Heimdallr

Old Norse

Etymology

From heimr (“home", "world”) + dallr of unknown origin and meaning. The latter term is possibly equal to feminine dǫll, from Mardǫll, one of Freyja's names, and perhaps cognate with Old English deall (“proud", "eminent”), thus meaning possibly "World-radiance". This is present in the first element of the theonym Dellingr, whose name could mean "the shining one."

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛ̃ĩmˌdɑlːr̩/

Proper noun

Heimdallr m (genitive Heimdallar)

1. (Norse mythology) Heimdall
   • Vǫluspá, verse 1, lines 3-4, in 1867, S. Bugge, Norrœn fornkvæði: Sæmundar Edda hins fróða. Christiania, page 1:

     Meiri ok minni / mögu Heimdallar; […]

     Greater and smaller / sons of Heimdall; […]

Declension

  Declension of Heimdallr (strong i-stem, ar-genitive, indefinite singular only)

masculine	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Heimdallr
accusative	Heimdall
dative	Heimdall
genitive	Heimdallar

References

• Heimdallr in An Icelandic-English Dictionary, R. Cleasby and G. Vigfússon, Clarendon Press, 1874, at Internet Archive.
• Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell, p. 32