hvat
The Old Norse word for "what" is hvat.
Meaning: what? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)
Is it said differently in some regions?
Later Icelandic manuscripts spell the word hvað, the form that modern Icelandic still uses.
Did you know?
- The Old English relative of hvat was hwæt, which famously opens the epic poem Beowulf. In this context, it is not a question but an exclamation used to command attention, similar to saying 'Listen!' or 'Hark!'
- In many Germanic languages, including the ancestor of Old Norse, the word for 'what' was actually related to a word meaning 'who' or 'which'.
Examples in context
- Ekki veit ek hvat manna þeir eru.I do not know what kind of men they are.This sentence shows how to use hvat to refer to the kind of men someone is.Tatoeba #12431806 by Barend, translation #12431808 by Barend
- Hvat er þessi maðr? spurði Brynjólfr.Brynjolf asked, " Who is this man? "
- Hvat vilt þú kaupa?What do you want to buy?
Example conversation
Erik and Gunnhild are discussing a mysterious object.
- ErikGunnhild, hvat er þat?Gunnhild, what is that?
- GunnhildEk veit þat ekki, Erik.I do not know that, Erik.
- ErikHvat þykir þér?What do you think?
- GunnhildÞat er steinn.It is a stone.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hvat, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
