hundr
masculine
The Old Norse word for dog is hundr. Wiktionary also lists grey and bikkja.
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Old Norse | Note |
|---|---|
| hundr | masculine |
| grey | neuter |
| bikkja | feminine |
The word refers to the animal known as a dog.
Which one should you use?
hundr is the ordinary word for a dog. grey is a scornful word for a dog, and bikkja means a female dog.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun hundr has a plural form, hundar. When using the masculine hundr in the accusative or dative cases, the stem changes to hund.
Did you know?
- In Viking Age culture, dogs were often seen as protectors of the home and were mentioned in legal codes regarding liability for bites.
Examples in context
- Hundrinn deyr.The dog is dying.This sentence shows how to use hundr to describe a dog dying.Tatoeba #5051322 by Theocracy, translation #48251 by CK
- Hundrinn er hvítr.The dog is white.This sentence shows how to use hundr to describe a dog's color.Tatoeba #5051324 by Theocracy, translation #526365 by wma
- Hundrinn er snjallr.The dog is smart.This sentence shows how to use hundr to describe a dog's intelligence.Tatoeba #5051328 by Theocracy, translation #558999 by djinni74
- Húskarlar hafa góða hunda.Housecarls have good dogs.
Example conversation
A simple encounter on a farm.
- GunnhildHvat hundr er þat?What dog is that?
- OlafÞat er minn hundr.That is my dog.
- GunnhildEr hundrinn góðr?Is the dog good?
- OlafJá, hann er mjök góðr.Yes, he is very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dog” translations and entries hundr, grey, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grey, hundr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
