ævi

See also: aevi

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse ævi, from Proto-Germanic *aiwį̄.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛaːvɪ/

  Rhymes: -ɛaːvɪ

  Homophone: avi

Noun

ævi f (genitive singular ævi, plural ævir)

1. life, lifetime
2. a long spell, a very long time
3. (plural only) eternity

Declension

f33	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ævi	ævin	ævir	ævirnar
accusative	ævi	ævina	ævir	ævirnar
dative	ævi	ævini	—	—
genitive	ævi	ævinnar	—	—

Synonyms

• (life, lifetime): lív, lívstíð, æviskeið

Derived terms

• um aldur og allar ævir
• æviblóma
• ævidagur
• æviga (adverb)
• ævigamal
• ævigur (adjective)
• ævilangur
• ævileiki
• æviligur
• ævilýsing
• ævinleika
• ævinleiki
• ævinliga
• ævinligur
• æviskeið
• ævistarv
• ævisøga
• ævisøguligur

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse ævi, from Proto-Germanic *aiwį̄.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaiːvɪ/

  Rhymes: -aiːvɪ

  Homophone: æfi

Noun

ævi f (genitive singular ævi, nominative plural ævir)

1. time
2. life, lifetime

   Synonyms: líf, lífstíð, líftími, ævidagar, æviskeið

3. biography

   Synonyms: ævisaga, æviágrip

Declension

Declension of ævi (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ævi	ævin	ævir	ævirnar
accusative	ævi	ævina	ævir	ævirnar
dative	ævi	ævinni	ævum	ævunum
genitive	ævi	ævinnar	æva	ævanna

Derived terms

• um aldur og ævi

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *aiwį̄, from *aiwaz, *aiwiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂oyus, *h₂eyus (“(allotted) lifetime”). Germanic cognates include Old English ǣ(w) (“law”), Old Frisian ēwe, Old High German ēwa (“eternity”), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍅𐍃 (aiws, “age, eternity”). Accusative singular form in Proto-Germanic *aiwį was used as an adverb meaning "ever", and thence came Old Norse æ (“ever, always”). Indo-European cognates include Latin aevum, Ancient Greek αἰών (aiṓn), Sanskrit आयुस् (ā́yus, “life, vital power”) and Old Armenian ոչ (očʻ, “not”).

Noun

ævi f (genitive ævi)

1. time
2. life, lifetime
3. biography

Descendants

• Icelandic: ævi f
• Faroese: ævi f
• Norwegian Nynorsk: æve f
• Old Swedish: äve n pl
  • Swedish: äva f (dialectal)

Further reading

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989) Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)