gissel

From Danish gidsel, from Old Norse gísl, from Proto-Germanic *gīslaz.

• IPA^(key): /ɡis.sel/, [ˈɡɪs.səl], [ˈɡɪs.sl̩]

gissel n (definite singular gisselet or gislet, indefinite plural gisler or gissel, definite plural gislene or gisla)

1. a hostage

• In 2020, the Language council of Norway made the masculine inflection obsolete, including the form gisselen m.^[1]

• gisseldrama
• gisseltaker

• “gissel” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Old Norse gísl,^[1] from Proto-Germanic *gīslaz, from Proto-Celtic *geistlos (“hostage, pledge”).

• IPA^(key): /ɡis.sel/, [ˈɡɪs.səl], [ˈɡɪs.sl̩]

gissel m (definite singular gisselen, indefinite plural gislar, definite plural gislane)
gissel n (definite singular gisselet, indefinite plural gissel, definite plural gissela)

1. a hostage

• In 2020, a neuter inflection was made co-official.^[2]

• gisseldrama
• gisseltakar

Old Swedish gisl and the older gesl, having feminine gender. Used in the 1541 Bible translation with the plural gisslar. Corresponding to Old Norse geisli, related to Old Norse geirr (“spear”), Old English ger (“spear”) and English gear. Cognates include Icelandic geisli, German Geißel, Dutch gesel.

gissel n

1. a scourge (whip)
2. (figuratively) a scourge (source of persistent trouble)

   Korruptionen är landets gissel

   Corruption is the scourge of the country

• plåga
• piska
• spö
• stav

• gissla

• gissel in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• gissel in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• gissel in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• gissel in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)