korlægje

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

Etymology

From kor +‎ lægja, from Old Norse kǫr and Old Norse lægi, compare Icelandic liggja í kör. Probably same as Karleye, a sea serpent mentioned by Chisten Jensøn (1646) and Erik Pontoppidan (1749), which Jensøn says can be used metaphoric about a powerless condition, although it may be folk etymology of two unrelated words.

Noun

korlægje n (definite singular korlægjet, uncountable)

  1. the condition of weakness, when a sick or old person must stay in bed

References

  • “korlægje” in Ivar Aasen (1873) Norsk Ordbog med dansk Forklaring
  • Torleiv Hannaas (1915) Ældre norske Sprogminder : Christen Jensøns Den Norske Dictionarium (in Norwegian Nynorsk), page 40
  • Erik Pontoppidan (1749) Glossarium Norvagicum (in Danish)
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