þikkuþiz

þikkuþiz is an Old Norse word that has garnered attention for its unique orthography and potential linguistic implications. The word consists of the letter thorn (þ), followed by the digraph 'ikk', then the letter thorn again, and finally the digraph 'iz'. This specific sequence of letters is rare in surviving Old Norse texts.

The meaning of þikkuþiz is not definitively established, as it appears in very limited contexts. Some scholars have proposed it might be a variation of the word þykkr, meaning "thick" or "dense." The final 'iz' could potentially represent a case ending or a grammatical marker, though its exact function remains debated.

The word's rarity makes it a subject of interest for paleographers and linguists studying the evolution of the Old Norse language. The presence of the double thorn (þþ) is particularly noteworthy, as such consonant clusters were not common. Analysis of the contexts where þikkuþiz appears, however few, is crucial for any attempt to decipher its precise meaning and grammatical role within Old Norse. Further discoveries of texts containing this word could shed more light on its significance.