ormeyngel

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

orm +‎ -e- +‎ yngel, first part from Old Norse ormr (“snake, worm”), from Proto-Germanic *wurmiz (“worm, snake”), from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥mis (“worm”), possibly from *wer- (“to burn”). Last part from the verb yngle (“create, procreate, grow”), from the adjective ung (“young”), from Old Norse ungr (“young”), from Proto-Germanic *jungaz (“young”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yuh₁n̥ḱós (“young”), from *h₂yuh₁en- (“young”), from *h₂óyu (“long time, lifetime”) + *-Hō (Hoffmann's suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔɾməʏŋəl/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əl
• Hyphenation: or‧me‧yng‧el

Noun

ormeyngel m (definite singular ormeyngelen, indefinite plural ormeyngel, definite plural ormeynglene)

1. a fry of (venomous) worms
2. (colloquial, offensive) contemptible, abominable offspring
   • 1930, Anton Fridrichsen, Samtiden:

     Johannes «Døperen», den store botspredikant … kalte fariseerne og de skriftlærde for «ormeyngel»

     John "the Baptist", the great preacher of penance, called the Pharisees and scribes "worm fry"

   • 1974, Jens Bjørneboe, Haiene, page 116:

     ormeyngel, brølte han: avgrunnens og dypets barn!

     worm fry, he roared: children of the abyss and the depths!

References

• Det Norske Akademis Ordbok