illr

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ilhilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁elḱ-. The comparative and superlative degrees are taken from the Proto-Germanic adjective *ubilaz (whence English evil), but are themselves from yet another origin, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wers-.

Adjective

illr (comparative verri, superlative verst)

1. evil, bad
2. hard, difficult
3. close, mean, stingy

Inflection

This word seems to have a suppletive inflection, using another root in the comparative and superlative forms, than in the positive form.

    Strong declension of illr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	illr	ill	illt
accusative	illan	illa	illt
dative	illum	illri	illu
genitive	ills	illrar	ills
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	illir	illar	ill
accusative	illa	illar	ill
dative	illum	illum	illum
genitive	illra	illra	illra

    Weak declension of illr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	illi	illa	illa
accusative	illa	illu	illa
dative	illa	illu	illa
genitive	illa	illu	illa
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	illu	illu	illu
accusative	illu	illu	illu
dative	illum	illum	illum
genitive	illu	illu	illu

    Declension of comparative of illr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	verri	verri	verra
accusative	verra	verri	verra
dative	verra	verri	verra
genitive	verra	verri	verra
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	verri	verri	verri
accusative	verri	verri	verri
dative	verrum	verrum	verrum
genitive	verri	verri	verri

    Strong declension of superlative of illr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	verstr	verst	verst
accusative	verstan	versta	verst
dative	verstum	verstri	verstu
genitive	versts	verstrar	versts
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	verstir	verstar	verst
accusative	versta	verstar	verst
dative	verstum	verstum	verstum
genitive	verstra	verstra	verstra

    Weak declension of superlative of illr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	versti	versta	versta
accusative	versta	verstu	versta
dative	versta	verstu	versta
genitive	versta	verstu	versta
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	verstu	verstu	verstu
accusative	verstu	verstu	verstu
dative	verstum	verstum	verstum
genitive	verstu	verstu	verstu

Related terms

• illa (adverb)

Descendants

• Icelandic: illur
• Faroese: illur
• Old Swedish: ilder, īller
  • Swedish: illa
• Danish: ilde
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ille
• Norwegian Nynorsk: ille
• → Middle English: ille, ill, il
  • English: ill
  • Scots: ill
  • Yola: ill

References

• “illr”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press