miracles.^[10] Hellquist sees the older sense “doing” kept in fordæða “witch”, properly “one who destroys”.^[11]

It continues as Icelandic dáð, Faroese dáð, Swedish dåd and Danish dåd.^[7][6]

Timeline

• 900s – plural taiþir “deeds” on the Karlevi stone, late in the century by Rundata's dating.^[3][2]
• 1175 – “virtue” in the Elucidarius.^[8]
• 1270 – daðer ok drængskaper in Strengleikar.^[8]
• 1280 – falla með dað oc drengscap “to fall with valour and honour” in Alexanders saga.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. virtue, capability; valour, courage and drive.^[8][12]
2. a deed, especially a daring one;^[12][8] drýgja dáð to do a brave deed.^[12][8]

Word family

• manndáð
• ódáð
• dáðgjarn
• dáðrakkr
• dáðsterkr
• dáðvandr

Descendants

• Icelandic dáð^[1]
• Faroese dáð^[1]
• Norwegian Nynorsk dåd^[1]
• Old Swedish dāþ^[1]
• Swedish dåd^[1]
• Old Danish dāth^[1]
• Danish dåd^[1]

Related words

• fordæða

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Peterson, Lena (2006), Svenskt runordsregister, 3rd rev. ed., Runrön 2, Uppsala: Institutionen för nordiska språk
3. ^ a b c Samnordisk runtextdatabas (Rundata 3.1), Uppsala universitet (inscriptions by signum), p. Öl 1
4. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 92
5. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 72
6. ^ a b c d de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 71
7. ^ a b Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans, ordsifjabok.arnastofnun.is, p. s.v. dáð
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ordbog over det norrøne prosasprog / A Dictionary of Old Norse Prose, Copenhagen, onp.ku.dk (CC BY-SA 4.0), p. s.v. dáð
9. ^ Cleasby, Richard; Vigfússon, Guðbrandur (1874), An Icelandic-English Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 97
10. ^ Sveinbjörn Egilsson (1860), Lexicon poeticum antiquæ linguæ septentrionalis, Hafniæ: Societas regia antiquariorum septentrionalium, p. 96
11. ^ Hellquist, Elof (1922), Svensk etymologisk ordbok, Lund, p. s.v. dåd
12. ^ a b c Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. dáð