Hyge
/ˈhaɪdʒ/noun
An obsolete poetic word meaning mind, thought, spirit, or inner disposition.
Did you know?Hyge is related to the Old Norse element in Huginn, Odin’s raven whose name means “thought,” linking the word to mythic ideas of the mind as a powerful, almost spiritual force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hugiz
“Mind, thought, spirit, or disposition”
Old Norse
Old Norse
hugr
“Mind, thought, courage, or disposition; also the inner spirit”
Viking Age
Old Norse
Huginn
““Thought,” the name of one of Odin’s ravens”
Old English
Old English
hyge
“Mind, thought, spirit, or mental character”
Middle English
English
hyege / hyge
“An archaic or poetic form referring to the mind or inner disposition”
Modern English
English
hyge
“An obsolete literary word preserved mainly in historical, poetic, and etymological contexts”