Yggdrasil
English
    

An illustration depicting Yggdrasil, by Oluf Olufsen Bagge, for 1847, Northern Antiquities, an English translation of the Prose Edda
Alternative forms
    
Etymology
    
Borrowed from Old Norse Yggdrasill; commonly accepted as being composed Yggr (“terrible”) + drasill (“steed”), where “steed” refers to a hanging tree or possibly from *dʰer- (“to hold, support”).
Pronunciation
    
- IPA(key): /ˈɪɡdɹəsɪl/
- Audio (Southern England) - (file) 
 
Proper noun
    
Yggdrasil
- (Norse mythology) An immense ash tree that is central in Norse cosmology, believed to connect the nine worlds.
- 1863, The London Quarterly Review, volumes 113-114, page 117:- Yet it is not easy to pluck out the heart of its mystery; and the descriptions of certain ancient representatives of Yggdrasil do not lessen the difficulty.
 
- 1963, Spike Milligan, chapter 1, in Puckoon, page 1:- With nostrils and legs akimbo, she towered over him like some human Yggdrasill, blotting out the sun.
 
- 1996, Carolyne Larrington (editor and translator), The Seeress's Prophecy, The Poetic Edda, page 6,
- I know that an ash-tree stands called Yggdrasill,
- a high tree, soaked with shining loam;
- from there come the dews which fall in the valley,
- ever green, it stands over the well of fate.
 
- 2007, Bob Curran, Ian Daniels, Walking with the Green Man: Father of the Forest, Spirit of Nature, page 66:- In Norse mythology, for example, the World Tree, or Yggdrasil, connected the nine existences that straddled the worlds of gods and men with its mighty roots. Yggdrasil was reputedly a gigantic ash tree (and was the central feature of Norse cosmology), around the base of which the serpent Níôhöggr had twisted its body.
 
- 2007, J. A. Hunsinger, The Settlers: An Axe of Iron Novel, page 333:- “Yggdrasil!” Gudbjartur's voice was filled with awe. “It is Yggdrasil, the world-tree!” He looked at Halfdan, his eyes wide. “The Sacred Grove is here in this land!”
 
 
Translations
    
the world tree in Norse mythology
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Further reading
    
 Yggdrasil on  Wikipedia.Wikipedia Yggdrasil on  Wikipedia.Wikipedia
 Norse cosmology § Nine Worlds on  Wikipedia.Wikipedia Norse cosmology § Nine Worlds on  Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Faroese
    
    Etymology
    
Learned borrowing from Old Norse Yggdrasill, from Yggr + drasill (“steed”).
Norwegian Nynorsk
    
    Alternative forms
    
- Ygdrasil (alternative spelling)
- Yggdrasel, Ygdrasel
Etymology
    
Learned borrowing from Old Norse Yggdrasill, from Yggr + drasill (“steed”).
Pronunciation
    
- IPA(key): /²ʏɡːˌdraːsɪl/, (more commonly) /²ʏ(ɡ)draˌsiːl/
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