Where does “sýslumaður” come from?
sýslumaður (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic maður, from Old Norse maðr, from Proto-Germanic *mann-, from Proto-Indo-European men- — to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...
sýslumaður (Icelandic): county magistrate, in particular the chief official in a type of an administrative district that exists in Iceland and the Faroe Islands (previously also the Nordic countries) known as a sýsla. Similar positions in Anglophone countries are sheriff and county commissioner
Definitions
- county magistrate, in particular the chief official in a type of an administrative district that exists in Iceland and the Faroe Islands (previously also the Nordic countries) known as a sýsla. Similar positions in Anglophone countries are sheriff and county commissioner
Ancestry of “sýslumaður”, step by step
sýslumaður traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Icelandic maður
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | maður | human being, person, humanity, mankind; man,... |
| 2 | Old Norse | maðr | human, man, person; degree |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *mann- | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |
via Icelandic sýsla
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | sýsla | to work; work, employment; district,... |