# björn
## Icelandic
### Etymology

From Old Norse bjǫrn, from Proto-Germanic *bernuz, northern form of Proto-Germanic *berô.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pjœrtn/
    Rhymes: -œrtn
* IPA: /pjœtn/ (colloquial)

### Noun

björn m (genitive singular bjarnar, nominative plural birnir)
* bear (mammal)

#### Declension

$^1$Archaic or literary.

#### Derived terms

* gleraugnabjörn
* hvítabjörn
* ísbjörn
* kóalabjörn
* kragabjörn
* pandabjörn
* pokabjörn
* skógarbjörn
* sólbjörn
* svartbjörn
* sýrlandsbjörn
* þvottabjörn

#### Related terms

* bangsi
* bessi, Bessi
* birna, Birna
* Bjössi

### References

* Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989) Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)
* Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2025), “björn”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
* Mörður Árnason (2019) Íslensk orðabók, 5th edition, Reykjavík: Forlagið
* “björn” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)
* “björn”, in Ritmálssafn Orðabókar Háskólans [The Written Collection of the Lexicological Institute] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, (Can we date this quote?)

## Swedish
### Etymology

From Old Swedish biorn, biørn, from Old Norse bjǫrn, from Proto-Germanic *bernuz, northern form of Proto-Germanic *berô, probably from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“brown”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bjøːrn/, [ˈbjœ̞ːɳ]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

björn c
* a bear (an ursid)
    Synonyms: (colloquial) nalle, (colloquial) bamse
    Vi såg en björn i skogen i gårWe saw a bear in the forest yesterday
    Björnar gillar att mumsa på bärBears like to munch on berries
    Björnen brummadeThe bear growled
    En björn lufsade in på min bakgårdA bear lumbered into my backyard
    Björn är även ett vanligt förnamnBjörn is also a common first name [också vs. även is similar to also vs. additionally here – see the usage notes for även]
** 1989, “Bumbibjörnarna [signaturmelodi] [Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears [theme song]]”, Monica Forsberg (lyrics), Michael Silversher, Patricia Silversher (music)‎performed by Haakon Pedersen:Snälla och rara, helt underbara, och deras saga berättas igen. Hörs deras sånger som förr många gånger. Djupt in i skogen där lever de än. Hipp hurra, för här kommer Bumbibjörnarna. Studsar fram igenom sagorna. Och vi får följa med. Bumbibärssaften, den magiska kraften, och visst blir man stark om man dricker utav den. Ondska och törnar, det klarar små björnar. De kämpar och godheten segrar igen.Kind and sweet, truly [completely, absolutely, wholly] wonderful, and their story is told again. Their songs are heard like many times before ["Are heard their songs like before many times" – somewhat cryptically worded in Swedish as well]. Deep in the forest, [there] they still live. Hip hooray, for here comes the Gummi Bears. [They] bounce [forth] through the fairy tales. And we get to come along. The gummiberry juice, the magic power, and you certainly become strong if you drink from it. Evil and hard knocks – little bears can handle it. They fight, and [the] goodness [definite is often idiomatic for concepts] triumphs again ["good triumphs" is more commonly "det goda segrar" (the good triumphs)].
** 1995, Charta 77 (lyrics and music), “Lilla björn och lilla tiger [Little bear and little tiger]”, in Tecken i tiden [Sign of the times]‎:En björn och en tiger mot drömmarnas land, där solen som stiger alltid är varm. Tillsammans på stigen som leder dom fram.A bear and a tiger towards the land of dreams, where the sun that rises ["the rising sun" is "den uppgående solen" instead] is always warm. Together on the path that leads them forward.
* (gay slang) a bear (big, hairy (gay) man)

#### Related terms

* björna
* björnbindsle
* björnbär
* björnfitta
* björnfrossa
* björnfäll
* björnhane
* björnhona
* björnide
* björninna
* björnjakt
* björnjägare
* björnkloört
* björnkram
* björnloka
* björnmossa
* björnram
* björnskinn
* björnspår
* björntjänst
* björntråd
* björnunge
* brunbjörn
* grizzlybjörn
* isbjörn
* sjöbjörn
* sälj inte skinnet innan björnen är skjuten
* tvättbjörn
* väck inte den björn som sover

#### See also

* brumma (“growl like a bear”)
* ram (“front paw of a bear”)
* ide (“hibernation den”)
* labb (“larger paw”)
* lufsa (“move like a bear”)
* lurvig (“furry, shaggy”)
* tass (“paw”)

### References

* ↑ björn in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)
* björn in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* björn in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* björn in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
* Svensk MeSH