ekkja
nafnorðkvenkyn
u, [ enka and enke shew that the root consonants are nk; this word is peculiar to the tongue; even renders χήρα by vidovo, which is the vidua]:—a widow, i. 108, 306, 21, ii. 161, i. 223; this word (as well as ekkill = enkling) is no relation to ekki = sobbing, but is derived from einn, one, and an inflexive -ka, like in stúlka, see Gramm. p. xxxii. col. 2. Ekkja originally meant a single woman, a damsel, and is thus used by the ancient poets, vara sem unga ekkju í öndugi kyssa, ; út munu ekkjur líta allsnúðula prúðar, Sighvat; ‘ekkja’ and ‘ung kona’ are synonymous, Ísl. ii. (Gunnl.) in a verse; ekkjan stendr ok undrask áraburð, It then came to mean a widow (a single, lone woman, having lost her husband). Ekkja is a word peculiar to all languages, old and modern; although, as we believe, it superseded a still older ‘widuwo’ ( the , , and ); this change took place at so early a time that no traces are found of that word anywhere in speech or writing ( en-ka, en-ke).
Skammstafanir og tilvitnanir
- f.kvenkyn (e. feminine)
- Swed.Swedish.
- Dan.Danish.
- Scandin.Scandinavia, Scandinavian.
- Ulf.Ulfilas.
- Lat.Latin.
- e. g.exempli gratia.
- cp.compare.
- Goth.Gothic.
- Germ.German.
- Engl.English.
- COMPDSsamsett orð (e. compounds)
- Grág.Grágás. (B. I.)
- Blas.Blasius saga. (F. III.)
- Bs.Biskupa sögur. (D. III.)
- Fas.Fornaldar sögur. (C. II.)
- Km.Kráku-mál. (A. III.)
- Lex. Poët.Lexicon Poëticum by Sveinbjörn Egilsson, 1860.