Old Norse
Etymology
From Proto-Norse ᛊᚾᚨᚷᚹᚢ (*snaggwu-), from Proto-Germanic *snawwaz (“rapid, sudden”).[1][2]
Compare Dutch snugger (“smart”), which is likely related[3] and may be borrowed from a North Germanic language. However, this is disputed by Etymologiebank, as the Dutch cannot be related to the Norse via direct inheritance from Proto-Germanic, and that a mutual borrowing is unlikely.[4]
The "short-haired" sense is likely related to the "swift" sense, via sense relations "swift, rapid" > "sharp, trimmed"; however, the order of semantic development is somewhat disputed (see the Proto-Germanic for more). See also snauðr (“bare, bald”) for similar semantics.[5][6]
Adjective
snøggr
- swift; fast; quick; rapid
- (of hair, wool, grass, crop) short
Declension
Strong declension of snøggr
| singular
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
neuter
|
| nominative
|
snøggr
|
snøgg
|
snøggt
|
| accusative
|
snøggvan
|
snøggva
|
snøggt
|
| dative
|
snøggum
|
snøggri
|
snøggu
|
| genitive
|
snøggs
|
snøggrar
|
snøggs
|
|
|
| plural
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
neuter
|
| nominative
|
snøggvir
|
snøggvar
|
snøgg
|
| accusative
|
snøggva
|
snøggvar
|
snøgg
|
| dative
|
snøggum
|
snøggum
|
snøggum
|
| genitive
|
snøggra
|
snøggra
|
snøggra
|
Weak declension of snøggr
| singular
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
neuter
|
| nominative
|
snøggvi
|
snøggva
|
snøggva
|
| accusative
|
snøggva
|
snøggu
|
snøggva
|
| dative
|
snøggva
|
snøggu
|
snøggva
|
| genitive
|
snøggva
|
snøggu
|
snøggva
|
|
|
| plural
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
neuter
|
| nominative
|
snøggu
|
snøggu
|
snøggu
|
| accusative
|
snøggu
|
snøggu
|
snøggu
|
| dative
|
snøggum
|
snøggum
|
snøggum
|
| genitive
|
snøggu
|
snøggu
|
snøggu
|
Declension of comparative of snøggr
| singular
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
neuter
|
| nominative
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvara
|
| accusative
|
snøggvara
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvara
|
| dative
|
snøggvara
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvara
|
| genitive
|
snøggvara
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvara
|
|
|
| plural
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
neuter
|
| nominative
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvari
|
| accusative
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvari
|
| dative
|
snøggurum
|
snøggurum
|
snøggurum
|
| genitive
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvari
|
snøggvari
|
Strong declension of superlative of snøggr
| singular
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
neuter
|
| nominative
|
snøggvastr
|
snøggust
|
snøggvast
|
| accusative
|
snøggvastan
|
snøggvasta
|
snøggvast
|
| dative
|
snøggustum
|
snøggvastri
|
snøggustu
|
| genitive
|
snøggvasts
|
snøggvastrar
|
snøggvasts
|
|
|
| plural
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
neuter
|
| nominative
|
snøggvastir
|
snøggvastar
|
snøggust
|
| accusative
|
snøggvasta
|
snøggvastar
|
snøggust
|
| dative
|
snøggustum
|
snøggustum
|
snøggustum
|
| genitive
|
snøggvastra
|
snøggvastra
|
snøggvastra
|
Weak declension of superlative of snøggr
| singular
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
neuter
|
| nominative
|
snøggvasti
|
snøggvasta
|
snøggvasta
|
| accusative
|
snøggvasta
|
snøggustu
|
snøggvasta
|
| dative
|
snøggvasta
|
snøggustu
|
snøggvasta
|
| genitive
|
snøggvasta
|
snøggustu
|
snøggvasta
|
|
|
| plural
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
neuter
|
| nominative
|
snøggustu
|
snøggustu
|
snøggustu
|
| accusative
|
snøggustu
|
snøggustu
|
snøggustu
|
| dative
|
snøggustum
|
snøggustum
|
snøggustum
|
| genitive
|
snøggustu
|
snøggustu
|
snøggustu
|
Descendants
- Icelandic: snöggur
- Faroese: snøggur
- Norwegian Nynorsk: snøgg; (dialectal) snogg, snegg
- Norwegian Bokmål: snøgg
- Swedish: snögg, snygg
- → English: snug
References
- ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*snawwa-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 461
- ^ Vladimir Orel (2003) “*snawwaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology[2], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 357
- ^ de Vries, Jan (1977) “snøggr 1”, in Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Old Norse Etymological Dictionary][3] (in German), 2nd revised edition, Leiden: Brill, page 527
- ^ van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “snugger”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute
- ^ de Vries, Jan (1977) “snøggr 2”, in Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Old Norse Etymological Dictionary][4] (in German), 2nd revised edition, Leiden: Brill, page 527
- ^ “snygg”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy][5] (in Swedish), 1937
Further reading