ég

See also: Appendix:Variations of "eg"

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈeːɡ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ég
• Rhymes: -eːɡ

Etymology 1

From Proto-Finno-Ugric *säŋe. Cognates are limited to Baltic-Finnic (e.g. Finnish sää (“weather”)) and Komi-Permyak сынӧд (synöd, “warm air”).

Noun

ég (countable and uncountable, plural egek)

2. sky (the part of the atmosphere which can be seen above a specific place)

   Synonym: égbolt

   • 1937, László Balás-Piri, “A múzeum képtára”, in Székesfehérvári Szemle‎^[1], volume 7, numbers 3–4:

     A halvány kék égen fehér felhők vonulnak.

     White clouds are marching across the pale blue sky.

3. (also in the plural) heaven (the abode of God and of the blessed dead)

   Synonym: menny

   • 1908, Grazia Deledda, chapter 4, in Mrs. Károly Sebestyén, transl., A repkény‎^[2]:

     Ha van Isten az égben, úgy meg fog nekünk bocsátani.

     If there is a God in heaven, He will forgive us.

4. (by extension, in set phrases) heaven as a replacement for God (the supreme being and principal object of faith in Christianity)

   Synonyms: Isten, isten

   • 1899, Lenke Bajza Beniczky, chapter 8, in Sára története‎^[3]:

     Hála az égnek, hogy megszabadulunk tőlük.

     Thank heavens we'll be rid of them.

Declension

Inflection of ég

	singular	plural
nominative	ég	egek
accusative	eget	egeket
dative	égnek	egeknek
instrumental	éggel	egekkel
causal-final	égért	egekért
translative	éggé	egekké
terminative	égig	egekig
essive-formal	égként	egekként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	égben	egekben
superessive	égen (egen)	egeken
adessive	égnél	egeknél
illative	égbe	egekbe
sublative	égre	egekre
allative	éghez	egekhez
elative	égből	egekből
delative	égről	egekről
ablative	égtől	egektől
non-attributive possessive – singular	égé	egeké
non-attributive possessive – plural	égéi	egekéi

Possessive forms of ég

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	egem	egeim
2nd person sing.	eged	egeid
3rd person sing.	ege	egei
1st person plural	egünk	egeink
2nd person plural	egetek	egeitek
3rd person plural	egük	egeik

Derived terms

• egű
• égi

Compound words

• ég-föld
• éggömb
• éghajlat
• égöv
• égtáj
• égzengés

Expressions

• a jó ég tudja
• az ég szerelmére
• derült égből villámcsapás
• eget-földet megmozgat
• ég és föld a különbség
• ég veled
• égnek áll
• hála az égnek
• jóságos ég
• szent ég

(1) ég a tűz

(2) égő izzók

Etymology 2

Probably from Proto-Finno-Ugric *äŋɜ- (“fire; to burn”).

Verb

ég

2. (intransitive) to burn, to be on fire (to be consumed by fire, or in flames)
   • 1918, Cécile Tormay, Viaszfigurák:

     Nem messze tőle, egy kicsiny tűz égett az erdő szélén.

     Not far away, a small fire was burning at the edge of the forest.

3. (intransitive) to be switched on, to be lit (of a source of illumination, to produce light)
   • 1906, Dezső Kosztolányi, “Ősz felé”, in Aranyfonál‎^[4]:

     Mikor hazafelé jöttem, már minden házban égett a lámpa.

     When I was coming home, the lights were already on in every house.

4. (intransitive) to be hot, to burn (of skin, to become hot due to fever or an emotional state)
   • 2011, István Krausz, “Egy fedél alatt”, in Örökölt küzdelem‎^[5]:

     Rohantunk hazáig, a gyerek égett a láztól, és félrebeszélt.

     We ran home, the child was burning with fever and delirious.

5. (intransitive, by extension, slang) to be embarrassed, to feel ashamed (to have a feeling of shameful discomfort)
   • 2015, Tibor Csákány, “A Hold leánya”, in Ahol a fák is sírnak‎^[6]:

     Nagyot égtem volna, ha mindenki szeme láttára elterülök.

     I would have been really embarrassed if I had fallen flat on my face in front of everyone.

6. (intransitive) to sting, to burn (to produce a burning sensation)
   • 1940, László Mosonyi, “B-avitaminosisok hazánkban”, in Orvosi Hetilap‎^[7], volume 84, number 36:

     Fűszeres ételre, paprikára nyelve égni kezd.

     Her tongue starts burning upon eating spicy food or peppers.

7. (intransitive, figurative) to be burning with (to feel an ardent emotion or desire)
   • 1929, Alexandre Dumas, chapter 19, in Gyula Szini, transl., Bragelonne vicomte‎^[8], volume I:

     Égek a kíváncsiságtól, hogy megtudjam a részleteket!

     I'm burning with curiosity to know the details.

Conjugation

Conjugation of ég

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive	indica­tive	pre­sent	indef.	égek	égsz	ég	égünk	égtek	égnek
			def.	intransitive verb, definite forms are not used
			2nd obj
		past	indef.	égtem	égtél	égett	égtünk	égtetek	égtek
			def.	―
			2nd obj
		future		Future is expressed with a present-tense verb with a completion-marking prefix and/or a time adverb, or—more explicitly—with the infinitive plus the conjugated auxiliary verb fog, e.g. égni fog.
archaic preterite		indef.	égék	égél	ége	égénk	égétek	égének
		def.	―
		2nd obj
archaic past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. ég vala, égett vala/volt.
archaic future	indef.	égendek	égendesz	égend	égendünk	égendetek	égendenek
	def.	―
	2nd obj
condi­tional	pre­sent	indef.	égnék	égnél	égne	égnénk	égnétek	égnének
		def.	―
		2nd obj
	past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. égett volna
sub­junc­tive	sub­junc­tive	pre­sent	indef.	égjek	égj or égjél	égjen	égjünk	égjetek	égjenek
			def.	―
			2nd obj
(archaic) past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. égett légyen
infinitive	égni		égnem	égned	égnie	égnünk	égnetek	égniük
other forms	verbal noun		present part.	past part.	future part.	adverbial participle		causative
	égés		égő	égett	―	égve (égvén)

Potential conjugation of ég

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive	indica­tive	pre­sent	indef.	éghetek	éghetsz	éghet	éghetünk	éghettek	éghetnek
			def.	intransitive verb, definite forms are not used
			2nd obj
		past	indef.	éghettem	éghettél	éghetett	éghettünk	éghettetek	éghettek
			def.	―
			2nd obj
archaic preterite		indef.	égheték	éghetél	éghete	égheténk	éghetétek	éghetének
		def.	―
		2nd obj
archaic past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. éghet vala, éghetett vala/volt.
archaic future	indef.	éghetendek or égandhatok	éghetendesz or égandhatsz	éghetend or égandhat	éghetendünk or égandhatunk	éghetendetek or égandhattok	éghetendenek or égandhatnak
	def.	―
	2nd obj
condi­tional	pre­sent	indef.	éghetnék	éghetnél	éghetne	éghetnénk	éghetnétek	éghetnének
		def.	―
		2nd obj
	past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. éghetett volna
sub­junc­tive	sub­junc­tive	pre­sent	indef.	éghessek	éghess or éghessél	éghessen	éghessünk	éghessetek	éghessenek
			def.	―
			2nd obj
(archaic) past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. éghetett légyen
infinitive	(éghetni)		(éghetnem)	(éghetned)	(éghetnie)	(éghetnünk)	(éghetnetek)	(éghetniük)
other forms	positive adjective			negative adjective		adverbial participle
	―			―		(éghetve / éghetvén)

Derived terms

• éget
• égés
• éghetetlen
• égő

(With verbal prefixes):

• átég
• beég
• beleég
• bennég
• elég
• felég
• hozzáég
• keresztülég
• kiég
• leég
• megég
• odaég
• ottég
• összeég
• ráég
• végigég

Expressions

• ég a keze alatt a munka
• körmére ég
• lázban ég

Further reading

• ég in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).
• (sky): ég in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• (to burn): ég in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Icelandic

Alternative forms

• jeg (before je → é reform)
• eg (archaic, poetic)
• ek (very archaic)

Etymology

The Icelandic pronoun continues Old Norse ek, from Proto-Germanic *ek, from Proto-Indo-European *eǵh₂óm. The pronoun is attested, in Proto-Norse inscriptions, since at least the 3rd century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jɛɣ/, [jɛːx]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛːɣ

Pronoun

ég

1. I (first-person singular pronoun)
   • 1584, Guðbrandsbiblía, Genesis 1.29 (orthography as in the 1899 printing and the 1908 printing):

     Og Guð sagði: sjá, eg gef ykkur alls konar sáðberandi jurtir […]

     Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant […] ” (NIV)

   • 1656-59, Passíusálmar (Passion Hymns), hymn 1, verse 1 (orthography as in the 1887 printing):

     Upp, upp, mín sál og allt mitt geð,

     upp mitt hjarta og rómur með,

     hugur og tunga hjálpi til.

     herrans pínu ég minnast vil.

     translation by William Charles Green:

     Up, up, my soul and all my mind,

     Up, O my heart and voice combined;

     Help, thought and tongue; for I would fain

     Wake memory of our Lord's dear pain.

     translation published in Parergon, issues 1–13 (1971), page 31:

     Up, up my soul and all my mind,

     up my heart and voice as well.

     Thought and tongue help out.

     I intend to remember the Lord's suffering.

   • 1800-1840, Bjarni Thorarensen, Solatium:

     Kvíði ég ei dauða,
     konulaus maður,

     I fear not death,
     a wifeless man

   • 2000, Arnaldur Indriðason, Mýrin, page 59:

     — Þekki ég þig? sagði hann. Um hvað ertu að tala? Hver ertu?

     — Ég heiti Erlendur. Ég er að rannsaka morð á manni að nafni Holberg í Reykjavík.

     Jar City: A Reykjavík Thriller, translation by Bernard Scudder:

     "Do I know you?" he said. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"

     "My name’s [=I am called] Erlendur. I’m investigating the murder of a man from Reykjavik by the name of Holberg."

Declension

Declension of ég (sg-only)

singular
nominative	ég
accusative	mig
dative	mér
genitive	mín

Icelandic personal pronouns

singular	first person	second person	third person
			masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ég, eg, ek†	þú	hann	hún, hon†, hón†	það, þat†
accusative	mig, mik†	þig, þik†	hann	hana	það, þat†
dative	mér	þér	honum, hánum†	henni	því
genitive	mín	þín	hans	hennar	þess
plural	first person	second person	third person
			masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	við	þið, þit†	þeir	þær	þau
accusative	okkur	ykkur	þá	þær	þau
dative	okkur	ykkur	þeim	þeim	þeim
genitive	okkar	ykkar	þeirra	þeirra	þeirra

^† Archaic. See also honorific pronouns.

Derived terms

• ég elska þig
• þetta er hebreska fyrir mér
• gleym-mér-ei
• gemmér

References

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)
• Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2025), “ég”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
• Mörður Árnason (2019), Íslensk orðabók, 5th edition, Reykjavík: Forlagið
• “ég” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)
• Icelandic Online Dictionary and Readings „ég“