kerling

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse kerling.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈcʰɛrtliŋk/ (more formal, used especially in senses 1 and 2)
  • IPA(key): /ˈcʰɛtliŋk/
    Rhymes: -ɛtliŋk

Noun

kerling f (genitive singular kerlingar, nominative plural kerlingar)

  1. (old) woman
  2. (chiefly historical) a lower-class woman, as opposed to frú, dama, maddama
  3. (derogatory) wuss, wimp (referring to a man or boy)
  4. (informal, sometimes derogatory) wife
  5. a general term of endearment for a female; girl, old girl

Declension
declension of kerling
f-s1 singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative kerling kerlingin kerlingar kerlingarnar
accusative kerlingu kerlinguna kerlingar kerlingarnar
dative kerlingu kerlingunni kerlingum kerlingunum
genitive kerlingar kerlingarinnar kerlinga kerlinganna

Old Norse

Etymology

From karl +‎ -ing.

Noun

kerling f (genitive kerlingar, plural kerlingar)

  1. woman, wife
  2. old woman

Declension
  Declension of kerling (strong ō-stem)
feminine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative kerling kerlingin kerlingar kerlingarnar
accusative kerling kerlingina kerlingar kerlingarnar
dative kerlingu kerlingunni kerlingum kerlingunum
genitive kerlingar kerlingarinnar kerlinga kerlinganna

Derived terms
  • framfœrslukerling f (“old pauper”)
  • herjanskerling f (“hag”)
  • herkerling f
  • hornkerling f (“old woman in the corner”)
  • hórkerling f (“harlot”)
  • kararkerling f (“bedridden old woman”)
  • kerlingavilla f (“old woman's tale”)
  • klafakerling f
  • spákerling f (“prophetess”)
  • stafkerling f (“beggarwoman”)
  • trollkerling f (“female troll”)

Descendants
  • Icelandic: kerling
  • Faroese: kelling
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kjerring
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kjerring
  • Old Swedish: kärling, kærling, kiærling
  • Old Danish: kærlingh, kerlingh
  • Elfdalian: kelingg
  • → Irish: cairling

References
  • “kerling”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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