mis-kunn

f., mod. miskun with a single n, [from mis- and kunna; Scot. mis-ken; analogous to Lat. ignoscere = not to know, to overlook, pardon faults, as is duly remarked in Syntagma Baptismi by Jón Ólafsson]:—forgiveness, pardon, mercy, grace; vill Þórólfr gefask upp í mitt vald til miskunnar, Eg. 89; gefask upp á, yðvart vald ok miskunn, Fms. i. 104, Greg. 48, Niðrst. 1; ok eru þeir þá í m. konungs, at the king’s mercy, Gþl. 84; göra miskunn a e-m, to shew mercy to, Stj. 200; miskunnar andi, hugr, heit, augu, brunnr, faðmr, the spirit, mind, promise, eyes, spring, bosom of grace, 242, Greg. 25, 45, 47, Fms. ii. 196, Th. 25; miskunnar dómr, merciful judgment, Sks. 615; m. móðir, mother of mercy, Hom. 121; miskunnar gjöf, gift of grace, Fær. 136, Bs. i. 699: esp. freq. in eccl. usage, N. T., Pass., Vídal.

COMPDS: miskunnarfullr, miskunnarlauss, miskunnarleysi, miskunnarmaðr, miskunnarverk.