finnball
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From finn + ball, referring to Sami shamans.
(hairball): Attested as finbal by Jacob Nicolai Wilse in 1780 in his dictionary of Spydeberg dialect.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /finːbalː/
- IPA(key): /fiɲːbaʎː/ (dialects with palatalization)
Noun
finnball m (definite singular finnballen, indefinite plural finnballar, definite plural finnballane)
- (folklore) a magic hairball, which can be found in cow stomach
- (folklore) magic force in form of a ball, e.g. a disease sent through air by a wizard, similar to gandfluge, Swedish villappaskott and Komi-Zyrian шева (ševa).
Synonyms
- (magic hairball): bustein
- (both senses): finnskot