fimbul-

Icelandic

Etymology

From the Old Norse fimbul- inturn from the Proto-Germanic *fimfilaz. Compare Old English fifel ("mighty, giant, great"), German Fimmel (“an iron wedge”) (whence Czech fimol), Swedish fimmelstång (“the handle of a sledgehammer”).

Prefix

fimbul-

  1. (rare, poetic) mighty, great

Usage notes

  • This prefix is obsolete and was rarely used except in older poetic language.

Derived terms

Icelandic terms prefixed with fimbul-
  • fimbulauðn
  • fimbulbassi
  • fimbulfambari
  • fimbulfambi (“a mighty fool”)
  • fimbulfrost
  • fimbulgaddur
  • fimbulharður
  • fimbulhaust
  • fimbulhögg
  • fimbulkaldur
  • fimbulkraftur
  • fimbulkuldi
  • fimbullist
  • fimbulljóð (“mighty songs or poems”)
  • fimbulmagn
  • fimbulrökkur
  • fimbulskjalari
  • fimbulstorð
  • fimbultíð
  • fimbultýr (“the mighty god, a great helper”)
  • fimbulvatn
  • fimbulvilji
  • fimbulþul (“the river's roaring”)
  • fimbulþulur (“the great wise man”)

See also

  • fífl-

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fimfilaz, doublet of fífl-. Cognate with Old English fifel (“mighty, giant, great”).

Prefix

fimbul-

  1. (rare, Germanic paganism) mighty, great (with a sense of finality)

Usage notes

  • Only used in mythological contexts such as Fimbulvetr (“Fimbul-winter”) or Fimbulþulr (“Fimbul-thyle, Odin”).

See also

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