þyngri

þyngri is a comparative adjective in Old Norse and Icelandic meaning “more heavy” or “heavier.” It is the comparative form of the adjective þungr, meaning heavy or weighty, and it is used for both literal weight and figurative weight or burden. In Modern Icelandic the form persists as the standard comparative of the related adjective þungur, and cognates appear across the Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian tyngre, Swedish tyngre, and Danish tyngre.

The term is attested in medieval Old Norse texts, including sagas and skaldic poetry, where it describes something with greater weight or gravity, or a person or situation that carries a heavier burden or greater significance.

Etymology: þyngri derives from Proto-Germanic *þungaz, a common root for words meaning heavy. Its North Germanic development yields the Old Norse/Icelandic form þyngri, alongside cognates such as tyngre in Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish. The orthography with the letter thorn (þ) marks its Old Norse/Icelandic origin.

See also: heavy, Germanic languages, Norse literature.