æja

Icelandic

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈaiːja/
    Rhymes: -aiːja
    Homophone: ægja

Etymology 1

From Old Norse æja, probably from a Proto-Germanic *ahjaną, related to Sanskrit अशनाति (aśnā́ti, eat), Ancient Greek ἄκολος (ákolos, morsel).

Verb

æja (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative áði, supine áð)

  1. when traveling, to stop to rest or eat

Etymology 2

Likely from a Proto-Germanic *ahjǭ, related to æja (1).

Noun

æja f (genitive singular æju, nominative plural æjur)

  1. a small piece of something
Declension
Declension of æja (feminine)
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative æja æjan æjur æjurnar
accusative æju æjuna æjur æjurnar
dative æju æjunni æjum æjunum
genitive æju æjunnar æja æjanna

Etymology 3

From the interjection æ.

Verb

æja (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative æjaði, supine æjað)

  1. to say æ; to complain in reaction to pain or disappointment
Conjugation
æja – active voice (germynd)
infinitive nafnháttur æja
supine sagnbót æjað
present participle
æjandi
indicative
subjunctive
present
past
present
past
singular ég æja æjaði æi æjaði
þú æjar æjaðir æir æjaðir
hann, hún, það æjar æjaði æi æjaði
plural við æjum æjuðum æjum æjuðum
þið æið æjuðuð æið æjuðuð
þeir, þær, þau æja æjuðu æi æjuðu
imperative boðháttur
singular þú æja (þú), æjaðu
plural þið æið (þið), æiði1
1 Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

Etymology 4

Alteration of jæja.

Interjection

æja

  1. (slang, nonstandard) well, well then

References

  • Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989) Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)

Old Norse

Etymology

Probably from Proto-Germanic *ahjaną, related to Sanskrit अशनाति (aśnā́ti, eat), Ancient Greek ἄκολος (ákolos, morsel).

Verb

æja (present indicative ær, past indicative áði, past participle áðr)

  1. (intransitive) to rest and eat
  2. (transitive) to rest and feed

Conjugation

Conjugation of æja — active (weak class 1)
infinitive æja
present participle æjandi
past participle áðr
indicative subjunctive
present past present past
1st person singular æ áða æja æða
2nd person singular ær áðir æir æðir
3rd person singular ær áði æi æði
1st person plural æjum áðum æim æðim
2nd person plural æið áðuð æið æðið
3rd person plural æja áðu æi æði
imperative present
2nd person singular æ
1st person plural æjum
2nd person plural æið
Conjugation of æja — mediopassive (weak class 1)
infinitive æjask
present participle æjandisk
past participle æzk
indicative subjunctive
present past present past
1st person singular æjumk áðumk æjumk æðumk
2nd person singular æsk áðisk æisk æðisk
3rd person singular æsk áðisk æisk æðisk
1st person plural æjumsk áðumsk æimsk æðimsk
2nd person plural æizk áðuzk æizk æðizk
3rd person plural æjask áðusk æisk æðisk
imperative present
2nd person singular æsk
1st person plural æjumsk
2nd person plural æizk

Descendants

  • Icelandic: æja

Further reading

  • Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “æja”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 534; also available at the Internet Archive