not quite known

a prefixed particle denoting lacking, under-, un-.

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a particle prefixed to nouns and adverbs, [cp. vanr; Goth. and A. S. wan-, deficient; O. H. G. wana-]:—lacking, wanting: only used as a compd except in the phrase, of og van, or það er of sem van, now too much, now too little.

B. In COMPDS van- is freq. as a prefixed particle, mostly denoting lacking, slowly, short, not sufficient, under-, but also simply as a negative, much like Gr. δυσ-: van-afla, -afli, adj. weak, waning in strength, Al. 5. Fms. vi. 107, Sks. 590. van-alinn, part. under-fed, Grág. i. 455. van-brúka. ð, to misuse; mod. van-brúkun, f. a misuse. van-burða, adj. born prematurely; v. eldi. 656 B. 7. van-búinn, part. unprepared, Korm. 202, Ld. 324, Fms. vi. 214, vii. 127, viii. 288. van-drengr, m. a bad man, Fs. 166. van-dæmt, part. under-judging, i. e. too leniently: hafa v. eða ofdæmt, Grág. (pref.) van-efni, n. pl. lack of means, Grág. i. 257, Band. 31 new Ed., Fms. viii. 23. van-erð, f.(?). inferiority, N. G. L. i. 212. van-farinn, part. in a strait, Fas. i. 518 (see also the verse); vér erum vanfarnir hjá honum, we are much short of him, Orkn. 332. van-ferli, n. things going wrong, Fms. x. 131. van-festr, part. badly fastened, MS. 4. 8. van-fylgt, n. part.; hafa v. e-m, to back one slowly, Bs. i. 739. van-færi, n. disability, Stj. 1. van-færr, adj. disabled, infirm, Fms. ii. 146, x. 354, xi. 325, Fas. i. 532, Bs. i. 393; vanærr ok ílla heill, Hom. 122. van-gá, f. lack of care. van-gefinn, see vargefinn. van-gerðing, f. a defective fencing, Gpl. 382. van-geymsla, u, f. = vangá, Ld. 128, Jb. 42, Dipl. v. 26. van-geymt, n. part.; hafa v. e-s, to neglect, H. E. ii. 110. van-giptr, part. married beneath one, Nj. 17, v. l. van-goldit, part. n. underpaid, Ó. H. 87. van-gætt, n. part. = vangeymt, Gþl. 463. van-gæzla, u, f. = vangeymsla, Grág. ii. 341, Fms. viii. 364. van-görr, part. defective, imperfect, imperfectly done, half done, Fms. vi. 13, x. 318, Bs. i. 59; ung Kristni ok mjök vangör, Fbr. 7; mér sýndisk vangört, faulty, Fms. x. 320. van-haft, n. part.; hafa v., not to get one’s due, Grág. i. 265. van-haga, að; impers., mig vanhagar um e-t, to miss a thing, want. van-hagr, m. dismay, disadvantage, Grág. ii. 49, Fms. xi. 245, Fær. 7: misconduct, Bs. i. 687. van-hald, n. a damage, loss; bíða vanhald af e-m, Fms. x. 421: in plur. ill-luck, thriftlessness, Band. 37 new Ed. van-haldinn, part. getting less than one’s due, wronged, H. E. ii. 126; ef þú þykkisk v., Ld. 108, Slurl. i. 77 C, Fas. ii. 297. van-hefnt, n. part. (better var-hefnt), Nj. 280, v. l. van-heiðr, m. dishonour, H. E. i. 562, Fas. ii. 289. van-heila, u, f. = vanheilsa, Bs. i. 353. van-heilagr, adj. profane. van-heilindi, n. failing health, illness, Fms. vii. 208, viii. 280, H. E. i. 12. van-heill, adj. [A. S. wanhâl], not hale, disabled, ill, Grág. i. 50, Fms. x. 420; e-m verðr vanheilt, to be taken ill, Grág. i. 277: = pregnant, Bret. 10. van-heilligr, adj. ill, wretched, Fms. vii. 30. van-heilsa, u, f. failing health, illness, Bs. i. 83, 84, 353 (v. l.), Grág. i. 226, Fms. vii. 157, passim. van-helga, að, to profane. van-helti, f., better vammhelti, q. v., Jb. 366 A. van-henta, t, to stand in need of, to want; hann kvað sér v. annat, he said it was not that he wanted, Ld. 212. van-hentr, adj.; e-m er e-t vanhent, it suits one not well, Fms. x. 260. van-herðr, part. not pushed up to one’s mettle, Fas. iii. 487. van-hirða, t; v. um e-t, to neglect. van-hirðing, f. = vangeymsla. van-hirzla, u, f. = vanhirðing, Sks. 446. van-hluta, adj. unfairly dealt with; verða v., to be worsted, Bjarn. 56, Ísl. ii. 255, Grág. i. 157, ii. 92, Fms. i. 306; rétta þeirra hlut er áðr eru v., Eb. 156. van-hlutr, m. an unfair share, Sturl. i. 47 C. van-hugaðr, n. part. [? A. S. vanhygig]; e-t er v. í máli, it was not well considered, Lv. 30. van-hyggja, u, f. a lack of forethought, Ld. 152; bæta fyrir vanhyggju mína, Valla L. 209. van-kunnandi, part. wanting in knowledge, ignorant, ill-informed, Gþl. van-kunnigr, adj. ignorant. van-kunnindi, f. ignorance, Gþl. (pref.) van-kunnusta (mod. van-kunnátta), u, f. want of knowledge, ignorance, H. E. i. 479. van-leitað, n. part.; e-s er v., examined imperfectly, Bs. i. 329. van-lofaðr, part. under-praised, Fms. vi. 196. van-lokinn, part. half paid, of debt; vanloknar skuldir, Grág. i. 93. van-luktr, part. half finished; ganga frá mörgu vanluktu, Sturl. iii. 279. van-lykta, að, to leave unfinished, H. E. i. 409. van-lyktir, f. pl.; með vanlyktum, unfinished, half done, Fms. vi. 13; ok var at vanlykðum nökkut, er hón þó höfuð hans, Ísl. ii. 333; hvárigar vanlykðir ( faults) er þær koma á goðans hendi, Grág. i. 94. van-mátta, adj. weak, sick, sore; í tána þá er v. var, a sore toe, Hrafn. 15. van-máttigr, adj. failing in strength, weak, impotent, Fms. v. 163. van-máttr, m. failing strength, illness, Eg. 565, Vápn. 17, Fms. ii. 12, Bs. i. 84. van-megin, n. weakness, Fms. vii. 156: a swoon, fainting, sló yfir mik hræzlu ok vanmegni, 108. van-meginn (van-megn, Stj. 20), adj. weak, feeble, Fms. i. 305, Stj. 20, v. l.; v. af megri, Fb. iii. 447; höndina þá má vanmegnu, an infirm hand, Sturl. i. 189. van-megna, adj. = vanmeginn. van-megna, að, to weaken; v. sterkjan hug, Al. 6: reflex., vanmegnast, to faint, sink down, Vídal. passim. van-menni, n. (van-menna, u, f., Lv. 30; vanmennur þær, Fms. xi. 257), a worthless person, Gísl. 149, Vápn. 15, Fms. iii. 149. van-meta, adj. in a weak, bad condition; var fótrinn v., of a sick leg. Bs. i. 344; vanmeta skepna, an ill-favoured creature. van-metnaðr, m. a disgrace, Grett. 160 A. van-mettr, part. hungry, Sól. 3. van-mælt, n. part.; eiga e-t vanmælt, if thou hast anything unsaid, anything to say, Bs. i. 668; hvárt mér verðr ofmælt eðr vanmælt, Nj. 232. van-mætti, n. an infirmity. van-refsaðr, part. not duly punished, Sturl. ii. 10. van-refst, n. part. = refsað; ef v. er af dómarans hendi, Gþl. 172. van-rekstr, m. = vanréttr, Fms. xi. 253, v. l. van-rétti, n. loss of right, Ls. 40; þola v., Ó. H. 238: a defeat, Ísl. ii. 367. van-réttr, m. = vanrétti, Fms. xi. 253. van-rækiliga, adv. carelessly, slovenly, Bs. i. (Laur. S.) van-rækja, t, to disregard, Stj. 157, Fms. xi. 423, K. Á. 72: reflex., vanrækjask e-n, Fms. viii. 252. van-rækt, f. lack of care, Gþl. 332, H. E. i. 251, Dipl. ii. 14. van-rætt, n. part. not fully discussed; v. er um e-t, Sks. 271 B. van-samit, part. unsettled, Stj. van-semd, f. a disgrace, offence, Bjarn. 67. van-signaðr, part. cursed, Stj., MS. 655 xx. 3. van-skörungr, m. = vandrengr, Fs. 4, Eg. 730. van-spurt, n. part. left unasked, Sks. 52, 191. van-stilli, n. lack of moderation, intemperance, Al. 45, 71; gefa svá kappsamliga mat, er á þessu mikit vanstilli, no measure, Ísl. ii. 337, Fms. vii. 162 (of a fit of insanity); v. lopts, Al. 55; þurfa menn ekki hér at lýsa v. ( men need not shew ill temper) fyrir þessa sök, Sturl. i. 101 C. van-stilling, f. = vanstilli. Hom. 25. van-stilltr, part. wanting in tempcr, rash, Fms. i. 207, x. 264; marglyndr, vandlyndr ok v., wanting in temper, 420; v. í orðum, vi. 324: excessive, Stj. 142. van-svarat, n. part. insufficiently answered, of a question; hafa v., H. E. ii. 93; vanspurt eða v., Sks. 270. van-svefta, adj. having too little sleep. van-sæmd, f. dishonour, contumely, Fms. ii. 291, vi. 109. van-sætti, n. discord, Sturl. i. 101, v. l. van-sök, f. a fault, offence, Magn. 524. van-talað, n. part. = vanmælt; er enn mart vantalað, Lv. 20; á ek við hvárigan ykkarn vantalað, I want to speak to neither of you, Fms. v. 327. van-talit ( van-talt), n. part. not full accounted for, short in the tally, Glúm. 385; oftalt, vantalt, Gþl. 478. van-tekit, n. part. pulled insufficiently, Eb. 242. van-traust, n. a lack of trust. van-trú, f. unbelief [Dan. vantro]; villa ok v., K. Á. 218, H. E. i. 390, Vídal. van-trúaðr, part. unbelieving, N. T., Vídal. van-trúnaðr, m. distrust, Fms. i. x. 398. van-unninn, part. unfinished; vanunnin verk, Grág. i. 157; lítið vas eptir vanunnit ( undone) í víngarðinum, Greg. 57. van-virða, t, to disregard, dishonour, put to shame, Ísl. ii. 238; affæra ok v., Bs. i. (Laur. S.): part. vanvirðr, Fms. ii. 67, Fs. 183; vanvirt, Fms. v. 326. van-virða, u, f. a disgrace, Fs. 60, 159, Eb. 128. van-virðing, f. = vanvirða, Fms. ix. 278, 289, Gþl. 157, 181. vanvirðu-lauss, adj. not disgracing, Grett. 118. van-virkja, u, f. a defect, fault, Stj. 158, Ísl. ii. 201, v. l. van-vit, n. [Dan. van-vid = insanity], want of thought, Nj. 135, v. l. van-vita, adj. insane, N. G. L. i. 213, Js. 79. van-vitað, n. part. not quite known; enn er v. nökkut um sættina, Bjarn. 56. van-vizka, u. f. foolishness, Al. 115. van-þakkað, n. part. not duly thanked; eiga e-m e-t v. van-þakklátr, adj. ungrateful. van-þakklæti, n. ingratitude. van-þekking, f. lack of knowledge. van-þyrmsla, u, f. violation; v. hátiða, Hom. 146. van-þökk, f. unthankfulness.

I) pers. pron. I;

in poetry and old prose a pronominal k is suffixed to the verb, emk = em ek, vask = vas ek; sák = sá ek; mundak = munda ek; even if preceded by ek: ek sék, ek sitk; a preceding g becomes by assimilation k, hykk = hygg ek; the pronominal k is inserted between the suffixed negative, -a or -at, and the verb, sáka = sá ek-a, I saw not; veitka = veit ek-a, I know not.

II) from aka.

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pers. pron., mod. eg, proncd. ég or jeg; eg occurs as early as in MSS. of the 15th century, Arna-Magn. 556 A; jak, Fms. x. 287, cp. the mod. Swed. form and the mod. Icel. jeg; old poets make it rhyme with ek, as, Halldórr ok ek | höfum engi þrek, Korm. 154 (in a verse), cp. Ld. 108: [Ulf. ïk, but ek on the Golden horn and on the stone in Tune; A. S. ic; Engl. I; Germ. ich; old Swed. jak, mod. jag; Dan. jeg; cp. Lat. ego, Gr. ἐγώ]:—I, Nj. 10, 30, 132, etc.

2. in poetry and old prose a pronominal ‘k or ‘g is suffixed to the verb; em’k búinn annan í at nefna, Grág. i. 103; ek em’k, 623. 56, Blas. 41, Mork. 89, 94, 99, 104, Vþm. 8, Ls. 14, Ad. 1, Post. 645. 33; jók’k, ‘I eked’ ( added), Íb. (pref.); vas’k þar fjórtán vetr, ch. 9; þá er ek var’k á bænum, Blas. 40, Hm. 12; ek bað’k, Post. 645. 54; ek kom’k, Skm. 18; ek sit’k, Mork. 168; ek finn’k, 141; ek nam’k, 73; sá’k, 75; ek sé’k ( video), 103, 168, Fms. xi. 110; mun’k-at ek, Mork. 50; svá ek vind’k, Hm. 156; ok rít’k á þessa lund, Skálda (Thorodd) 166; sjá’k ( sim), Mork. 183: g before k becomes by assimilation k, e. g. hyk’k = hygg’k, Skm. 5: the pronominal k is inserted between the suffixed negative and the verb, ek skal’k-a, hef’k-a, mon’k-a, sa’k-a, ma’k-a, veit’k-a, or skal’k-a ek, hef’k-a ek, etc.: even a double k after a diphthong, siá’kk ( sim), Mork. 89, 134, but chiefly in poetry with the suffixed negative, e. g. ek sé’kk-a: this form is obsolete, whereas the suffixed g (or k) in bisyllables or after a vowel is more freq.; svá at ek fæ’k eigi leyzt mik, Edda 20; er ek vilda’g helzt, Fms. xi. 146; eigi munda’k trúa, Edda 32; ef ek lifi ok mega’k ráða, 34; þá hafða’k bundit með gresjarni, id.; sem önga frægð muna’k af hljóta, 20; sýnda’k bæði þeim ok Sæmundi, Íb. (pref.); þá er ek var heima heyrða’k sagt, Edda 81; er ek aeva kenni’g, Hm. 164; draums ætli’g þér, Hdl. 7; þorða’g, Ad. 1; ræka’g, mætta’g, Stor. 8; sky’t ek ok ræ’k (ræ’g, v. l.), Fms. vi. 170 (in a verse); líkara at ek vitja’g hingat þessa heita, Eg. 319; næða’k (or næða’g), if I could reach, Eb. 70 (in a verse); at ek nemni þá menn alla ok beiði’g, Grág. ii. 317; vilja’k, I will, Ht. 1; þvíat ek ætla’g, Ó. H. 59; ok náða’k svá öllu ríki þeirra, 74; þvíat ek trúi’k yðr bezt, 88; ek setta’k, Mork. 62; flytta’k, 94; geri’k, heyrða’k, 36; mæli’g, 39; ek vetti’g, 175; tefli’g, 186; setta’g, lagða’g, id.; vilda’g, 193; vide Lex. Poët. and the word ‘-at’ [p. 2]: sometimes a double pronoun occurs, g and k, mátti’g-a’k, Og. 32; bjargi’g-a’k, Hm. 153; stöðvi’g-a’k, 151; hversu ek má’k, Fms. vi. 102; vide Lex. Poët. and Frump. 228 sqq.

B. DAT. AND ACC. are from a different root:—dat. mér, [Ulf. mis; Germ. mir; lost in Dan.], Nj. 10, etc. etc.; acc. mik, mod. mig, which form occurs even in MSS. at the beginning of the 14th century, e. g. Hauks-bók: mek occurs now and then in MSS., e. g. O. H. L., N. G. L., Sks. B, else it is rare and obsolete, Al. 42, Ó. H. 107, [Ulf. mik; A. S. mec; Engl. me; Germ. mich; Dan. mig.] As the word is so common, we shall only mention the use of mik which is special to the Scandinavian tongue, viz. its use as a verbal suffix. The ancients had a double form for the reflexive; for 1st pers. -mk, i. e. mik suffixed to the plur. of the verb; for the 3rd pers. -sk, i. e. sik suffixed to sing. and plur. alike; thus, ek (vér) þykkjumk, I (we) seem to myself ( ourselves); but hann þykkisk, he seems to himself; þeir þykkjask, they seem to themselves: the -mk was later changed into -mz, or - mst of editions and mod. use; but this is a grammatical decay, as if both - mst and -st (þykjumst and þykist) arose from the same reflex. sik.

1. the subject may be another person or thing (plur. or sing.) and the personal pronoun mik suffixed as object to the verb, a kind of middle voice found in very old poems, and where it occurs freq. it is a test of antiquity; in prose it is quite obsolete: jötna vegir stóðum’k yfir ok undir, the ways of giants (i. e. precipices) stood above and beneath me, Hm. 106; er lögðum’k arm yfir, the lass who laid her arms round me, 108; mögr hétum’k fögru, my son promised me fair, Egil; hilmir buðum’k löð (acc.), the king gave me leave, i. e. bade me, sing, Höfuðl. 2; úlfs bagi gáfum’k íþrótt, the wolf’s foe ( Odin) gave me the art ( poetry), Stor. 23; Ragnarr gáfum’k reiðar mána, R. gave me the shield, Bragi; þat erum’k sýnt, it is shewn to me, id.; stöndum’k ilmr fyrir yndi, the lass blights my joy, Kormak; hugr tjáðum’k, courage helped me, Egil; snertum’k harmr við hjarta, grief touches me to the heart, Landn.; stöndum’k til hjarta hjörr, the sword pierces me to the heart, Fm. i; feldr brennum’k, my cloak catches fire, Gm. 1; draum dreymðum’k, I dreamed a dream; grimt várum’k hlið, the gap ( breach) was terrible to me, Stor. 6; hálf ván féllum’k, half my hope failed me, Gráfeldar-drápa; heiðnir rekkar hnekðum’k, the heathen men turned me out, Sighvat; dísir hvöttum’k at, the ‘dísir’ hooted us, Hðm. 29; gumi görðum’k at vigi, the man made us fight, id.; lyst várum’k, it list me, Am. 74: very common is erum’k, ‘tis to me (us); erum’k van, I (we) have to expect; mjök erum’k tregt tungu at hræra, ‘tis hard for me to move the tongue, i. e. the tongue cleaves to my mouth, Stor. 1, 17, Ad. 16.

2. sometimes oneself is the subject, freq. in prose and poetry, either in deponent verbs or as reflex. or recipr.; at vit skilim’k sáttir, Ó. H. 119; at vér komim’k, that we shall come, 85; finnum’k hér þá, 108; ef vér finnum’k, 111; ek skildum’k við Ólaf konung, 126; ef ek komum’k í braut, 140; sigrom’k, if I gain the victory, 206; æðrom’k, 214; ef ek öndum’k, if I die, Eg. 127; ek berum’k, I bear myself, Grág. ii. 57, Mork. passim; ek þykkjum’k, þóttum’k, ráðum’k, látum’k, setjum’k, bjóðum’k, skildum’k, kveljum’k, etc., = ek þykisk, þóttisk, ræðsk, lætsk, setsk, býðsk, skildisk, kvelsk, etc.: even at the present day the forms eg þykjumst, þóttumst are often used in writing; in other words the suffix - mst (-mk) is almost obsolete.

β. the obsolete interjection er mik = I am; vel er mik, well is me (= ‘bless me!’), O. H. L. 71; æ er mik, ah me! 64; kendr er mik, I am known, 66: with a reflex. notion, hvat er mik at því, what is that to me? Skv. 1. 28; er mik þat undir frétt þeirri, that is my reason for asking, Grág. i. 19:—this ‘er mik’ is clearly the remains of the old erum’k.

C. DUAL AND PLUR. also from a different root:

1. dual vit, mod. við, a Norse form mit also occurs, Al. 170, 171, [cp. mi, Ivar Aasen]:—we two; gen. and dat. from a different root, okkar and okkr, [cp. Goth. ïggqis; A. S. inc and incer; O. H. G. inch and inchar; Ivar Aasen dikke and dykk]:—our.

2. plur.:

α. nom. vér and vær, the last form now obsolete, [Goth. veis; A. S. and Engl. we; Germ. wir; Dan. vi]:—we.

β. gen. vár, mod. vor, Eg. 524, Fms. viii. 213, 398, etc.

γ. dat. and acc. oss, [Goth. uns (acc.), unsis (dat.); A. S. us; Germ. uns; Swed. oss; Dan. os]:—us: it need only be noticed that in mod. familiar usage the dual—við, okkr, okkar—has taken the place of the plural, vér, oss; but that in written books the forms vér, oss are still in freq. use, except in light or familiar style; old writers, on the other hand, made a clear distinction both in speech and writing.