hjemmebrent

Norwegian Bokmål

Humorous postcard from 1925. In Norway, from 1916-1927, the production, import, transport, sale and pouring of spirits was banned.

Alternative forms

• himkok, HB, hjembrent, husfusel, heimert

Etymology

hjemme +‎ brent, first part from Danish hjemme (“at home, home”), from Old Danish hemæ, hemmæ, from Old Norse heima, genitive indefinite plural form of heimr (“realm, region, village, home”), from Proto-Germanic *haimaz (“home, house, village”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóymos (“village, home”), *tḱóymos (“settlement, dwelling”), from o-grade form of *tḱey- (“to settle, dwell”) +‎ *-mos (action/result noun forming suffix). Last part is the past participle of brenne (“to burn”), from Old Norse brenna (“to burn”), causative of brenna, brinna (“to burn”), from Proto-Germanic *brannijaną (“to cause to burn, to set on fire”), causative of *brinnaną (“to burn, to be on fire”), from *bʰrénuh₁e-, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil, brew”), from *bʰer- (“to bear, carry”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjɛmːəˌbrɛnt/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛnt
• Hyphenation: hjem‧me‧brent

Adjective

hjemmebrent (neuter singular hjemmebrent, definite singular and plural hjemmebrente, comparative mer hjemmebrent, superlative mest hjemmebrent)

1. of liquor; manufactured or distilled, often illegally, from home
   • 1951, Arthur Omre, Flukten, page 125:

     drammen er hjembrent, jeg slår den forsiktig ut bak meg

     the dram is home-burned, I gently knock it out behind me

   • 2008, Toril Brekke, Gullrush:

     han hadde solgt øl og brennevin, hjemmebrent og hjemmebrygget

     he had sold beer and liquor, moonshine and home-brew

2. of a CD; burned at home
   • 2005, Erik Honoré, Kaprersanger, page 25:

     en hjemmebrent cd med palestinsk musikk

     a home-burned CD with Palestinian music

Noun

hjemmebrent m (definite singular hjemmebrenten, indefinite plural hjemmebrenter, definite plural hjemmebrentene)

1. moonshine (high-proof alcohol that is often produced illegally)

   Synonyms: husfusel, heimert, himkok

   • 1931, Dagbladet, page 10:

     [lensmannen] hadde knepet en hjemmebrenner og beslaglagt 6 flasker hjemmebrent

     [the sheriff] had tricked a moonshiner and seized 6 bottles of moonshine

   • 1932, Velgeren (Gjøvik), page 5:

     vekk med hjemmebrenten – vekk med brennevinet!

     away with the moonshine - away with the liquor!

   • 1976, Gunnar Bull Gundersen, Historien om min syke mor, page 49:

     du [kan] få søle og stulle med ditt himbrent i en blikkboks

     you [can] get muddled and stuffed with your moonshine in a tin can

   • 1986, Ingvar Ambjørnsen, Hvite niggere, page 48:

     de drakk medbragt hjemmebrent fra et norgesglass

     they drank home-brought moonshine from a Kilner jar

References

• “hjemmebrent” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “hjemmebrent_1” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “hjemmebrent_2” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “hjemmebrenning” in Store norske leksikon