a metre

adj. (-kvæði, n.), in the heroic metre, the metre used in the drápas (q. v.) or poems which were recited before a king and the king’s men (drótt), whence the name probably comes; dróttkvæðr is opp. to kviðu-háttr, the epic, narrative metre, and ljóða-háttr, the metre of didactic poems or poems in the form of dialogues, Edda (Ht.)

mod. dans, n. a word of for. origin; [cp. mid. Lat. dansare; Fr. danser; Ital. danzare; Engl. dance; Germ. tanz, tanzen.] This word is certainly not Teutonic, but of Roman or perhaps Breton origin: the Icel. or Scandin. have no genuine word for dancing,—leika means ‘to play’ in general: the word itself (danza, danz, etc.) never occurs in the old Sagas or poetry, though popular amusements of every kind are described there; but about the end of the 11th century, when the Sagas of the bishops (Bs.) begin, we find dance in full use, accompanied by songs which are described as loose and amorous: the classical passage is Jóns S. (A. D. 1106–1121), ch. 13. Bs. i. 165, 166, and cp. Júns S. by Gunnlaug, ch. 24. Bs. i. 237—Leikr sá var kær mönnum áðr en hinn heilagi Jón varð biskup, at kveða skyldi karlmaðr til konu í danz blautlig kvæði ok rægilig; ok kona til karlmanns mansöngs vísur; þenna leik lét hann af taka ok bannaði styrkliga; mansöngs kvæði vildi hann eigi heyra né kveða láta, en þó fékk hann því eigi af komið með öllu. Some have thought that this refers to mythical (Eddic) poetry, but without reason and against the literal sense of the passage; the heathen heroic poems were certainly never used to accompany a dance; their flow and metre are a sufficient proof of that. In the Sturl. (Hist. of the 12th and 13th century) dancing is mentioned over and over again; and danz is used of popular ballads or songs of a satirical character (as those in Percy’s ballads): flimt ( loose song) and danz are synonymous words; the Sturl. has by chance preserved two ditties (one of A. D. 1221, running thus—Loptr liggr í Eyjum, bítr lunda bein | Sæmundr er á heiðum, etr berin ein. Sturl. ii. 62, and one referring to the year 1264—Mínar eru sorgirnar þungar sem blý, Sturl. iii. 317) sufficient to shew the flow and metre, which are exactly the same as those of the mod. ballads, collected in the west of Icel. (Ögr) in the 17th century under the name of Fornkvæði, Old Songs, and now edited by Jon Sigurdsson and Svend Grundtvig. Danz and Fornkvæði are both of the same kind, and also identical with Engl. ballads, Dan. kæmpeviser. There are passages in Sturl. and B.S. referring to this subject — færðu Breiðbælingar Lopt í flimtun ok görðu um hann danza marga, ok margskonar spott annat, Sturl. ii. 57, cp. 62; Danza-Bergr, the nickname of a man (Stud, ii), prob. for composing comic songs; danza-görð, composing comic songs; fylgðar-menn Kolbeins fóru með danza-görð, … en er Brandr varð varr við flimtan þeirra, iii. 80; þá hrökti Þórðr hestinn undir sér, ok kvað danz þenna við raust, 317.

β. a wake, Arna S. ch. 2; in Sturl. i. 23; at the banquet in Reykhólar, 1119, the guests amused themselves by dancing, wrestling, and story-telling; þá var sleginn danz í stofu, ii. 117; í Viðvík var gleði mikil ok gott at vera; þat var einn Drottins dag at þar var danz mikill; kom þar til fjöldi manna; ok ríðr hann í Viðvík til danz, ok var þar at leik; ok dáðu menn mjök danz hans, iii. 258, 259; honum var kostr á boðinn hvat til gamans skyldi hafa, sögur eða danz um kveldit, 281;—the last reference refers to the 21st of January, 1258, which fell on a Sunday (or wake-day): in ballads and tales of the Middle Ages the word is freq.:—note the allit. phrase, dansinn dunar, Ísl. Þóðs. ii. 8: the phrases, stiga danz; ganga í danz; brúðir í danz, dansinn heyra; dans vill hun heyra, Fkv. ii. 7. Many of the burdens to the mod. Icel. ballads are of great beauty, and no doubt many centuries older than the ballads to which they are affixed; they refer to lost love, melancholy, merriment, etc., e. g. Blítt lætur veröldin, fölnar fögr fold | langt er síðan mitt var yndið lagt í mold, i. 74; Út ert þú við æginn blá, eg er hér á Dröngum, | kalla eg löngum, kalla eg til þin löngum; Skín á skildi Sól og sumarið fríða, | dynur í velli er drengir í burtu riða, 110; Ungan leit eg hofmann í fögrum runni, | skal eg í hljóði dilla þeim mér unm; Austan blakar laufið á þann linda, 129; Fagrar heyrða eg raddirnar við Niflunga heim; Fagrt syngr svanrinn um sumarlanga tíð, | þá mun list að leika sér mín liljan fríð, ii. 52: Einum unna eg manninum, á meðan það var, | þó hlaut eg minn harm að bera í leyndum stað, 94; Svanrinn víða. svanurinn syngr viða, 22; Utan eptir firðinum, sigla fagrar fleyr | sá er enginn glaður eptir annan þreyr, 110; Svo er mér illt og angrsamt því veldur þú, | mig langar ekki í lundinn með þá jungfrú, Espol. Ann. 1549. The earliest ballads seem to have been devoted to these subjects only; of the two earliest specimens quoted in the Sturl. (above), one is satirical, the other melancholy; the historical ballads seem to be of later growth: the bishops discountenanced the wakes and dancing (Bs. l. c., Sturl. iii), but in vain: and no more telling proof can be given of the drooping spirits of Icel. in the last century, than that dancing and wakes ceased, after having been a popular amusement for seven hundred years. Eggert Olafsson in his poems still speaks of wakes, as an eyewitness; in the west of Icel. (Vestfirðir) they lasted longer, but even there they died out about the time that Percy’s ballads were published in England. The Fornkvæði or songs are the only Icel. poetry which often dispenses with the law of alliteration, which in other cases is the light and life of Icel. poetry; vide also hofmaðr, viki-vakar, etc. In the 15th century the rímur (metrical paraphrases of romances) were used as an accompaniment to the danz, höldar danza harla snart, ef heyrist vísan mín; hence originates the name man-söngr ( maid-song), minne-sang, which forms the introduction to every ríma or rhapsody; the metre and time of the rímur are exactly those of ballads and well suited for dancing. An Icel. MS. of the 17th century, containing about seventy Icel. Fornkvæði, is in the Brit. Mus. no. 11,177; and another MS., containing about twenty such songs, is in the Bodl. Libr. no. 130.

f. a heroic laudatory poem with refrains in the central portion (contrasted with flokkr).

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u, f. a heroic, laudatory poem; this word is probably derived from drepa, to strike, i. e. to strike the chords of an instrument, vide drepa A. I, as poems were at early times accompanied by instrumental music: the drápas were usually composed in the so-called ‘drótt-kvætt’ metre, q. v., and were much in fashion from the 10th to the 12th or even to the 13th century, but esp. flourished at the end of the 10th and during the 11th; the earliest poems of this kind on record are of the end of the 9th century: even poems in honour of gods, Christ, the holy cross, saints, etc. are called drápur if composed in the proper metre; but most of them are in honour of kings, earls, princes, or eminent men, vide Skáldatal. A drápa usually consisted of three parts, upp-haf introduction, stef or stefjamál the burden or middle part interpolated with artificial burdens, whence the name stefja-drápa, and lastly slæmr or peroration; according to the length, a drápa is tvítug or a poem of twenty stanzas, sextug or sixty stanzas, and so on; it is called erfi-drápa if in praise of a deceased man, mansöngs-drápa (Germ. minne-sang) if addressed to a lady-love, etc.; as to metre, we have tog-drápa, hrynhend drápa, etc.; drápa is sometimes distinguished from flokkr, a less laudatory and shorter poem without burdens, Fms. vi. 391; hví ortir þú flokk um konunginn, eðr þótti þér hann ekki drápunnar verðr, Ísl. ii. 237, and the classical passage Knytl. S. ch. 19. Passages in the Sagas referring to the delivery of these poems are very numerous, e. g. Gunnl. S. ch. 7–9, Eg. ch. 62, 63 (Höfuð-lausn), 80 (Sonatorek and Arinbjarnar-d.), 81 (Beru-drápa), Ld. ch. 29 (Hús-drápa), Hallfr. S. ch. 6, II, Bjarn. 6, 39, Fms. iii. 65, v. 173–175, Knytl. S. l. c., O. H. L. ch. 60, 61, Har. S. Harð. (Fms. vi.) ch. 24, 66, 110 (the interesting story of Stuf the Blind), Skáldat. 252, 268, Fb. iii. 241, 242, Hkr. i. 185, 186; the last on record is Sturl. iii. 303–306, referring to A. D. 1263, cp. also Sturl. ii. 56; most of these poems derive their name from the king or person in whose honour they were composed, e. g. Ólafs-d., Knúts-d. (king Canute), Eiríks-d., etc., vide Fms. xii, s. v. kvæði, or Jómsvíkinga-d., Íslendinga-d., the name of a laudatory poem addressed to the Icelandic people; or referring to other subjects, as Vell-ekla (want of gold), Hafgerðinga-d., Landn. 106, or Kross-d., Róða-d. ( the Holy Rood), etc. Mythical drápas are, e. g. Ragnars-d., Haustlöng, Hús-d.

COMPDS: drápumál, drápustúfr.

m. hat, = höttr.

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m., gen. háttar, dat. hætti, pl. hættir, acc. háttu, [akin to hagr, qs. hagtr], manner, habit:

I. a mode of life, habit; ríkra manna háttr, Nj. 268; fara vel með sínum háttum, to conduct oneself well, Eg. 65; ráða sjálfr háttum sínum, to be one’s own master, Fms. vii. 199; fornmennis-háttr, ii. 59; riddaraligr háttr, x. 230; víkinga-háttr, Fb. i. 412; þat er háttr skálda at ( it is the fashion of poets to) lofa þann mest er þá eru þeir fyrir, Hkr. (pref.): hátta-góðr, adj. well-mannered, Eb. 258: halda teknum hætti, to go on in one’s usual way, persevere, Fb. ii. 85, Eb. 77.

2. conduct; vanda um háttu manna, Fb. ii. 37.

II. a mode, way of doing a thing; kunna hátt á e-u, to know how to do a thing, Barl. 101:—answering to Lat. hoc modo, hunc ad modum, hann reist örn á baki honum með þeima hætti, at …, Hkr. i. 108; hann stóð upp ok svaraði erendi konungs með þessum hætti ( as follows), Fms. i. 33; með hverjum hætti, in what manner? how? með ymsum hætti, etc.

2. appearance, manner; hversu vóru þeir menn í hátt, how did those men look? Stj. 396; jörðin ok dýrin ok fuglarnir höfðu saman eðli í sumum hlutum, en þó ólík at hætti, but unlike in manners, Edda 144 (pref.): manner, kind, sá er annarr háttr jarldóms, N. G. L. ii. 403.

3. moderation, measure; ágirni kann engan hátt, Hom. 18; hófsemi er háttr alls lífs, 28.

4. adverbial usages answering to Lat, - modi in hujusmodi, ejusmodi:

α. gen., mikils háttar, Fms. vi. 20, 144, 229, viii. 198, x. 234; lítils háttar, insignificant, vi. 7, 229, viii. 198; minna háttar, i. 160; alls-háttar, of every kind, iii. 184; nokkurs háttar, in some way, Stj. 178; þess-háttar, of that kind, Edda 149 (pref.), passim; engis-háttar, in nowise, Stj. 81; margs-háttar, of many kinds, Stj. passim.

β. acc., á allan hátt, in every respect, Bs. i. 857; á engan hátt, by no means; á ymsan hátt, in various respects; á hvárigan hátt, etc.

γ. eptir hætti, duly, tolerably, as may be expected.

III. a metre; þenna hátt fann fyrst Veili, Edda (Ht.) 131; þeir létu vera fimm vísur með hverjum hætti, Orkn. 304, cp. Edda (Ht.) passim; eptir hætti, in the proper metre, Edda 131. Names of metres, Kviðu-háttr, the epic metre (as the Völuspá), Skálda; Ljóða-h. or Ljóðs-h., the trimeter in old saws and didactic poems (as the Háva-mál); Mála-h., Ref-hvarfa-h., Orðskviða-h., Draugs-h., Flagða-h., Dýri-h., Nýi-h., Álags-h., Hátt-lausa: derived from the names of men, Egils-h., Braga-h., Torf-Einars-h., Fleins-h.; Núfu-h., Edda; of countries, Grænlenzki-h., expounded in Edda (Ht.) and Háttat. Rögnvalds, Skálda: a saying is called máls-háttr.

COMPDS: háttaföll, háttalykill, háttaskipti, háttatal.

f. narrative poem, ballad.

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u, f. [kveða], an epic poem, a song or ballad composed in such metre as the Völuspá, and thus opp. to mál (a didactic poem, sentences), q. v., drápa ( heroic), q. v., and ríma ( modern ballads), q. v.: the name of several old songs, Hýmis-kviða, Sæm. 105 (Bugge); Þryms-k., 124; Völsunga-k., 193; Helga-k., 112 (Möbius); í þessi kviðu, 241 (Bugge); Guðrúnar-k. in forna, 241, 242; Sigurðar-k. in Skamma, 246 (Fas. i. 197); kviða Sigurðar, Sæm. 247; k. Guðrúnar, 274; Atla-k. in Grænlenzka, 282; Hákonar-k., Fms. ix; Glælungs-k., v. 100, 108; í kviðunni, Grett. 105 new Ed. kviðu-háttr, m. the metre of a kviða, the epic metre such as that of the Völuspá, Beowulf, and the like, opp. to ljóða-háttr and mál; þvíat þá þykkir betr hljóða þessar samstöfur í kviðu-hætti, Skálda 182 (Olave Hvíta-skáld); the word also occurs in the Háttatal Rögnvalds, verse 3, and is a more correct name than the usual fornyrðalag, which has no old authority, except in a lemma from a later hand in one of the verses of the Háttatal by Snorri.

u, f., or rún-hending, f., is the name of the metre with end-rhymes, consecutive, not alternate; the word is now obsolete, and in ancient writers it only occurs in two places, the Ht. R. verse 24 and in Edda (Ht.), where the Cod. Reg. gives rún-, Edda i. 696 sqq. (the foot-notes); but one is tempted to suspect that this is corrupt, and that the true form was rim-, as im and un can hardly be distinguishedin MSS.; rím- would yield good sense, whereas rúm- is meaningless. The metre itself is evidently of foreign origin, borrowed from the A. S.: the first poem in this metre was the Höfuðl. of Egil, who had lived in England; it was little used throughout the 10th and the following centuries, and the few poems and fragments composed in it can be traced to Egil’s poem as their prototype. The single verse in Eg. ch. 27 is prob. a later composition.

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(-tta, -ttr), v.

1) to change, alter (breyta átrúnaði);

refl., breytast; hafa þau eigi breyzt síðan, they have not changed since;

2) to vary; breyta háttum, to vary the metre; breyta hári sínu, to dress one’s hair; réttr ok breyttr, plain and artificial;

3) absol. to condiuct oneself, do, act; munum við báðir í brott komast, ef við breytum svá, if we do so; breyta eptir em, to imitate; breyta til es, to attempt.

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tt, [braut, via], to alter, change: bregða implies the notion of breach, breyta simply denotes change: with dat.; b. farveg (of a river), to form a new channel, Grág. i. 350, Nj. 4, Ld. 158, Fms. ii. 158, Fb. i. 292; flestar Þjóðir þurfa at b. ( transform) nafni hans til sinnar tungu, Edda 14; þá vóru snjóvar miklir ok breyttir (changed, become impassable) vegir allir, Eg. 543, Rb. 262 (where the acc. is wrong;).

β. reflex., hafa þau ekki breyzk síðan, they have not changed since, Fms. viii. 5.

γ. to vary; b. háttum, to vary the metre, Edda 121; b. hári sínu, to dress the hair, Greg. 45; b. málum, to speak rhetorically, dress one’s words, Fms. vi. 392; réttr ok b., plain and artificial, Edda 120; úbreyttr, plain.

II. metaph., absol. without case, to conduct oneself, act, do, behave; ef við breytum svá, if we do so, Nj. 202, Ísl. ii. 181, Fms. i. 150; b. eptir e-m, to imitate, Symb. 15; b. til e-s, to attempt, Grág. ii. 94.

2. in mod. use chiefly in moral sense, to behave, conduct oneself; b. vel, illa, kristilega, cp. breytni, N. T., Vidal., Pass.

(gen. dura), f. pl. door opening, doorway (Oddr hljóp út or durunum).

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adj., compar. dýrri, superl. dýrstr, mod. more freq. dýrari, dýrastr; dyröztum, Fb. i. 211: [Ulf. does not use this word, but renders εντιμος etc. by reiks or svêrs; A. S. deore; Engl. dear; Dan. and Swed. dyr; O. H. G. tiuri; Germ. theuer]:—dear:

1. of price, of such and such a price: referring to the weregild, at sá maðr sé vel dýrr, Hrafn. 9; fésætt svá mikla, at engi maðr hafi dýrri verit hér á landi enn Höskuldr, i. e. that there has never before been paid so high a weregild as for Hoskuld, Nj. 189; munu þat margir ætla at hann muni dýrstr gerr af þeim mönnum er hér hafa látizt, 250; dýrr mundi Hafliði allr, Sturl. i. 47: of other things, ek met hana dýrra en aðrar, I put her at a higher price than the rest, Ld. 30; hversu dýr skal sjá kona, how much is she to cost? id.; kaupa dýru verði, to buy dearly, at a high price; þér eruð dýru verði keyptir, 1 Cor. vi. 20.

2. precious, costly; bókina dýru, Fms. vii. 156; skjöldinn þann inn dýra, Eg. 698: enn Dýri dagr, vide dagr, Ann. 1373, Mar. 96; eigi var annarr (gripr) dýrri í Noregi, Fas. ii. 65; því betr sem gull er dýrra en silfr, Ld. 126; dýrar hallir, lordly halls, Rm. 45; enn dýri mjöðr, the nectar, the godly mead, viz. the poetical mead of the gods, Hm. 106; hence dýr-gripr, a jewel.

β. as a metrical term; enn Dýri háttr, the artificial metre, Edda 131: hence the phrase, kveða dýrt, to write in an artificial metre; dýrr bragr, bragar-háttr, an artificial air, tune, opp. to a plain one.

γ. ó-dýrr, common, Lex. Poët., mod. cheap: fjöl-d., glorious, and many other poët. compds: the proverb, dýrt er drottins orð, vide dróttinn.

δ. of high worth, worthy; en dýra drottning María, Mar. 18; Abraham er kallaðr dýrstr ( the worthiest) allra höfuðfeðra, Ver. 12; skatna dýrstr, the best of men, Edda, Ht. 82; Jón Loptsson, er dýrstr maðr er á landi þessu, Sturl. i. 105; at því er at gæta við hversu dýran mann (noble, worthy man) þú átt málaferli, 33; af hinum dýrustum höfðingjum, Fb. l. c.: dýrr is not used in Icel. in the exact Engl. sense of beloved.

u, f. a kind of metre, the dróttkvæði (q. v.), containing eight syllables in each line instead of the usual six, Edda (Ht.) 62–64: name of poems composed in this metre, Fms. vi. 26.

f. [A. S. heaðu- in several poët. compds; cp. Sansk. çatru and çâtayâmi; Lat. caedo; Gr. κότος]:—war, slaughter, but only in compd pr. names, Höð-broddr, Fb.; Höð, f. the name of a Valkyria (also Geira-höð), Gm.: as also of a woman, but mythical, Fas.: the name of an island in Norway: Höðr, m., gen. Haðar, dat. Heði, the name of the blind brother and ‘slayer’ of Baldr, the ‘fratricide’ or ‘Cain’ of the Edda, Vsp. 37, Vtkv. 9, Edda 17, 56: also the name of a mythol. king, whence Heðir, pl. a Norse people; and Haða-land, the county, Fb. iii. Haðar-lag, n. the metre of Höd, a kind of metre, Edda.

n. the metre of the Lilja, the mod. name for the ancient hrynhenda (q. v.), in which metre the Lilja was composed, whence the name.

n. the fairy metre, the mod. name of a metre like the old kviðu-háttr.

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1) speech, faculty of speech (þrøngdi svá sóttarfari konungs, at hann misti málsins);

þau hafa ekki mál, they are dumb;

2) language, tongue;

norrønt mál, the Norse tongue;

3) speech, speaking (hvárt er Flosi svá nær, at hann megi heyra mál mitt);

4) colloquy, talk, speech;

koma á mál (or at máli) við e-n, to come to talk with, speak to;

finna (hitta) e-n at máli, to obtain speech with;

krefja e-n máls, to ask an interview with;

leita mills við e-n (spyrja e-n máls, mæla mál of e-m), to broach a subject to one;

bera mál á e-t, hafa e-t á (or at) máli, to speak (talk) of (allir menn höfðu á máli, hversu fríðr maðr hann var);

lúka sínu máli, to end one’s speech;

þat er mál manna, at, people say that;

5) tale, story;

nú er þar til máls at taka, now it must be told;

6) saw, saying;

fornt (fornkveðit) mál er, at, it is an old saw that;

7) diction, construction of sentences;

8) sentence;

tvau mál, two sentences;

fullt mál, a full period;

9) suit, action, cause;

hefja mál á hendr e-m, to bring an action against one;

búa mál, to prepare a suit;

sœkja mál, to prosecute;

10) stipulation, agreement (ek vil halda mil við hann þan, sem mælt vóru);

lauss allra mála, free of all stipulations;

11) case, matter, affair (þetta mál var við Jórunni rœtt);

svá er mál með vexti, the matter stands thus;

var þat annat mál, another matter;

miðla mál, to mediate;

tillagagóðr inna stœrri mála, a good counsellor in great matters;

hafa sitt mál, to have one’s own way, have one’s will (honum eirir illa, of hann hefir eigi sitt mál);

hafa mikit til síns máls, to have much in support of one’s case;

e-t skiptir miklu (litlu) máli, it is of great (small) importance;

12) three months (mál ok misseri).

1) measure (fimm álna er hátt mál hans);

leggja, bera mál við e-t, to measure (hann lagði mál við öll in stœrstu tré);

2) time, high time (mál er upp at standa);

sagði, at þá var mið nótt ók at enn væri mál at sofa, and still time to sleep;

3) meal;

í eitt mál, at einu máli, for one single meal;

deila mat at málum, to deal out food at each meal.

n. inlaid ornaments (on the hilts and guards of swords).

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n., old pl. m́l, 673. 47, Greg.; [Ulf. maþl = ἀγορά; Hel. mahal = speech, meeting; Dan. maal; from the old Teut. maþl or mahal was formed the mid. Lat. mallum = parliament, public meeting (Du Cange), and mallum again was in Norman-French rendered by parliament.]

A. Speech, faculty of speech; mál heitir orð …, Edda 110; þau hafa ekki mál, they are dumb, Fms. i. 97, Fs. i. 250; þröngdi svá sóttar-fari konungs at hann misti málsins, x. 148; þeir hafa eigi manns rödd né mál, Rb. 348; þeir hafa gauð fyrir mál, 346; mál, heyrn, sjón, Edda 6.

II. speech as spoken, language, tongue; Norrænt mál, the Norse tongue, Fms. vii. 165; Gírskt mál, Greg. 75; í máli þeirra, til várs máls, in our tongue; í hverju máli, Skálda 161, 168; í vóru máli, 163, 166, 167, 169; í málinu, 165; kynnask várt mál at ráða þat er á Norrænu er ritað, Bs. i. 59; nema mál á Danska tungu, Grág.; rita at Norrænu máli, Hkr. (pref.); þeir skildu eigi hans mál, þá mælti kvinnan á Norrænu, Fs. 136.

2. speech, speaking; hvárt er Flosi svá nær at hann megi heyra mál mitt, Nj. 36, 200; ver eigi nær honum en mál nemi, Fms. iv. 28; en skáldskapr var honum svá tiltækr, at hann mælti af tungu fram sem annat mál, 374; engi var svá vitr at snjallara mál mundi fram bera, vii. 158; snjallr í máli ok talaðr vel. ix. 535; skilr þú nokkut hérmanna mál, Fas. ii. 512; en er hann lauk sínu máli, Ld. 106, 130, Íb. 12; ok fara svá öllu máli um sem hann hafi áðr ekki um mælt, Grág. i. 40; ef hann kveðr svá at ok hafði í máli sínu, ‘heilt ráð ok heimolt,’ en eigi ella, 317; kveðr jarl þings ok mælti þeim málum á þinginu at Hákon jarl skyldi heita vargr í véum, Fms. xi. 40; tína fyrir mér öll þau mál ok athæfi er hafa þarf fyrir konungi, Sks. 301.

3. speaking one to another, colloquy; vera á máli, to deliberate, converse, Vtkv., 1; hann kom opt á mál við konung, Eg. 106; engi þorði at krefja hann máls, 601; Þórdís gékk til máls við Egil frænda sinn, 765; þegar er þeir fundu menn at máli, Fms. i. 204; ef þeir vildu hafa hans mál, 241; síðan hættu þau málinu, Nj. 10; hann leitaði þá máls um við Ásgerði hverju þat gegndi, Eg. 703; ok spyrja hana máls hvar til þessi svör skulu koma, Hkr. i. 77; þat var karl ok kerling, mælti hann mál af þeim ok spurði, Fas. iii. 525; höfðu menn at máli (people noticed, of something extraordinary), at…, Fms. vii. 301; allir menn höfðu á máli, er Ólaf sá, hversu fríðr maðr hann var, Ld. 88; bera mikit mál á, Fms. x. 93; þat var mál manna, people said that; or, þat er mál manna, people say, Nj. 268, Eg. 29, Fms. vii. 150.

4. a tale, narrative; nú er þat til máls at taka (of resuming the narrative after an episode), to take up the story again, Ld. 314, Nj. 16, 29, 135, 148, 196; er fyrr var getið í þessu máli, Fms. xi. 41; þar hef ek upp þat mál, Eg. 735.

5. a saw; þat er fornt mál (‘tis an old saw), at bísna skal at betr verði, Fms. x. 261, Glúm. 344; á líti þeir mál in fornu, look to the old wise sayings, Sighvat (forn-mæli, q. v.)

6. gramm. diction, construction of sentences; mál ok hættir, Edda 49; ef þat mál ( figure of speech) er upp er tekit haldi of alla vísu-lengd, 123; breyta háttum með máli einu, to vary the verses with the sentences, Edda 124 (for specimens see lit. 9–23); tvau mál, two sentences; fullt mál, a full period; hér lýkr máli, lúka heilu máli, a sentence closes; annat ok þriðja vísu-orð er sér um mál, ok er þat stál kallat, of the intercalary sentences in poetry, Edda 125; þeir kölluðu at hann hafði eigi rétt ort at máli, Fms. v. 209; samhljóðendr megu ekki mál eðr atkvæði göra einir við sik, Skálda; hér er mál fullt í hverju vísu-orði, Edda; Skáldskapar-mál, poetical diction, id.; bragar-mál, id., 124.

7. mál is the name of old songs containing old saws or sentences, such as the Háva-mál; as also of poems in a dialogue (mál); all such poems were in a peculiar metre called mála-háttr, which is opposed to the epic kviðu-háttr, thus, Grímnis-mál, Vafþrúðnis-mál, Alvís-mál, Hamðis-mál, Hákonar-mál, Eiríks-mál; in some instances the name has been applied erroneously, e. g. Atla-mál; the Rígs-mál is a name given in modern times, the old name was Rígs-þula.

B. As a law phrase, with the notion of public speaking, action, or the like:

1. a suit, action, cause; hefja mál á hendr e-m, Fms. vii. 130; hafa mál á höndum, Grág. i. 38; sókn skal fyrr fara fram hvers máls en vörn, nema þat sé allt eitt, ok sé þat annars máls sókn er annars er vörn, 59; Njáll nefndi vátta ok sagði únýtt málit, Nj. 36; ekki á Bjarkeyjar-réttr á því máli at standa, Fms. vii. 130; þeir veittu Gizuri hvíta at hverju máli, Nj. 86; báru þeir kvið um mál Otkels, 87; færa mál fram at dómi, Grág, i. 135; sækja mál, to prosecute, Nj. 86, 99; sækja mál lögliga ok réttliga, Fms. vii. 133; Gunnarr sótti málit þar til er hann bauð til varna, Nj. 36; en um tólf mánuðr stendr þeirra mál, the case stands over for twelve months, Grág. i. 143; sækja mál á þingi, Nj. 36; færa vörn fyrir mál, 87; mál kemr í dóm, Glúm. 365; höfða mál, to institute a suit, Grág. i. 142; búa mál, to prepare a suit, of the preliminaries, Glúm. 365, passim; leggja mál undir e-n (as umpire), Nj. 105; hafa sitt mál, to get one’s verdict, win the suit, passim; vera borinn máli, to be cast, convicted, N. G. L. i. 122: to be beaten, get the worst, passim: vígs-mál, legorðs-mál, fé-mál, etc.

2. an indictment, charge;þá eru þeir varðir máli ef þeir fá þann bjargkvið, Grág. i. 54; ok versk hann þá málinu, 317; at upp skyldi vera rannsókn en þau ór málinu ef hann hittisk eigi þar, Ld. 44; ek vil svara því máli, I will answer that charge, Nj. 99; ok bað Sigurð Hranason svara þar málum fyrir sik, Fms. vii. 130; á hann kost at láta varða skóggang eða görtæki, ef hann vill til hins meira máls færa ok skal hann stefna ok láta varða skóggang, Grág. i. 430; hann spurði alla ena beztu menn, hvert mál þeim þætti Gunnarr eiga á þeim nöfnum fyrir fjörráðin, Nj. 105; leynd mál, hidden charges, Grág. i. 362.

3. procedure, order; at alþingis-máli réttu ok allsherjar-lögum, Nj. 87: pleading, enda er svá sem þeir mæli eigi þeim m́lum nema þeir vinni eiða at, Grág. ii. 342.

4. stipulation, agreement; mál meginlig, Vsp.; bregða máli, Grág. i. 148; ok skilja þeir eigi þat mál görr, en svá, 136; nema þau vili annat mál á göra, 336; en ek skal lauss allra mála ef hann kemr eigi svá út, Ísl. ii. 217; skulu þeirra manna mál standask, Grág. i. 296: engagement, ok vitja málanna fyrir hönd okkra beggja, Fms. xi. 104.

5. transactions; en hvert sem at þessum málum var setið lengr eða skemr, Ld. 22.

6. a case; lá ek þá í vöggu er þær skyldu tala um mitt mál, Fas. i. 340; mál hans stendr í miklum háska, Mar.; en þó skaltu svá um þitt mál hugsa, … at þá munt þú skamt eiga úlifat, Nj. 85; at hvárir-tveggju hafi nakkvat síns máls, Jb. 12; þat er mál Sigurðar konungs at mæla til Inga konungs, Fms. vii. 221; festi járnburð, at svá skyldi sanna mál hans, 230; honum eirir ílla ef hann hefir eigi sitt mál, Ísl. ii. 237; þá skal sá þeirra hafa sitt mál er eið vill at vinna, Grág. i. 393; Þórólfr bað Ölvi byrja mál sitt við konung, Eg. 62; at vit fáim rétt af þessu máli, 40; flytja mál sitt, Ld. 180; muntú mér verða at trúa til málanna þinna allra, Fms. xi. 104; allir er eiðsvarar erut við þetta mál, Nj. 192; eiga síðan allt mitt mál undir yðr fóstbræðrum, Fas. ii. 532; þetta mál var við Jórunni rætt, Ld. 22; þykki mér nú vandast málit, Nj. 4; svá er mál með vexti, the case is this, Lv. 43, Fas. iii. 59; var þat annat m., another affair, Nj. 256; ekki eru þau efni í um várt mál, Ld. 76; konungr átti dóm á þeirra máli, id.; ber hann upp fyrir bróður sinn málit, hann berr upp málit ok biðr Unnar, ok undra ek er þú ferr með því máli, Fas. i. 364; Austmaðrinn heldr nú á málinu við bónda Nj. 259; ef þér vilit göra málit at álitum, 3; svara þessu máli, Fms. vii. 124; miðla mál, to mediate, Íb. 12; inna stærri mála, in important cases, Nj. 2.

7. special phrases, e-t skiptir miklu, litlu … máli, to bear much or little upon a case, to be of great (small …) importance, Eg. 742, Ó. H. 31, passim: skiptir þá eigi máli, Grág. i. 43; varða máli, id.; ef honum þætti máli varða at hann næði því, Rd. 260: þú kvaddir þess kviðar er eigi átti máli at skipta um víg Auðúlfs, who had no concern with the slaying of A., Nj. 87.

C. COMPDS, máls- and mála-: máls-afglöpun, f. a false or collusive action, whereby the suit is lost, Grág. i. 494. máls-bót, f. an excuse, exculpation, Fms. vii. 207; esp. in plur., hafa sér e-ð til málsbóta, to use as an excuse. mála-efni, n. pl. a cause, its circumstances and nature, Nj. 47, Háv. 51; íll málaefni, a bad case, Fs. 41. 138, Ó. H. 150, Band. 12. máls-endi, a, m., see málsemd. máls-eyrendi, n. a discourse, Sturl. i. 140. mála-ferli, n. pl. lawsuits, litigation, Fs. 47, Eg. 644, Nj. 78, Sturl. i. 105, Fær. 109. mála-flutningr, m. the conduct of a suit, Hrafn. 17. mála-fylgjumaðr ( mála-fylgismaðr), m. a lawyer; mikill m., a great taker up of suits, Nj. 1, Bs. i. 82. máls-fylling, f. the conclusion of a case, Fb. iii. 451. máls-grein, f. a sentence, Skálda 174, 181, Bs. i. 753 ( a passage in a letter): a phrase, Stj. 79, Edda 49; partr málsgreinar = pars orationis, Skálda 180: diction, style, Edda 120. mála-háttr, m. [mál, háttr], a kind of metre, Edda 142, where a specimen is given. máls-hattr, m. a phrase, Stj. 67, 126: = málsgrein, Skálda 170: a proverb, saying, Fms. ii. 33, Fas. iii. 104, Stj. 133, passim. málshátta-safn, n. a collection of proverbs. mála-hlutr or máls-hlutr or -hluti, a, m. one side of a case or suit eiga enn þyngra málahlut, Ísl. ii. 172; þá ferr ílla m. várr ( our case), Lv. 95: a share, mun sá verða m. várr beztr, Nj. 88; nú kann vera, at ek kunna ekki at sjá málahlut til handa mér, en vilja munda ek halda sæmd minni, Sturl. i. 105. mála-kosta, u, f. a complaint, pleading in a case, Sturl. i. 613, H. E. i. 457. mála-leitan, f. a negotiation, the mooting a question, Eg. 521, Eb. 130, Fms. vii. 299, Orkn. 56. mála-lenging, f. useless prolongation. mála-lok, n. pl. the end of a case, conclusion, Eb. 106, Nj. 102, Bs. i. 68. mála-lyktir, f. pl. = málalok, Eb. 24, 36, Nj. 88, Fms. vii. 14. máls-löstr, m. bad grammar, Skálda 181. mála-maðr, m. = málafylgju-maðr, Dropl. 6, Ld. 298, Boll. 354. mála-mannligt, n. adj. like, worthy of a málamaðr, Bs. i. 751. máls-metandi, part., m. maðr, a person of mark. mála-mynd, f.; til málamyndar, only for appearance, not seriously. máls-orð, n. a word in a sentence, Edda 124, 126, 128. máls-partr, m. a part of speech, Skálda 185: a part in a suit, mod. máls-rödd, f. = málrómr, Stj. 81. mála-skil, n. pl. knowledge of proceeding. Sturl. iii. 10. mála-skot, n. an appeal in a case, K. Á. 218. mála-sóku, f. a lawsuit, prosecution, Nj. 248. máls-spell, n. a flaw in a suit, Nj. 170, Fms. x. 12. mála-sönnun, f. evidence, Mar. mála-tilbúningr or mála-tilbúnaðr, m. the preparation of a suit, Grág. i. 490, Eb. 282, Nj. 36, 100. mála-tilleitan, f. = málaleitan, Þórð. 67. mála-vöxtr, m. the state of a case, Fms. vi. 11, Al. 113, Bs. i. 67, Nj. 79. máls-þörf, f. a wish to speak, Fms. vi. 374.

n. [Ulf. mêl = χρόνος, καιρός; A. S. mâl; Engl. meal; Germ. mahl; Dan. and Swed. maal, mâl = a mark]:—a measure: hann mælti grundvöll undir húss, þat var þeirra átrúnaðr ef málit gengi saman, þá er optarr væri reynt, at þess manns ráð mundi saman ganga, ef mál-vöndrinn þyrri, en þróask ef hann vissi til mikilleiks, gékk nú málit saman ok var þrem sinnum reynt, Korm. 8; fimm álna er hátt mál hans, Fms. vi. 929; ganga undir mál, to undergo a mál (for measuring one’s height); þat sögðu menn at þeir hefði jafnmiklir menn verit, þá er þeir gengu undir mál, Ld. 178; leggja, bera mál við, to measure; hann lagði mál við öll in stærstu tré, 216; með því sama máli sem þér mælit út mun yðr verða aptr mælt, Mar.; bar hón mál á, ok þurfti þá þrjár álnar ok þver hönd, Bs. ii. 168; kunna maga mál, to know the measure of one’s stomach, Hm. 20.

2. a length of sixteen fathoms, D. N. (Fr.)

B. Temp. [Ulf. mêl = χρόνος, καιρός], a ‘meal,’ of time, i. e. a certain portion of time:

I. time, high time; skipverjum þótti mál ór hafi, Landn. 206: with infin., Vsp. 14, Hm. 111, Skm. 10, Bm. 1; mönnum væri mál at lýsa sökum sínum, Nj. 149; at mál væri at ganga at sofa, Fms. ii. 138; mælti biskup at mál væri at sofa, 139; sagði mál at ríða, Orkn. 48: adding a dat., mál er mér at ríða, Hkv. 2. 47: ok er mál at vit farim, Fær. 255; mál er at leita at hestum várum, Korm. 182; ok er allt mál at ættvíg þessi takisk af, Ld. 258; ok er nú mál at hætta, Fms. vi. 212: e-m er mál (of stools):—í mál, in due time; þóat í mál yrði borinn kviðrinn, Grág. i. 54.

2. the moment, nick of time (mál, q. v.); at hann var þar þá nótt, ok á því máli …, of an alibi, N. G. L. i. 309.

II. the meal-time, morning and evening, Edda 103; hence of cattle, missa máls, to miss the time, sheep lost or astray for a day so that they cannot be milked, Grág. ii. 230, 231; kvikfénaðr missir máls, Snót; hence málnyta. q. v.; deila mat at málum, to deal out meat at each meal, Grág. i. 149; í hvert mál, Hm. 36; í eitt mál, for one single ‘meal,’ Karl. 347, Grág. i. 293; fæða þá í tvau mál, ii. 400; í bæði mál (see i B, p. 317): at því máli = Germ. diesmahl, Korm. (in a verse); þat er ok mitt ráð þó þat sé at fyrra máli at menn snæði nokkut, Fb. ii. 676; þat vilda ek at þær æti at einu máli kýr Hálfdanar bróður míns, Ó. H. 64; ef ættak at málungi mat, if I had meat from meal to meal, Hm.

2. of the day marks; dag-mál = day-meal = 9 o’clock A. M.; and nátt-mál, night-time = 9 o’clock P. M.; í fyrra málið, to-morrow morning; eg skal koma í fyrra málið.

III. of the seasons of the year; í misseri eru mál tvau, í máli eru mánuðr þrír, Rb. 6; mál ok misseri, Hm.; sumar-mál, the time when summer sets in (middle of April), opp. to vetr-nætr, when winter sets in; hríð-mál. q. v.

COMPDS: málamatr, málamjólk, málsverðr.

n. [Ulf. mêl = γραφή and γράμμα; Hel. mâl = imago, effigies; cp. also Goth. maljan = γράφειν, whence mod. Germ. mahlerei, mahlen, = pingere]:—prop. ‘a drawing,’ but it is used in old writers only of inlaid ornaments on spear’s heads or on the hilts and guards of swords; görir Þorgrímr þar af spjót, mál vóru í, Gísl. 18; hann hafði króka-spjót í hendi haugtekit ok allgóð mál í, Ld. 78; spjót, þá fann hann blóð í málunum, Glúm. 344; stál bjartra mála, Korm. 1; gull-mál (q. v.), Þiðr. 110; stála-mál, inlaid work of steel, Ht. R. 33. For specimens of ‘mál’ see Worsaae, Nos. 325, 331; a plate with inlaid work on the outside and a Runic inscription on the inside was found in Oct. 1870 in the cairn Greenmount in Ireland, and is described by Major-General Lefroy.

COMPDS: málajárn, málasax, málaspjót, málasteinn.

m. ‘scaldship,’ poetry:

I. a libel in verse; eigi skal lýsa legorðs-sök um skáldskap, Grág. i. 351; ef maðr kveðr skáld-skap til háðungar manni, … ok varðar þat skóggang, skal sækja sem annan skáldskap, ii. 151, see the whole chapter in Kb. ch. 238, inscribed, um Skáldskap, of Libels; the word is therefore used synonymously with danz and flimt, níð, q. v.

II. poetry in a good sense, Edda passim; Sighvatr var ekki hrað-mæltr maðr í sundr-lausum orðum, en s. var honum svá tiltækr, at hann kvað af tungu fram svá sem hann mælti annat mál, Ó. H. 171; ok kom þar brátt talinu at þeir ræddu um skáldskap, þótti hvárum-tveggja þær ræður skemtiligar, Eg. 686; skáld-skapar grein, -háttr, poetical metre, Skálda 183, 210; skáldskapar laun = skáldfé, Eg. 152. Skáld-skapar-mál, n. pl. poetical diction, Edda 49, Skálda 195; hence the name of the second part of the Edda, the ancient Ars Poetica, containing the rules and laws of ancient poetry. ☞ Skáldskapr in old writers refers to the ‘form’ (metre, flow, diction), not to the contents; even in such phrases as, ekki var mikill skáldskapr í því kvæði, there was not much ‘scaldship’ in that poem, it was a bad composition, Fms. vii. 38.

u, f. a kind of metre, Edda (Ht.) 35, 129, 130; for the origin of this metre see Edda l. c.

* * *

from stela.

* * *

n. [a common Teut. word; O. H. G. stahal], steel; sterkasta stáli, Karl. 285, Fms., x. 172, passim: phrases, sverfa til stáls, to file to the very steel, to fight to the last, vii. 244, Gullþ. 69.

2. plur., of weapons: er stálin mættusk. Art., Lex. Poët. passim.

3. a part of a ship, the beak; þeir höfðu raskótt fyrir stálinu, Fms. viii. 199; kjalar, stála, súða, Edda 66, Lex. Poët.

II. metaph., from steel wrapped in soft iron before being fused in the forge:— the inside of a hay-stack or rick (= staði); hann tók laust hey ór stálinu. Njarð. 378; ef maðr á korn falt í stáli eðr hey, N. G. L. ii. 111 (v.r. to staði), freq. in mod. usage.

2. an intercalary sentence in a verse, much used by the ancient poets, esp. in the metre dróttkvætt, Edda i. 618; thus in Haustl. 13 the words ‘sveipr varð í för’ is a stál. In the old poems of the metre dróttkvæð the strophes are interwoven with such intercalary sentences; in some editions these sentences are marked by [ ] or by ():—as a gramm. term, embolismus, köllum var þat gört á stál ef á meðal verðr hendinga, Skálda ii. 106.

COMPDS: stálbroddr, stálgaddr, stálgörr, stálhanzki, stálharðr, stálhattr, stálhjálmr, stálhúfa, stálnagli, stálpík, stálslá, stálsleginn, stálsorfinn.

u, f. a drápa composed in a special metre, called toglag, for specimen see Edda (Ht. 68–70), and the fragments in Ó. H.; togdrápu-háttr, -lag, the metre of a togdrápa, Edda (Ht.), 137, 138.

part. the name of a metre, each verse-line beginning with two long syllables, Edda 129; for a specimen see the Rekstefja, which is composed in this metre, whence it is also called ‘Drápan tvískelfda.’