vǫndr

Forms

vǫndr m (genitive vandar, plural vendir) (strong u-stem)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *wanduz (“rod, cane”),^[2][3] the source also of Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 (wandus, “rod”).^[2][4] It is a u-stem, perhaps derived from Proto-Germanic *windaną (“to wind”), so properly something twisted or plaited; de Vries thinks the link with vinda likely, given the sense.^[2][5][4] Wiktionary takes it back to Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (“to turn, twist, weave”).^[1] Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon and Etymonline compare the German word for a wall, German Wand, first a wall of wattle.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Menota's earliest certain records of the noun are vǫndr and the dative vendi in AM 677 4to, of 1200–1225.^[7] Cleasby and Vigfússon quote the Icelandic Homily Book, hann sat ok telgdi vönd einn með knífi “he sat and whittled a stick with a knife”.^[8]

Semantic evolution

The first sense is a pliant twig or switch, also a rod for punishing, as in Skírnismál's tams vendi ek þik drep “I strike you with a taming wand”.^[9][8] Biblical texts use it for Aaron's rod and the shoot from the stem of Jesse.^[8][10] snúa vǫnd í hár e-m “to twist a stick in someone's hair” was done before beheading him.^[11] It also means a stripe in cloth and a roller for hangings.^[11][8] In poetry it means the mast and, in kennings, the sword (vǫndr hjalts “wand of the hilt”).^[10][12] Alvíssmál gives vǫndr as the Vanir's name for the forest.^[13]

It continues as Icelandic vöndur “broom, switch”, and English wand is a loan from Norse.^[5][4][6]

Timeline

• 1200–1225 – vǫndr, vendi in AM 677 4to.^[7]
• c. 1200 – Middle English wonde “slender stick”, from Old Norse.^[6]
• 1200–1250 – vendi in the Norwegian fragment NRA norr fragm 52.^[14]

Meanings

Noun

1. a wand, switch, twig; a rod for punishment.^[11][15][10]
2. a stripe in cloth.^[11][15]
3. a roller on which hangings were hung.^[8]
4. (poetic) a mast.^[10][12]

Word family

• vandahús
• vandarhǫgg
• vandstyggr
• ríkisvǫndr
• gullvǫndr
• málvǫndr

Descendants

• Icelandic vöndur^[1]
• Norwegian Nynorsk vånd^[1]
• Old Swedish vander^[1]
• Old Danish wand^[1]
• Danish vånd^[1]
• Middle English wonde (→ English wand)^[4][6]

Related words

• vinda
• vǫndull

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 573
3. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 446
4. ^ a b c d de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 674
5. ^ a b c Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans, ordsifjabok.arnastofnun.is, p. s.v. vöndur
6. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b Menota: Medieval Nordic Text Archive, menota.org (texts by shelfmark; CC BY-SA 4.0), p. AM 677 4to
8. ^ a b c d e Cleasby, Richard; Vigfússon, Guðbrandur (1874), An Icelandic-English Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 722
9. ^ Fritzner, Johan (1886–1896), Ordbog over det gamle norske Sprog, 2nd ed., Kristiania, p. s.v. vöndr
10. ^ a b c d Finnur Jónsson (1931), Lexicon Poeticum antiquæ linguæ septentrionalis, 2nd ed., Copenhagen: S. L. Møller, p. 629
11. ^ a b c d Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. vöndr
12. ^ 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. vǫndr
13. ^ Gering, Hugo (1903), Vollständiges Wörterbuch zu den Liedern der Edda, Halle: Waisenhaus, p. col. 1178
14. ^ Menota: Medieval Nordic Text Archive, menota.org (texts by shelfmark; CC BY-SA 4.0), p. NRA norr fragm 52
15. ^ a b Baetke, Walter (1965–1968), Wörterbuch zur altnordischen Prosaliteratur, Berlin (digital ed. Greifswald 2006), p. 756