svangur

From Old Norse svangr (“slender, slim, thin”), from svangi (“the groins”), also spelled svangr.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsvɛŋkʊɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɛŋkʊɹ

svangur (comparative svangari, superlative svangastur)

1. hungry

• mettur (full)

• IPA^(key): /ˈsvauŋkʏr/
• Rhymes: -auŋkʏr

From Old Norse svangr (“slender, slim, thin”), from Proto-Germanic *swangaz (“thin, slim”). The original meaning in Germanic was probably 'curved inwards', discernible from the derived Old Norse svangi (“flank, groin”), i.e., 'the sides of the abdomen which curve inwards slightly'. Within Icelandic the meaning developed from 'thin' to 'feeling hungry'.^[1] Cognates are Faroese svangur (“hungry”), Danish svang (“thin, famished”), Norwegian svang (“hungry”), dialectal Swedish svånger (“thin, hungry, empty”), Middle Swedish svanger (“slender, emaciated, very thin”), Middle High German swanger (“flexible, slender”).

Further origin unsure, perhaps related to Old Irish seng (“narrow, thin”). Not related to Danish svanger, Norwegian svanger, Dutch zwanger, and German schwanger (“pregnant”).

svangur (comparative svengri or svangari, superlative svengstur or svangastur)

1. hungry, peckish

   Synonyms: hungraður, soltinn

   Ertu svöng?

   Are you hungry?

   Ég er mjög svangur.

   I'm really hungry.

2. (obsolete) thin, slender, slim

   Synonyms: mjór, grannur, magur, mjósleginn

• ég er svangur (“I am hungry”)

• svangi (“flank, groin”)
• svengd (“hunger”)
• svengja (“to be hungry”)

• hungraður

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989) Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)
• Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2025), “svangur”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
• Mörður Árnason (2019) Íslensk orðabók, 5th edition, Reykjavík: Forlagið
• “svangur” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)
• “svangur”, in Ritmálssafn Orðabókar Háskólans [The Written Collection of the Lexicological Institute] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, (Can we date this quote?)

A noun of the adjectival form svangur (“hungry; thin”). Compare the Old Norse svangi (“the groins, especially of animals”) which was also spelled svangr (“the groins, especially of animals”).

svangur m (genitive singular svangs, no plural)

1. an empty or hungry stomach; used in set phrases

   Ég held að ég fái mér eitthvað í svanginn.

   I think I'll get something to eat.

• In modern Icelandic, this word is predominantly used in the accusative case with a definite article (svanginn) in the set phrase fá sér eitthvað í svanginn (“to get something to eat”).

• fá sér í svanginn (“to get something to eat”)