megin

See also: megin-

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse megin, from Proto-Germanic *maginą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeːjɪn/

  Rhymes: -eːjɪn

Noun

megin n (genitive singular megins, uncountable)

1. (rare) strength, power, ability

Declension

n3s	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	megin	meginið
accusative	megin	meginið
dative	megini	megininum
genitive	megins	meginsins

Synonyms

• megi f or n
• máttur m

Derived terms

• megin-

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse megin, from Proto-Germanic *maginą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeiːjɪn/

  Rhymes: -eiːjɪn

Noun

megin n (genitive singular megins, no plural)

1. strength, power, ability
2. the main part, greater part

Declension

Declension of megin (sg-only neuter)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	megin	megnið
accusative	megin	megnið
dative	megni	megninu
genitive	megins	meginsins

Adverb

megin

1. used after qualifiers to mean "on X side"; often followed by a prepositional phrase

   Risaeðlurnar voru hinum megin í Vetrarbrautinni.

   The dinosaurs were on the other side of the Milky Way.

   Ég segi honum að setjast í framsætið og hann reynir undir eins að fara inn bílstjóramegin.

   I tell him to sit in the front, and he immediately tries to get in on the driver's side.

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *maginą (“might, power”). Cognate with Old English mæġen, Old Saxon megin, Old High German megin, magan.

Pronunciation

• (12th century Icelandic) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛ̃ɣɪ̃n/

Noun

megin n (genitive megins)

1. (singular only) might, power, strength
   • Vǫluspá, verse 1, lines 7-8, in 1860, T. Möbius, Edda Sæmundar hins fróða: mit einem Anhang zum Theil bisher ungedruckter Gedichte. Leipzig, page 1:

     […] máni þat né vissi / hvat hann megins átti, […]

     […] moon yet knew not / what its might was, […]

2. (singular only, especially in compounds) the main, chief part of a thing
   • Upphaf Rikis Haralds Harfagra 5, in 1835, F. Magnússon, C. C. Rafn, Fornmanna sögur, Volume X. Copenhagen, page 184:

     […] allan Þrándheim ok allt megin landsins, […]

     […] the whole Trondheim and all the mainland, […]

Declension

Declension of megin (strong a-stem, singular only)

neuter	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	megin	megnit
accusative	megin	megnit
dative	megni, magni	megninu, magninu
genitive	megins	meginsins

Synonyms

• máttr

Derived terms

• hafsmegin (“theopen sea”)
• jarðarmegin (“the wide earth”)
• landsmegin (“mainland”)
• meginafl (“main strength”)
• meginborg (“main castle”)
• meginbygð (“main district”)
• megindróttning (“the Virgin Mary”)
• megindómar (“great events”)
• megindýrr (“dearly beloved”)
• meginfjall (“great mountain”)
• meginfjarri (“very far off”)
• meginfjǫldi (“vast multitude”)
• meginflokkr (“main body”)
• meginflótti (“main body of a host”)
• megingjǫrð (“girdle of power”)
• megingrimmr (“very fierce”)
• megingóðr (“mighty good”)
• megingóðvætliga (“very kindly”)
• meginhaf (“ocean”)
• meginherað (“main district”)
• meginherr (“main army”)
• meginhyggja (“wisdom”)
• meginhúfr (“main hull of a ship”)
• meginhǫfn (“main harbour”)
• meginkátr (“mighty glad”)
• meginland (“mainland”)
• meginlauss (“powerless”)
• meginleikr (“main of a thing”)
• meginleysi (“weakness”)
• meginligr (“important”)
• meginlið (“main body of the army”)
• meginljótr (“very hideous”)
• meginlítill (“weak”)
• meginmeingjarn (“very mischievous”)
• meginmerki (“chief standard”)
• meginmildr (“very mild”)
• meginmǫrk (“main forest”)
• meginrás (“main course”)
• meginrúnar (“mighty runes”)
• meginstjarna (“main star”)
• meginstormr (“mighty gale”)
• megintrygðir (“firm truce”)
• megintírr (“great fame”)
• megintíðendi (“mighty tidings”)
• meginvel (“mighty well”)
• meginverk (“mighty feat”)
• meginveðr (“mighty gale”)
• meginá (“main river”)
• megináss (“Odin”)
• meginþing (“great meeting”)
• meginþǫrf (“great need”)
• vanmegin (“weakness”)
• vetrarmegin (“main part of winter”)
• úmegin (“swoon”)

Descendants

• Icelandic: megin n
• Faroese: megin n
• Old Swedish: mæghin
  • Swedish: mägen (obsolete)
• Old Danish: mæghæn
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: megje (obsolete)

Further reading

• Richard Cleasby; Guðbrandur Vigfússon (1874), “megin”, in An Icelandic-English Dictionary, 1st edition, Oxford: Oxford Clarendon Press, page 421
• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), “megin”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 292; also available at the Internet Archive

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *maginą (“might, power”). Cognate with Old English mæġen, Old Norse megin, Old High German megin, magan.

Noun

megin n

1. power

Declension

megin (neuter a-stem)

	singular	plural
nominative	megin	megin
accusative	megin	megin
genitive	megines	meginō
dative	megine	meginun
instrumental	—	—

Related terms

• meginfard
• meginfolk
• meginkraft
• meginstrengi
• meginsundia
• meginthioda
• meginthiof

References

• Köbler, Gerhard (2014), “mėgin”, in Altsächsisches Wörterbuch‎ (in German), 5th edition

Welsh

Etymology

Possibly from Proto-Celtic *makīnā, from the root *mak- (“leather bag”). See Proto-Germanic *magô (“stomach”) for more discussion on the root and cognates.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /mɛɡɪn/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /meːɡɪn/, /mɛɡɪn/

Noun

megin f (plural meginau)

1. bellows
2. (informal) lungs

   Synonym: ysgyfaint

Derived terms

• megino

Mutation

Mutated forms of megin

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
megin	fegin	unchanged	unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “megin”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies