smiðja

Forms

smiðja f (genitive smiðju, plural smiðjur) (weak jōn-stem)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *smiþjǭ (“smithy”),^[1][2] derived from Proto-Germanic *smiþaz (“smith”), the source of smiðr.^[2][3] The same noun is Old English smiþþe, Old Frisian smithe and Old High German smitta.^[4][2] Kroonen sets up the word for “smith” as a u-stem *smiþu- and finds no further etymology,^[5] while Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon thinks the group probably related to Ancient Greek σμίλη (smílē, “knife”) and a root Proto-Indo-European *smē̆i- (“to cut”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Menota first dates the word in Holm perg 4 fol (1275–1300), with many forms (smiðju, smiðjunni, smiðjan).^[7] Fritzner quotes from the same story gengr Amelias til smiðju sínnar ok allir hans sveinar “Amelias goes to his smithy, and all his lads”.^[8]

Semantic evolution

Fritzner gives first the general sense “workshop” and then the smith's forge.^[8][9] In skaldic kennings the mouth is galdra smiðja “smithy of spells” and the breast bænar smiðja “smithy of prayer”.^[10][11]

The word lives on as Icelandic smiðja, Swedish smedja and Danish smedje,^[3][1] and the English word smithy, recorded from about 1200, comes from it.^[12]

Timeline

• 1275–1300 – smiðju, smiðjan in Holm perg 4 fol.^[7]
• 1276–1300 – the plural smiðjur in Holm perg 34 4to.^[13]
• 1320–1350 – smiðju in Egils saga in AM 132 fol.^[14]

Meanings

Noun

1. a workshop.^[8][9]
2. a smithy, a forge.^[15][16]

Word family

• smiðjubelgr
• smiðjubúð
• smiðjuhús
• smiðjusveinn
• smiðjutól
• smiðjuverk
• smiðjudyrr

Descendants

• Icelandic smiðja^[1]
• Faroese smiðja^[1]
• Norwegian Nynorsk smidja^[1]
• Norwegian Bokmål smie^[1]
• Swedish smedja^[1]
• Danish smedje^[1]
• Middle English smythy (→ English smithy)^[1]

Related words

• smiðr
• smíð
• smíða

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 355
3. ^ a b Hellquist, Elof (1922), Svensk etymologisk ordbok, Lund, p. s.v. smedja
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
5. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 460
6. ^ Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans, ordsifjabok.arnastofnun.is, p. s.v. smíð
7. ^ a b Menota: Medieval Nordic Text Archive, menota.org (texts by shelfmark; CC BY-SA 4.0), p. Holm perg 4 fol
8. ^ a b c Fritzner, Johan (1886–1896), Ordbog over det gamle norske Sprog, 2nd ed., Kristiania, p. s.v. smiðja
9. ^ a b Faulkes, Anthony (2011), A New Introduction to Old Norse III: Glossary and Index of Names, 4th ed., London: Viking Society for Northern Research, p. s.v. smiðja
10. ^ Finnur Jónsson (1931), Lexicon Poeticum antiquæ linguæ septentrionalis, 2nd ed., Copenhagen: S. L. Møller, p. 521
11. ^ Sveinbjörn Egilsson (1860), Lexicon poeticum antiquæ linguæ septentrionalis, Hafniæ: Societas regia antiquariorum septentrionalium, p. 750
12. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
13. ^ Menota: Medieval Nordic Text Archive, menota.org (texts by shelfmark; CC BY-SA 4.0), p. Holm perg 34 4to
14. ^ Menota: Medieval Nordic Text Archive, menota.org (texts by shelfmark; CC BY-SA 4.0), p. AM 132 fol
15. ^ Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. smiðja
16. ^ Cleasby, Richard; Vigfússon, Guðbrandur (1874), An Icelandic-English Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 571