varða

• IPA^(key): /ˈvarða/

  Rhymes: -arða

From Old Norse varða, from Proto-Germanic *warþō, an extension of a stem-verb *warōną (“be on guard”). See also Old High German warta (“watch”), Old Saxon warda, Middle Dutch warde.

varða f (genitive singular vörðu, nominative plural vörður)

1. cairn

varða (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative varðaði, supine varðað)

1. to affect, to concern, to regard

   Synonym: snerta

   Hvað varðar þig um það?

   What do you care about that?, What's it to you?

• vörður

varða

1. indefinite genitive plural of vörður

From Proto-Germanic *warþō, an extension of a stem-verb *warōną (“be on guard”). See also Old High German warta (“watch”), Old Saxon warda, Middle Dutch warde.

Transferred from a root cognate to English ward, the term initially referred to a guard station or similar. Often outfitted with cairns, initial reasons unclarified, later as markers, lookouts or beacon-platform, etc, the term was transferred as a synonym for said cairns. Compare Swedish vårdkase (“fire beacon”).

varða f

1. guard station with cairn as a road marker or platform for beacon, lookout or other
2. cairn; further: memorial, monument
   • c. 16th century, Greenlandic Norse inscription on the Kingittorsuaq Runestone:

     ᛂᛚᛚᛁᚴᚱ᛫ᛍᛁᚴᚢᛆᚦᛍ᛬ᛍᚮᚿ᛬ᚱ᛫ᚮᚴ᛫ᛒᛆᛆᚿᚿᛂ᛬ᛐᚮᚱᛐᛆᚱᛌᚮᚿ᛬ᚮᚴᛂᚿᚱᛁᚦᛁ᛫ᚮᛍᛍᚮᚿ᛬ᛚᛆᚢᚴᛆᚱᛑᛆᚴ᛫ᛁᚿ᛬ᚠᛦᚱᛁᚱ᛫ᚵᛆᚴᚿᛑᛆᚵᚼᛚᚮᚦᚢ᛫ᚢᛆᚱᛑᛆᛐᛂ᛫ᚮᚴᚱᛦᛑᚢ᛬

     /El͡likr · Sikuaþs:so͡n:r · ok · Baan͡ne : Torta͡rson ok Enriþi · Osson : laukardak·in : fyrir · gakndag hloþu · ua͡rda te · ok rydu./

     Ärling Sigvatsson and Björne Torfridsson and Endre Åsesson, the Saturday before Rogation Day, laid cairn ”te and rydu” (some expression).

3. grave cairn; further: gravestone
4. road marker, guide marker
5. beacon, pyre

• Icelandic: varða
• Swedish: vård, vål

varða

1. first-person singular past active indicative of verja