vísa

vísa¹ to show

Forms

vísa (weak class 2)^[1]

Etymology

The verb “to show” is inherited from Proto-Germanic *wīsōną (“to show, guide”),^[1] made to the adjective *wīsaz (“wise”), Old Norse víss (“wise, certain”), so that its first sense was “to make someone aware of something”.^[2][3][1] It matches Old English wīsian (“to show, guide”), Old Saxon wīsian, Old Frisian wīsa and Old High German wīsen, and Gothic has the compound 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌻𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (fullaweisjan, “to convince”).^[3][4]

A verb of the same make with another meaning is Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃𐍉𐌽 (gaweisōn, “to visit”), with Old Saxon wīsōn and Old High German wīsōn;^[5][6] Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon compares Latin vīsō (“to look at”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Menota's first records are forms such as vísat and vísar in AM 619 4to and AM 677 4to, both dated 1200–1225.^[7][8] Larsson finds the present vísar and the participle vísat in H, among the oldest Icelandic manuscripts.^[9]

Semantic evolution

From showing someone the way, vísa e-m leið, the verb came to mean turning or pointing something in a direction: the eyes, a ship's prow, a sword's point.^[10][11] With a person as object it means to send or direct someone, as in showing a guest to a seat or sending the dead to Valhǫll, and the laws use it of setting a dog on a man.^[12][13] Vísa frá is to send away or turn down a suitor, vísa á and vísa til to point to or refer to.^[13][14] In the Norwegian laws vísa upp með sannindum is to bring something to light.^[15]

It continues as Icelandic vísa, Faroese vísa, Norwegian Nynorsk visa, Swedish visa and Danish vise.^[2]

Timeline

• 1200–1225 – vísat, vísa and vísar in AM 619 4to.^[7]
• 1200–1225 – vísar and vísa in AM 677 4to.^[8]
• 1250–1300 – vísaði and vísat in Holm perg 6 fol.^[16]

Meanings

Verb

1. to show, point out: vísa e-m leið to show someone the way.^[14][10]
2. to direct or turn something towards something: the eyes, a ship's prow, a sword's point.^[10][11]
3. to send someone somewhere; to show a guest to a seat; to set a hound on someone.^[14][12]
4. vísa frá to send away, reject;^[14][13] vísa á, vísa til to point at, refer to.^[14][13]

Descendants

• Icelandic vísa^[2]
• Faroese vísa^[2]
• Norwegian Nynorsk visa^[2]
• Swedish visa^[2]
• Danish vise^[2]

vísa² stanza

Forms

vísa f (genitive vísu) (weak ōn-stem)^[1]

Etymology

The word for a stanza is inherited from Proto-Germanic *wīsǭ (“way, manner”),^[1] the noun behind Old English wīse (“way, manner, custom”), Old Saxon wīsa and Old High German wīsa (“manner, custom; melody”).^[17][3] Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon explains the Norse sense “stanza” as grown out of “manner”,^[2] and Falk and Torp and Hellquist compare the range of Latin modus (“manner, rhythm, melody”);^[18][19] de Vries takes Middle Low German wīse and German Weise (“song, tune”) as loan translations of it.^[3]

It belongs with víss (“wise”) and vita (“to know”), from the root seen in Ancient Greek εἶδος (eîdos, “shape, appearance”) and vīsus (“sight”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Menota's earliest dated record is vísu in the fragment NRA norr fragm 52, dated 1200–1250,^[20] and the plural visur appears in DG 8 II of 1225–1250.^[21]

Semantic evolution

A vísa is a stanza, usually of eight lines;^[22][10] half of it is a vísuhelmingr, and a lausavísa is a single stanza that is not part of a longer poem.^[10] The plural vísur names poems built of such stanzas, such as Sighvatr's Nesjavísur and Austrfararvísur,^[12][11] and Cleasby and Vigfússon cite a source that calls a long poem vísur because it has no refrain.^[23] The Norwegian law of Hákonarbók counts even a quarter of a stanza, two lines, of mocking verse as an offence.^[15]

It continues as Icelandic vísa and Faroese vísa “ballad”,^[2] and in Swedish visa and Danish vise it has come to mean “song”.^[19][3]

Timeline

• 1200–1250 – vísu in NRA norr fragm 52.^[20]
• 1225–1250 – the plural visur in DG 8 II.^[21]
• 1250 – vísu and vísa in Sturlunga saga, by IcePaHC's dating.^[24]
• 1541 – Swedish visa “song, hymn” in the Bible of 1541.^[19]

Meanings

Noun

1. a stanza, strophe, usually of eight lines.^[22][10][11]
2. in the plural, a poem made of such stanzas.^[3][11]

Word family

• lausavísa
• níðvísa
• vísuorð
• vísuhelmingr
• vísnabók

Descendants

• Icelandic vísa^[1]
• Faroese vísa^[1]
• Norwegian Nynorsk vise^[1]
• Norwegian Bokmål vise^[1]
• Swedish visa^[1]
• Danish vise^[1]