afl

See also: afl. and AFL

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse afl.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /apl/
• Rhymes: -apl

Noun

afl n (genitive singular afls, nominative plural öfl)

1. might, power, strength
2. force

   Öfl náttúrunnar.

   The forces of nature.

3. energy
4. violence, force

Synonyms

• (might): þróttur
• (force): kraftur
• (energy): orka
• (violence): ofbeldi

Derived terms

• af öllu afli (“with all one's might”)
• þyngdarafl (“gravity”)

Old Norse

FWOTD – 29 May 2015

Etymology 1

Probably from Proto-Germanic *abalaz or *aflaz (“hearth”).

Pronunciation

• (12th century Icelandic) IPA^(key): /ˈɑvl̩/

Noun

afl m (genitive afls, plural aflar)

1. a hearth (especially of a forge)
   • Stjórn 108, in 1862, C. R. Unger, Stjórn: gammelnorsk Bibelhistorie: fra Verdens Skabelse til det babyloniske Fangenskab. Christiania, page 312:

     Enn er gull tok at brenna i aflinum.

     And the gold began to burn in the hearth.

Declension

  Declension of afl (strong a-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	afl	aflinn	aflar	aflarnir
accusative	afl	aflinn	afla	aflana
dative	afli	aflinum	ǫflum	ǫflunum
genitive	afls	aflsins	afla	aflanna

Descendants

• Faroese: alv n
• Icelandic: afl n
• Norwegian: avl m

References

• “afl”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• afl in An Icelandic-English Dictionary, R. Cleasby and G. Vigfússon, Clarendon Press, 1874, at Internet Archive.
• afl in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, G. T. Zoëga, Clarendon Press, 1910, at Internet Archive.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *aflą.

Noun

afl n

1. physical strength
2. force, violence
3. plurality of votes, majority
4. virtue, inherent power

Declension

  Declension of afl (strong a-stem)

neuter	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	afl	aflit	ǫfl	ǫflin
accusative	afl	aflit	ǫfl	ǫflin
dative	afli	aflinu	ǫflum	ǫflunum
genitive	afls	aflsins	afla	aflanna

Descendants

• Icelandic: afl; afli; (efla)
• Faroese: alv
• Norwegian: avl (dialectal)
• Old Swedish: afl
  • Swedish: avel, afvel (pre-1906 spelling)
• Danish: avl

References

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