guð

See also: gud, guth, Gud, guþ, and Guð

Faroese

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kuː/
Rhymes: -uː

Noun

guð

accusative singular of guður

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse guð, from Proto-Germanic *gudą.

The /v/ present in the pronunciation is a remnant of a 16th century sound change in Northwestern Iceland where a /v/ was inserted in words beginning with /k/ or /ɡ/ followed by /u/ or /o/. This pronunciation eventually disappeared but was preserved in the word guð (and its derivations) and subsequently spread to the rest of the country.^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kvʏːð/
Rhymes: -ʏːð

Noun

guð m (genitive singular guðs, nominative plural guðir)

a god (of polytheistic religions)
God (of monotheistic religions); often capitalized: Guð
- Genesis 1:31 (Icelandic Bible, New International Version)
  Og Guð leit allt, sem hann hafði gjört, og sjá, það var harla gott. Það varð kveld og það varð morgunn, hinn sjötti dagur.
  God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Declension

Declension of guð
m-s2	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	guð	guðinn	guðir	guðirnir
accusative	guð	guðinn	guði	guðina
dative	guði	guðinum	guðum	guðunum
genitive	guðs	guðsins	guða	guðanna

Synonyms

(polytheistic god): goð n
(monotheistic god): andlangs herra m (obsolete)

Derived terms

Related terms

gyðja

References

^ Veturliði Óskarsson (2001). ”Íslensk málsaga”. Alfræði íslenskrar tungu. Reykjavík: Lýðveldissjóður og Námsgagnastonun.

Old Norse

Alternative forms

ᚴᚢᚦ (kuþ), ᚷᚢᛞ (ɢuᴅ), ᚷᚢᚦ (ɢuþ) — Runic form

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *gudą (“god”). Compare Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old English god, Old High German and Old Dutch got, Gothic 𐌲𐌿𐌸 (guþ).

Noun

guð m or n

(Christianity) God m
(Germanic paganism) god, deity n
Synonym: goð

Declension

Declension of guð (strong a-stem, indefinite singular only)

masculine	singular
masculine	indefinite
nominative	guð
accusative	guð
dative	guði
genitive	guðs

Declension of guð (strong a-stem, indefinite singular only)

neuter	singular
neuter	indefinite
nominative	guð
accusative	guð
dative	guði
genitive	guðs

Descendants

Icelandic: guð m
Faroese: Gud, gudur
Norwegian Nynorsk: gud m
Elfdalian: guð
Old Swedish: guþ n or m
- Swedish: gud
Danish: gud c
- Norwegian Bokmål: gud
- → Greenlandic: guuti
Gutnish: gud, gu

[1] Veturliði Óskarsson (2001). ”Íslensk málsaga”. Alfræði íslenskrar tungu. Reykjavík: Lýðveldissjóður og Námsgagnastonun.

[1]