svefn

Icelandic

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) svöfn

Etymology

(deprecated template usage)

From Old Norse svefn, from Proto-Germanic *swefnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *swepno-, an extension of *swep- (“sleep”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /svɛpn/

  Rhymes: -ɛpn

Noun

svefn m (genitive singular svefns, no plural)

1. sleep

   Antonyms: vaka, vakning

2. (archaic) a dream

Derived terms

• djúpsvefn
• falla í svefn (“to fall asleep”)
• í fasta svefni (“to be sound asleep”)
• leggjast til svefns (“to go to bed”)
• smásvefn
• sofna svefninum langa/sofna hinsta svefni (“to die”)
• svefnbekkur
• svefnfriður
• svefnherbergi n (“bedroom”)
• svefnklefi
• svefnlaus
• svefnleysislegur
• svefnleysi n (“insomnia”)
• svefnléttur
• svefnlyf
• svefnmeðal
• svefnmók
• svefnpilla
• svefnpoka
• svefnpurka f (“sleepyhead, lie-a-bed, sluggard”)
• svefnrof
• svefnró
• svefnsófi
• svefnsýki
• svefntafla
• svefnugur
• svefnvana
• svefnþungur
• tala upp úr svefni (“to sleep talk”)
• vetrarsvefn

 

Related terms

• sofa

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Old Norse

Etymology

(deprecated template usage)

From Proto-Germanic *swefnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *swepnos, an extension of *swep- (“sleep”). Cognate with Old Saxon sweƀan, Old English swefn, English sweven. The Indo-European root also led to Ancient Greek ὕπνος (húpnos), Latin somnus, Old Irish suan, Old Church Slavonic съпати (sŭpati), Russian спать (spatʹ), Latvian sapnis.

Noun

svefn m

1. sleep

Declension

  Declension of svefn (strong a-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	svefn	svefninn	svefnar	svefnarnir
accusative	svefn	svefninn	svefna	svefnana
dative	svefni	svefninum	svefnum	svefnunum
genitive	svefns	svefnsins	svefna	svefnanna

Related terms

• sofa

Descendants

• Danish: søvn c
• Faroese: svøvnur m
• Icelandic: svefn m, svöfn m
• Norwegian Bokmål: søvn
• Norwegian Nynorsk: svevn m, søvn
• Swedish: sömn c

References

• “svefn”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press