a+trick

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f. ocular delusion, produced by spells (gøra sjónhverfingar í móti e-m; verða fyrir sjónhverfingum).

1) sudden or brisk movement; moment; bragðs, af bragði, at once; af (or á) skömmu bragði, shortly, quickly, in a short time;

2) fig., in many phrases, verða fyrri (skjótari) at bragði, to make the first move, to be beforehand with (þeir hafa orðit fyrri at bragði at stefna en vér); vera í bragði með em, skerast í bragð með em, to lend one a helping hand; taka et bragðs or til bragðs, to take some step (to get out of difficulties); úviturligt bragð, a foolish step; úheyriligt bragð, an unheard of proceeding; gerðist þar at sví mikit bragð, at, it went so far that; lítit bragð mun þá at (it must be very slight), ef þú finnr ekki;

3) trick, scheme, device, chiefly in pl.; beita en bröðum, hafa brögð við en, to deal cunninly with, impose upon; ferr at fornum brögðum, in the old way; búa yfir brögðum, to brood over wiles; leika em bragð, to play or serve one a trick hefir hann miklu bragði á oss komit, he has played a bad trick upon us;

4) countenance, look, expression þannig ertu í bragði sem, thou lookest as if; með betra bragði, in a better mood; bleyðimannligr í bragði, having the look of a coward; Sturla gerði þat bragð á (made as if), at hann hefði fundit Pál prest;

5) embroidered figure (hekla saumuð öll brögðum).

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n. [cp. bregða].

I. the fundamental notion is that of a sudden motion:

1. temp. a while, moment, cp. auga-bragð; in adverb, phrases, af bragði, at once, Hrafn. 17, Gs. 18, Am. 2; af (á) skömmu bragði, shortly, Fms. vi. 272, viii. 236, 348; í fyrsta bragði, the first time (rare), Gþl. 532, Js. 129; skams bragðs, gen. used as adv. quickly, in a short time, Bs. i. 336, 337, Fms. viii. 348, v. l.; cp. ‘at a brayd,’ ‘in a brayd,’ Engl. Ballads.

2. loc. a quick movement; við-bragð (cp. bregða við), knífs-bragð (cp. bregða sverði), a slash with a knife.

3. metaph. in many phrases, verða fyrri (skjótari) at bragði, til bragðs, to make the first move; þeir hafa orðit fyrri at b. at stefna en vér, Nj. 241, Bs. ii. 106; svá at þú verðir skjótari at b. at veiða þenna níðing, Fms. i. 206, ix. 288; vera í bragði með e-m, to lend one a helping hand, mostly in something uncanny, Gísl. 5, Bs. i. 722; snarast í bragð með e-m, id., Ld. 254; taka e-t bragðs, til bragðs or bragð, to take some step to get clear out of difficulties, Nj. 263, 199, Fms. ix. 407, Grett. 75 new Ed.; þat var b. (step, issue) Atla, at hann hljóp …, Háv. 53; úvitrligt b., a foolish step, Nj. 78; karlmannligt b., a manly issue, 194; gott b., Fs. 39; úheyriligt b., an unheard-of thing, Finnb. 212.

II. [bregða A. III], a ‘braid,’ knot, stitch, chiefly in pl.; hekla saumuð öll brögðum, a cloak braided or stitched all over, Fms. ii. 70; fáguð brögðum, all broidered, v. 345, Bret. 34; rístu-bragð, a scratched character.

2. in wrestling, bragð or brögð is the technical phrase for wrestlers’ tricks or sleights; mjaðmar-bragð, leggjar-bragð, hæl-bragð, klof-bragð …, the ‘bragð’ of the hip, leg, heel …, Edda 33; [fang-bragð, wrestling], hence many wrestling terms, fella e-n á sjálfs síns bragði, to throw one on his own bragð.

3. gen. a trick, scheme, device, [A. S. brægð, bræd; Engl. braid = cunning, Shakesp.], chiefly in pl., með ymsum brögðum, margskyns brögð, Fas. i. 274, Fms. x. 237; brögð í tafli, a trick in the game, a proverb, when things go not by fair means, Bs. ii. 318; ferr at fornum brögðum, in the old way, Grett. 79 new Ed.: but also sing., sér konungr nú bragð hans allt, Fms. xi. 106; hafði hann svá sett bragðit, x. 305, Eg. 196 ( a trick); ek mun finna bragð þar til, at Kristni mun við gangast á Íslandi, Hkr. i. 290; bragð hitta þeir nú í, Lv. 82.

β. with a notion of deceit, a trick, crafty scheme; með brögðum, with tricks, Hkr. ii; búa yfir brögðum, to brood over wiles, Fas. i. 290; hafa brögð undir brúnum, to have craft under one’s eyebrows, look crafty, Band. 2; undir skauti, under one’s cloak, id., Bs. i. 730; beita e-n brögðum, metaphor from hunting, to deal craftily with one, Rm. 42, Ísl. ii. 164; hafa brögð við e-n, Njarð. 382, 378; vera forn í brögðum, old in craft, of witchcraft, Ísl. ii. 399: hence such phrases as, bragða-karl, a crafty fellow, Grett. 161; bragða-refr, a cunning fox; brögðóttr, crafty, etc. In Swed. ‘bragder’ means an exploit, action, whilst the Icel. implies some notion of subtlety or craft; yet cp. phrases as, stór brögð, great exploits, Fb. ii. 299; hreysti-brögð, hetju-brögð, great deeds, (above I. 3.)

III. [bregða C; cp. A. S. bræd, Engl. breath], countenance, look, expression; hón hefir hvíti ok b. várt Mýramanna, Ísl. ii. 201, v. l.; þannig er bragð á þér, at þú munir fás svífast, thou lookest as if …, cp. brögð undir brúnum above, Fms. ii. 51; heilagleiks b., to look like a saint, Bs. i. 152; þat b. hafði hann á sér sem, Ld. 24; ekki hefir þú b. á þér sem hérlenzkir menn, Fms. x. 227; þannig ertu í bragði sem …, thou lookest as if …, Ísl. ii. 149; með illu bragði, ill-looking, Sturl. i. 170; með hýru, glöðu b., Bs. ii. 505; með beztu bragði, stern, Pass. 21. 1; með hryggu bragði, with gloomy look; með betra bragði, in a better mood, Nj. 11; bleyði-mannligr í b., cowardly, Fms. ii. 69: metaph., Sturla görði þat bragð á, at hann hefði fundit …, S. put that face on a thing, Sturl. ii. 176.

IV. [bergja, gustare], taste; vatns-bragð, beisku-bragð, bitter taste, of water; ó-bragð, a bad flavour, etc.

2. [= bragr], mode, fashion; in vinnu-brögð, working; hand-bragð, handicraft; lát-bragð, manners; trúar-brögð, pl. religion, mode of faith; afla-brögð, mode of gaining one’s livelihood, etc.: very freq. in mod. usage, but in old writers no instance bearing clearly upon the subject is on record; cp. however the phrase, bragð er at e-u, a thing is palpable, tangible: lítið bragð mun þar at ( it must be very slight) ef þú finnr ekki, Ld. 136; ærit b. mun at því, Nj. 58; görðist þar at svá mikit b., it went so far that …, Fms. i. 187, Grett. 158 new Ed.

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(leik; lék, lékum; leikinn), v.

1) to play (við skulum nú leika fyrst);

leika leik, to play a play;

leika tveim skjöldum, to play a double game;

leika at e-u, to play (amuse oneself) with (Katla sat ok lék at hafri sínum);

leika at tafli, to play at chess;

leika sér, to play (hann lék sér þá enn á gólfi með öðrum börnum);

2) to perform, of a feat or act of prowess (en ek hygg, at engi annarr fái þat leikit);

3) to move, swing, wave to and fro, hang loosely (leika á lopti);

landit skalf sem á þræði léki, as if balanced on a string;

4) of flame, fire, water, waves, to play lightly about or over, lick (eldr tók at leika húsin);

eldrinn lék skjótt, the fire spread fast;

leikr hár hiti við himin sjálfan, the lofty blaze plays against the very heavens;

fig., e-m leikr e-t í skapi (í mun), one feels inclined to, has a mind to (þat leikr mér í skapi at kaupa Íslandsfar);

5) to deal (hardly) with, to (ill-)treat (leika e-n illa, hart, sárt, sárliga);

6) to play a trick upon, delude, = leika á e-n (djöfullinn leikr þá alla);

7) to bewitch, esp. in pp. (maðr sá var leikinn af flagði einu);

8) with preps.:

leika á e-n, to play a trick upon (mjök hefir þú á oss leikit);

fig., lék þat orð á, at, it was rumoured, that;

e-m leikr öfund á, to envy;

e-m leikr hugr á, to have a mind to;

þar leikr minn hugr á, my mind is bent upon that;

hón segir föður sínum um hvat at leika er, she told her father how things stood;

leika e-n út, esp. in pp., to ill-treat (konungr sér nú Áka, hversu hann er út leikinn);

leika við e-n, to play with one;

leika við, to continue (meinit hafð lengi við leikit);

9) refl., leikast, to be performed, done;

ef þat má leikast, if this can be done;

leikst á e-n, it goes against one, he gets the worst of it (mjök hefir leikizt á minn hluta);

leikast við, to play one against the other, play a match;

höfðu þeir leikizt við barna leikum, meðan þeir vóru ungir, they had been playmates.

(pl. leiku), n. plaything, doll.

1) = leika, n.;

2) play-sister (vér vórum leikur vetr níu).

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pres. leik; pret. lék, léku; part. leikinn; [Ulf. laikan = σκιρταν; A. S. lâcan; mid. H. G. leiche; Dan. lege; Swed. leka; North. E. to lake]:—to play, sport, Vsp. 42, Am. 76; hann leikr nú eptir magni, Lv. 28; leika leik, 68; hann lék fyrir honum marga fimleika, Fær. 66; leika at skáktafli, to play at chess, Fms. iv. 366; en er þeir léku at taflinu, þá lék konungr fingrbrjót mikinn, ok sagði hann skyldi annat leika, id.; leika hörpu, to play the harp, Stj. 458; leika sungfæri, 631:—leika sér, to play, esp. of children, passim; as also, leika sér at e-u, to play at a thing, passim.

2. to delude, play a trick on; Djöfullinn leikr þá alla, Andr. 66: esp. with prepp., leika á e-n, to play a trick on a person, Nj. 155; mjök hefir þú á oss leikit, nær sem vér fáum þess hefnt, Grett. 149; ef aðrir leita á oss, þá má vera at vér leikim þá enn nokkut í mot, to make a counter move, Boll. 346; lék hón feðr sinn af sér, she played him off, Stj. 181; svá at eins leikr þú við flesta vini þína, Fms. ii. 181.

3. ef svá ílla er, at um þat sé at leika, if that is on the cards, Fms. viii. 102, Al. 132, 134; hón segir föður sínum um hvat at leika er, she told her father how things stood, Ld. 206, Fms. viii. 93.

4. to perform, of a feat or act of prowess, of a play; þú fékt eigi leikit þat er mjúkleikr var í, Fms. vii. 119; þeir kváðu hann verðan vera at hafa, ef hann léki þat, Finnb. 220; en ek hygg at engi annarr fái þat leikit, Fms. i. 152; hann lék þat optliga, er hann barðisk, er fáir gátu við séð, ii. 106; þat má leikask, Fas. i. 88; þessa þrjá hluti lék hann senn, Eb. 240.

5. the phrases, leika lauss við, to be free, at large, disengaged (cp. ‘to play fast and lose with’); láti þér hann nú eigi lausan við leika lengi, Fms. xi. 154; en Hákon sjálfr skal leika lauss við svá, H. shall not be engaged in the battle, i. e. be in reserve, 127; leika lausum hala (see hali); leika tveim skjöldum, to play a double game, Hkr. i. (in a verse).

II. to move, swing, wave to and fro, hang loosely; leika á lopti, Hm. 156; leika á mars baki, Hðm. 12; lék þar grind á járnum, Fms. v. 331; landið skalf sem á þræði léki, Fas. i. 424; skjálfa þótti húsit sem á als oddi léki, 87; lét hann leika laust knéit í brókinni, Fms. vii. 170; árar léku lausar í höndum honum, vi. 446; þeir steypðo golli nýteknu ór afli leikanda ( melted gold) í munn honum, Hom. (St.) 69.

2. to lick, of flame, to catch, of fire = Lat. lambere; þeir vöknuðu eigi fyrr en logi lék um þá, Fms. i. 292; hiti leikr við himin, Vsp. 57; varð eldr lauss í miðjum bænum, eldrinn lék skjótt, ætluðu þeir at verja eldinum, en þá var þar svá mjök leikit (so much burnt) at þeir máttu ekki við festask, Fb. iii. 175; eldr tók at leika húsin, Gullþ. 28; eldrinn tók at leika vatns-keröldin ok viðinn, Fms. xi. 35; heldr en þar léki eldr yfir, viii. 341; lék eldrinn skjótt tjörgaða spónu í keröldunum, i. 128.

3. of water, waves, stream, to play, wash; unnir léku, Hkv. 2. 11, Lex. Poët.; þótti honum þat helzt frói at hafa höndina niðri í læknum, ok láta strauminn leika um sárit, Fas. iii. 388; vatnit var djúpt at landinu, ok hafði leikit undan bakkanum, svá at holt var með, the water had washed the earth away, and made the bank hollow, Grett. 131 A:—of wind, veðr var kalt ok lék á nordan, 113 new Ed.: allir ketill lék utan ok innan sem ein sía, Bs. ii. 9.

4. metaph., lék þat orð á, it was rumoured, Fms. i. 288, Fs. 75; var þá vinátta þeirra kær, þótt þat léki nökkut á ýmsu, though there were ups and downs in their friendship, Fms. vi. 369; leika á tvennu, id., Mag. 33; lék á hinu sama, it went all one way, Fms. v. 252; leika á tveim tungum, ‘to swing on two tongues,’ of various reports of the same thing, ix. 255; leikr þat sízt á tvímæli, hverr fræði-maðr sem frá þeim hefir sagt, Edda (pref.) 147; ef tortrygð leikr á, if there is any suspicion, Js. 26; þar leikr þó minn hugr á, have a mind for a thing, Eg. 520; þat leikr mér í skapi ( I have a mind) at kaupa Íslands-far, Fms. ii. 4; ok ef þér leikr aptr munr at, Ld. 318, v. l.; leika í mun, id., Skv. 3. 39; leika landmunir, to feel homesick, Bjarn.; e-m leikr öfund á e-u, to envy, Fms. vi. 342; leika hugr á, to have a mind to, love; hón er svá af konum, at mér leikr helzt hugr á, vii. 103.

III. esp. in the part. hag-ridden, bewitched, as madmen or people bedridden or taken by a strange illness were thought to be ‘ridden’ by trolls; syndisk mönnum þann veg helzt sem hann mundi leikinn, þvíat hann fór hjá sér ok talaði við sjálfan sik, Eb. 270; maðr sá er Snorri hét var leikinn af flagði einu, Bs. i. 464.

2. metaph. to ill-treat, vex; hví ertú svá ílla leikin? Nj. 18, Sd. 169; sárt ertú leikinn, Sámr fóstri, Nj. 114; sagði þeim engan frama at drepa fá menn ok þó áðr ílla leikna, Fms. ix. 47; börðu þeir mik ok léku sárliga, Fb. i. 547; þeir tóku hann ok léku hart ok börðu, Andr. 64; Loka mær hefir leikinn allvald, Loki’s maid (Death) has laid hands on the king, Ýt.:—to vex, annoy, cp. at þjófar né leiki, that the thieves shall not take it, Hm.; þau á vági vindr of lék, the wind swamped them, Gkv. 1; meinit hafði lengi við leikit, the illness had vexed him a long time, Bs. i. 190.

IV. reflex. to be performed, done; ef þat má leikask, if this can be done, Fas. i. 88; sögðu at þat mætti þá vel leikask, at vinda segl á Orminum ok sigla á haf út, Fms. ii. 326:—leikask á e-n, to get the worst of it; mjök hefir á leikisk minn hluta, I have been utterly worsted, Ísl. ii. 269; ok léksk mjök á mönnum Agða jarls, Fms. iii. 187; ok þótti nú opt á leikask í viðskiptum þeirra Grettis, Grett. 151.

2. recipr., leikask við, to play a match, to play one against another; ok er þat bezt at vit sjálfir leikimk við, Grett. 99 new Ed., Sturl. i. 23, Fms. ii. 269, Þórð. 15 new Ed.; ok höfðu þeir leikisk við barnleikum allir þrír meðan þeir vóru ungir, they had been playmates, Fms. vi. 343; ef þeir skyldi tveir við leikask, Glúm. 370:—at þér komizt undan með lausafé yðart, en þá leikisk um lönd sem auðit er, escape with the movable property and leave the land to its fate, and let them quarrel about the land as best they can, Eb. 98.

(gen. mjaðmar, pl. mjaðmir), f. hip; bregða e-m á m., to throw one’s antagonist by a hip-trick (mjaðmarbragð).

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f., gen. mjaðmar, [Ulf. miduma = μέσον]:— the hip (prop. the middle of the body); á klæði hans yfir mjöðminni, Niðrst. 3; fyrir ofan mjaðmir, Eb. 240; hjó á mjöðmina, Nj. 253; mjöðm ok herðarblað, Fb. ii. 24; rist, kné, mjöðm, N. G. L. i. 312:—in wrestling, leiða e-n á mjöðm, Bárð. 35 new Ed.; or bregða e-m á mjöðm, Fas. iii. 573, of a wrestling trick of throwing one’s antagonist by a movement of the mjöðm, called mjaðmar-bragð, the hip-trick, cross-buttock, Fas. ii. 148. mjaðmar-bein and mjaðmar-höfuð, n. the hip-bone, Þiðr. 89, Finnb. 334; á nárann fyrir ofan mjaðmarhöfuð, Sturl. ii. 41. ☞ No other word in the language rhymes with mjöðm; see the curious ditty in which a man and a ghost cap verses, Ísl. Þjóðs. i. 464.

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card. numb. and pron.

1) one;

einn skal við einn eiga, one shall fight against one;

einn ok einn, one by one, one at a time, singly;

2) as ord. numb. = inn fyrsti (Urð hétu eina, aðra Verðandi, Skuld ina þriðju);

3) the same, one and the same (váru sveinarnir up fœddir báðir í einu þorpi);

allt í eina leið, all in one way;

einn … ok, the same as (í einu herbergi ok hinn);

allr einn, the very same, quite the same (þat er allt eitt ok himinn);

allt at einu, nevertheless, for all that (þó at þú þjónaðir illum, þó var hann allt at einu þinn herra);

4) indef. one, a certain (einn vetr, einn dag, eitt kveld);

einn vinr Þóris, a certain friend of Th.;

before numbers, about, some;

einar fimm þúsundir, some five thousand;

einir … aðrir, some … others (einir tóku dúka ok aðrir rekkjublæjur);

einn ok ýmiss, one and another (einar ok ýmissar þjóðir);

5) after a negation, any;

né eitt, not anything;

6) gen. pl. ‘einna’ used in an intensive sense;

einna manna bezt, best of all (single) men;

einna verst, by far the worst;

einna sízt, by far the least, least of all;

engi er einna hvatastr, no man is superior to all others;

7) alone (Guðrún skyldi ein ráða fyrir fé þeirra);

láta konu eina, to desert or divorce one’s wife;

with gen., hann varð einn sinna manna, he was separated from his men;

if put after the noun ‘einn’ generally denotes only, but;

segja þetta prett einn, to call this a mere trick;

vín eitt, wine only;

var þat (handklæði) raufar einar, all in holes, mere tatters;

fáir einir, only a few;

einn sér or sér einn, quite by oneself, alone (hann var einn sér);

einn saman, einn samt, quite alone;

kona eigi ein saman, not alone, with child;

at eins, only, but;

eigi at eins, not only;

því at eins, only in that case;

údauðr at eins, merely not dead, all but dead, barely alive;

at einu = at eins.

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adj., pl. einir, acc. sing. einn, but also einan, esp. in the sense al-einan etc.; [Gr. εἱς, εν; Lat. ūnus, and early Lat. oinos; Ulf. ains; A. S. ân; Engl. one, in E. Engl. proncd. like stone, bone; Scot. ane; Swed. en; Dan. een]:—one.

A. Cardinal number, one; einn, tveir, þrír …, opp. to báðir, fleiri, etc.; einum eðr fleirum, Grág. i. 108; eina sök eðr fleiri, 78; unnu báðir eins verk, Fas. i. 515; einum ok einum, one by one, ii. 252; tveir menn veðmæltu um einn grip, Grág. i. 412.

2. in old poems it is used as an ordinal number; Urð hétu eina, aðra Verðandi, Vsp. 20; segðu þat it eina …, opp. to þat it annat, Vþm. 20; hjálp heitir eitt, help ranks first, Hm. 147, Vkv. 2; but this use is quite obsolete.

3. with the notion of sameness, one and the same (unus et idem;) í einu húsi, in the same house, Grág. ii. 42; ein ero lög um, hvárt sem ero naut eðr sauðir, i. 422; allt á eina leið, all one way, Fms. ii. 315; til einnar gistingar báðir, vii. 274; í einu brjósti, Alm. 36; allr einn, the very same, Nj. 213.

II. indefinite, a, an, a certain one; einn vetr, a winter, Fms. i. 57; einn dag, x. 11, Fas. i. 514; eitt kveld, Ld. 38; einn hinn versti maðr, Fær. 91; Breiðlingr einn, a man from Broaddale, Sturl. ii. 249; einn vinr Þóris, a certain friend of Thorir, Fms. vi. 277: einn as the indefinite article is hardly found in old writers; and though it is freq. in the Bible, sermons, hymns, etc., since the Reformation, it was no doubt borrowed from the German, and has never been naturalised.

β. about, before numbers; ein tvau hundruð vaðmála, about two hundred pieces, Sks. 30; einar fimm þúsudir, about three thousand, Al. 111,—obsolete, in mod. usage hérum-bil or the like.

III. alone, Gr. μόνος, Lat. solus, used both in sing. and plur.; Guðrún skyldi ein ráða, Ld. 132; Hallr tók einn upp fang, 38; láta einan, to let alone; láttu mig Drottinn einan ekki, Pass. 34. 11; as a law term, to let one’s wife alone, þá lét hann eina Guðrúnu, Fms. x. 324 (cp. einlát); Gunnarr mundi vera einn heima, Nj. 113; sjá einn hlutr, that one thing only, 112; þau ein tíðendi (plur.), only such news, 242.

β. if put after the noun, einn denotes, only, but, sheer, and is almost adverb.; segja þetta prett einn, a mere trick, Sturl. ii. 249; raufar einar, all in holes, Nj. 176; urðu borðin í blóði einu, the tables were bedabbled with blood all over, 270, Ó. H. 116; öll orðin at hvölum einum, all turned into whales, Fas. i. 372; gabb eitt ok háð, sheer mockery, Sks. 247; orð ein, mere words, Nj. 123; ígangs-klæði ein, Eg. 75; vin eitt, wine only, Gm. 19; heiptyrði ein, Fm. 9; hamingjur einar, Vþm. 49; ofsamenn einir, Ld. 158; þá nótt eina, for that one night, N. G. L. i. 240: also after an adj., lítið eina, only a little, Stj. 177; þat eina, er hann ætti sjálfr, Eg. 47, Fms. v. 303; nema góðs eina, naught but good, Eg. 63; fátt eitt, few only, but few; vilt eitt, but what is agreeable, Hm. 125; mikit eitt skala manni gefa, a proverb, ‘small gifts shew great love,’ 51; sá einn, er …, he only, who …, 17; satt eitt, sooth only, Fm. 9; the sense differs according as the adj. is placed before or after the noun, einn Guð, the one God; but, Guð einn, God only, none but God.

IV. plur. in a distributive sense, single; ein gjöld, a single weregild, opp. to tvenn, þrenn, fern, double, triple, quadruple, Grág. ii. 232; thus Icel. say, einir sokkar, skór, vetlingar, a pair of socks, shoes, gloves; einar brækr, a pair of breeches; also with nouns which have only plur., e. g. ein, tvenn, þrenn Jól, one, two, three Christmasses ( Yules); einar (tvennar) dyrr, a single … door; eina Páska, one Easter.

V. gen. pl. einna is used in an intensive sense; einna manna bezt, best of all single men, Fms. ix. 258; í mesta lagi einna manna, foremost of all single men, Bjarn. 65; fátt er svá einna hluta, at örvænt sé at hitti annat slíkt, Ó. H. 75.

β. ellipt., manna, hluta, or the like being omitted, einna becomes almost an adverbial phrase, by far, exceedingly; at engi viti einna miklogi görr (= einna manna), that no one ( no single man) shall know it much better, Grág. i. 2; einna verst, by far the worst, Orkn. 162, Nj. 38; einna sizt, by far the least, least of all, Fms. i. 37; einna mest verðr, Ld. 8; er einna var ríkastr, who was the mightiest of all, Fms. i. 297; engan rétt einna meir kunnan at göra (= einna rétta meir), Sks. 22; engi er einna hvatastr (= e. manna), there is none so mighty but be may find his match, Hm. 63: in mod. usage einna, joined with a superlative, is used adverbially, e. beztr, e. fljótastr, the best, the fleetest, but in a somewhat depreciatory sense.

VI. used adverb.:

1. gen. sing. eins,

α. eins ok, as, as if; eins ok væri hann með öllu óttalauss, Hkr. iii. 275; allt eins ok ( just as) rakkar metja með tungu, Stj. 392.

β. likewise, in the same way; mikill þorri var þat er þær sögðu eins báðar, Landn. (Hb.) 320; this use of eins is very rare in old writers, but freq. in mod. use; in the spoken language at least ‘eins’ (= as) has almost replaced the old ‘sem.’

γ. only; er ek hefi áðr spurn til eins, Fms. iv. 139 (rare).

δ. at eins, only, but, Grág. i. 235; vel at eins, ironically, well enough, Ld. 248; eigi at eins, not only, Fms. i. 266; með sínum at eins kostnaði, vii. 184; því at eins, only in that case, Nj. 228; þar at eins, Ísl. ii. 400; allt eins, not the less for that, 216: in mod. use, just as (vide allr A. V. 5).

2. dat. at einu = at eins; údauðr at einu, Ld. 242; því at einu = því at eins, Fms. iv. 195; því at einu er rétt …, Grág. i. 164; svá at einu, id., Nj. 103; sá evkr syndir sínar at einu, he but adds to his sins, Hom. 157; allt at einu, all the same, Ísl. ii. 216, v. l.: af því einu, only because, Mork. 140.

B. Joined to another pronominal adj. or adv.:

I. einn hverr, adj. pron., in old writers usually in two words and with a double declension (see below), but now and then (and in mod. usage always) in a single word, einn being indecl.; einhverja (acc. f.), Hbl. 30; einhverjum (dat. sing.), Hm. 122, Fms. x. 71; einhverjo héraði, Al. 98, Nj. 2; einhverra (gen.), Fms. iv. 75; einhverir (nom. pl.), viii. 202; einhver, einhverir, etc.: the form eins-hverr is peculiar, keeping the gen. indecl. through all the cases, nom. einshverr, N. G. L. i. 6; acc. einshverja, Stj. 156, 655 xxxii. 18, Gþl. 135; dat. einshverjum, Stj. 22, 442, 448; this form seems to be chiefly Norse, is very rare in old writers, and now quite obsolete; neut. sing. eitthvert, Vm. 73, or eitthvat, Stj. 442, the mod. usage makes a distinction, and uses eitthvert only as adj., eitthvað as subst.:

1. each one, each single one; maðr er einn hverr, Edda 108; þær eru svá margar, at ein hver má vel endask, Eg. 414; ór þeirra fjórðungi sem ór einum hverjum öðrum, Íb. ch. 5; skal einn hverr ( each) þeirra nefna sér vátta, Grág. i. 74; jafnmikinn arf sem einn hverr ( each) sona hans, Sturl. ii. 77; fátt er svá herra einhverra hluta, of any single thing, Fms. iv. 175.

β. joined to a superl. it strengthens the sense; ágætastr maðr einn hverr, one of the very first men, Nj. 282; vinsælastr höfðingi einhverr, highly popular, Fms. vii. 4; einhver drengilegust vörn, ix. 515.

2. in an indefinite sense, some, somebody, a certain one; eitthvert ríki, Sks. 350; eina hverja nótt, some night, 686 B. 4; eitthvert sinn, once, sometime, Sturl. i. 77, Nj. 79; einhverju sinni, id., 2; einhvern dag, some day, Fms. v. 177, Ísl. ii. 212; eina hverja þessa tíð, about this time, N. G. L. i. 355; til einnar hverrar stefnu, to some meeting, Fb. i. 354; eins-hverja hluti, Stj. 156; með eins-hverjum sveini, 442; at ekki sé minna vert, at hlýða prests-messu nývígðs hinni fyrstu, heldr en biskups-messu einhverri, Bs. i. 131.

β. used as subst.; einn hverr várr búandanna, Fms. i. 34; einn hvern manna hans, Eg. 258; einhverr í hverjum dal, Ld. 258, Nj. 192.

γ. einhver-staðar (eins-hver-staðar, Fms. vii. 84), adv. somewhere, Grett. 130, Fms. iv. 57, Sd. 181.

II. einn-saman, adj. ‘one together’ (vide einsamall), i. e. quite alone; maðrinn lifir ekki af einu-saman brauði, Matth. iv. 4; með einni-saman sinni sýn, með einni-saman sinni þefan, Stj. 93; ef útlegðir fara einar-saman, if it be solely a matter of outlay ( fine), Grág. i. 103; ef þat færi eitt-saman, ii. 10: of a woman, vera eigi ein-saman, to be not alone, to be with a child, Fms. iii. 109.

III. with other words; einir … ýmissir, ‘one and sundry;’ various, mixed, Stj. 88, 204; eina hluti ok ýmissa, Fb. i. 191.

β. hverr ok einn, ‘each and one,’ every one, 677. 1, H. E. i. 393, Rb. 492; fyrir hvern mun ok einn, Fas. i. 396.

γ. einn ok sér-hverr, one and all.

δ. einn sér, apart, for oneself, alone; Múspells-synir hafa einir sér fylking, Edda 41; einn sér, sole, Fms. ii. 308; sér einir, Sturl. ii. 53: metaph. singular, peculiar, ein var hón sér í lýðsku, Fs. 30.

ε. sér-hverr, adj. every one, q. v.: eins-konar, adv. of one kind, Skálda 165; mod. indef. of a certain kind, a kind of: eins-kostar, adv. particularly, Ísl. ii. 322, Mork. 81.

ζ. né einn, not one, none; in old writers usually so, but now and then contracted neinn (q. v.), and in mod. usage always so; né eina sekð, Grág. i. 136; né eitt úhreint, Stj. 409; né einu sinni, not once, Fms. xi. 13; né eins, not a single thing, 112; né eina herferð, vii. 28.

η. fáir einir, only a few, in mod. usage in one word, nom. fáeinir, dat. fáeinum, gen. fáeinna: ein-stakr, single, q. v.: al-einn, alone, q. v.: ein-mana, q. v. (cp. Gr. μόνος): einum-megin, adv. on one side, Nj. 248 (vide vegr).

(gen. fjár), n.

1) cattle, esp. sheep;

þeir ráku féit (the sheep) upp á geilarnar;

gæta fjár, to herd or tend sheep;

ganganda fé, live stock, opp. to ‘dautt fé’, or ‘liggjanda fé,’ valuables, money;

2) property, money (hvárt sem fé þat er land eðr annat fé);

fyrirgøra fé ok fjörvi, to forfeit property and life;

fé er fjörvi firr, life is dearer than money;

fé veldr frænda rógi, money makes foes of kinsmen;

afla sér fjár ok frægðar (frama), to gain wealth and fame;

hér er fé þat (the money), er Gunnarr greiddi;

þiggit þat, herra, fé er í því, there is value in it;

pl. fé (dat. fjám), property, means.

* * *

n., irreg. gen. fjár, dat. fé; pl. gen. fjá, dat. fjám; with the article, féit, féinu, féin, mod. féð, fénu, fén: [Lat. pecu; Goth. faihu; A. S. feoh; Engl. fee; Hel. fehu; O. H. G. fehu; Germ. vieh; Dan. fæ; Swed. få]

I. cattle, in Icel. chiefly sheep; fé né menn, Grett. 101; fjölda fjár, Ld. 210; gæta fjár, to mind sheep, 232; en ef þeir brenna húsin þó at fé manna sé inni, Grág. ii. 164; þeir ráku féit ( the sheep) upp á geilarnar, Ni. 119; kvik-fé, live-stock, q. v.: ganganda fé, id., opp. to dautt fé, dead property, Grág. passim.

COMPDS: fjárbeit, fjárborg, fjárbreiða, fjárdauði, fjárfellir, fjárfóðr, fjárfæði, fjárfæling, fjárganga, fjárgeymsla, fjárgæzla, fjárhagi, fjárheimtur, fjárhirðir, fjárknappr, fjárhundr, fjárhús, fjárkaup, fjárkláði, fjárnyt, fjárpest, fjárrekstr, fjárréttr, fjársauðr.

II. property, money; hvárt sem fé þat er land eðr annat fé, Grág. ii. 237: the allit. phrase, fé ok fjörvi, Sl. 1; hafa fyrir gört fé ok fjörvi, to forfeit property and life, Nj. 191: the proverbs, fé er fjörvi firr, life is dearer than money, 124; fé veldr frænda rógi, money makes foes of kinsmen, Mkv. 1. Common sayings, hafa fullar hendr fjár; afla fjár ok frægðar, to gain wealth and fame, Fms. i. 23 (a standing phrase); afla fjár ok frama, Fs. 7, fjár ok virðingar, id.; seint munu þín augu fylld verða á fénu, Gullþ. 7; þú munt ærit mjök elska féit áðr lýkr, id.; lát mík sjá hvárt fé þetta er svá mikit ok frítt, Gísl. 62; at Þorgils tæki við fjám sínum, Fs. 154; fagrt fé, fine money; at þeir næði féinu, Fms. x. 23; þegn af fé, liberal, Ísl. ii. 344; Auðr tekr nú féit, A. took the money, Gísl. 62; hér er fé þat ( the money) er Gunnarr greiddi mér, Nj. 55; fé þat allt er hann átti, Eg. 98; alvæpni en ekki fé annat, Fms. i. 47: skemman var full af varningi, þetta fé …, v. 255; Höskuldr færði fé allt til skips, Nj. 4; hversu mikit fé er þetta, id.; heimta fé sín, Grág. i. 87; þiggit þat herra, fé er í því, there is value in it, Fms. vii. 197.

COMPDS: fjárafhlutr, fjáraflan, fjárafli, fjárauðn, fjáragirnd, fjárbón, fjárburðr, fjárdráttr, fjárefni, fjáreigandi, fjáreign, fjáreyðsla, fjáreyðslumaðr, fjárfang, fjárfar, fjárforráð, fjárframlag, fjárfundr, fjárgjald, fjárgjöf, fjárgróði, fjárgæzla, fjárgæzlumaðr, fjárhagr, fjárhagamaðr, fjárhald, fjárhaldsmaðr, fjárheimt, fjárhirðsla, fjárhlutr, fjárkaup, fjárkostnaðr, fjárkostr, fjárkrafa, fjárlag, fjárlán, fjárlát, fjárleiga, fjármegin, fjármet, fjármissa, fjármunir, fjárnám, fjárorkumaðr, fjárpína, fjárrán, fjárreiða, fjárreita, fjársaknaðr, fjársekt, fjársjóðr, fjárskaði, fjárskakki, fjárskilorð, fjárskipti, fjárskuld, fjársóan, fjársókn, fjárstaðr, fjártak, fjártal, fjártapan, fjártilkall, fjártillag, fjártjón, fjárupptak, fjárútlát, fjárvarðveizla, fjárvarðveizlumaðr, fjárván, fjárverðr, fjárviðtaka, fjárvöxtr, fjárþarfnaðr, fjárþurð, fjárþurfi.

B. Fé- in COMPDS, usually in sense II, sometimes in sense I: fé-auðna, u, f. money luck. féauðnu-maðr, m. a man lucky in making money, Band. 4. fé-boð, n. an offer of money, Lv. 62, Fms. v. 26, 369, 656 A. 17; a bribe, Grág. i. 72. fébóta-laust, n. adj. without compensation, Glúm. 358. fé-brögð, n. pl. devices for making money, Fms. xi. 423, 623. 21. fé-bætr, f. pl. payments in compensation, esp. of weregild, opp. to mann-hefndir, Nj. 165, Eg. 106, Fs. 53, 74, Ísl. ii. 386. fé-bættr, part. paid for weregild, Gullþ. 12. fé-drengr, m. an open-handed man, Nj. 177. fé-drjúgr, adj. having a deep purse, Ld. 46. fé-fastr, adj. close-fisted, Ísl. ii. 392, Bs. i. 74. fé-fátt, n. adj. in want of money, Eg. 394, Fms. iii. 180, Hkr. iii. 422. fé-fellir, m. losing one’s sheep, Lv. 91. fé-festi, f. close-fistedness, Grett. 155 C. fé-fletta, tt, to strip one of money, cheat one, Fas. iii. 103, v. l. fé-frekr, adj. greedy for money, Rd. 314. fé-föng, n. pl. booty, plunder, spoil, Fms. iii. 18, vii. 78, Eg. 57, 236, Gullþ. 5, Sks. 183 B. fé-gefinn, part. given for (and to) gain, Band. 4, Valla L. 201. fé-girnd, f. avarice, Hom. 86, Al. 4, Pass. 16. 7, 10. fé-girni, f. = fégirnd, Sks. 358, Band. 11, Sturl. i. 47 C. fégjafa-guð, m. the god of wealth, Edda 55. fé-gjald, n. a payment, fine, Nj. 111, 120, Band. 11, Fms. vii. 248. fé-gjarn, adj. greedy, avaricious, Eg. 336, Fs. 133, Nj. 102, Fms. i. 52, vii. 238. fé-gjöf, f. a gift of money, Fs. 11, 21, Fms. i. 53, xi. 325, Ld. 52. fé-glöggr, f. close-handed, Eb. 158. fé-góðr, adj. good, i. e. current, money, D. N. fé-grið, n. pl. security for property, Grág. ii. 21. fé-gyrðill, m. [early Dan. fägürthil], a money bag, purse, worn on the belt, Gísl. 20, Fbr. 66, Þiðr. 35. fé-gætni, f. saving habits, Glúm. 358. fé-göfugr, adj. blessed with wealth, Ísl. ii. 322. fé-hirðir, m. a shepherd, Fas. i. 518, Fms. viii. 342, Gþl. 501: a treasurer, Hkr. i. 36, Eg. 202, Fms. x. 157, vi. 372, viii. 372. fé-hirzla, u, f. a treasury, Fms. vi. 171, vii. 174, Eg. 237, Hom. 9. féhirzlu-hús, n. a treasure-house, Stj. 154. féhirzlu-maðr, m. a treasurer, Karl. 498. fé-hús, n. = fjós, a stall, D. N. (Fr.): a treasury, Róm. 299. fé-kaup, n. a bargain, N. G. L. i. 9. fé-kátliga, adv., Thom. 403. fé-kátr, adj. proud of one’s wealth, Róm. 126. fé-kostnaðr, m. expenditure, expense, Stj. 512, Fms. iv. 215, xi. 202, Hkr. i. 148. fé-kostr, m. = fékostnaðr, Orkn. 40. fé-krókar, m. pl. money-angles, wrinkles about the eyes marking a greedy man (vide auga), Fms. ii. 84. fé-kvörn, f. a small gland in the maw of sheep, in popular superstition regarded, when found, as a talisman of wealth, vide Eggert Itin. ch. 323. fé-lag, n. fellowship, and fé-lagi, a, m. a fellow, vide p. 151. fé-lauss, adj. penniless, Fms. vi. 272, Fs. 79, Gullþ. 5, Landn. 324 (Mant.) fé-lát, n. loss of money, Landn. 195. fé-leysi, n. want of money, Fms. viii. 20. fé-ligr, adj. valuable, handsome, Fms. viii. 206. fé-lítill, adj. short of money, Eg. 691, Sturl. i. 127 C, Fms. v. 182, vi. 271: of little value, Vm. 74, Jm. 13; fé-minstr, yielding the least income, Bs. i. 432. fé-maðr, m. a monied man, Sturl. i. 171, iii. 97, Dropl. 3. fé-mál, n. money affairs, Nj. 5; a suit for money, Fms. viii. 130, Nj. 15, Grág. i. 83. fé-mikill, adj. rich, monied, Sks. 252, Sturl. i. 171 C: costly, Fms. v. 257, xi. 85, Bs. i. 295, Hkr. iii. 247, Eb. 256: expensive, Korm. 224 (in a verse). fé-mildr, adj. open-handed, Nj. 30. fé-missa, u, f. and fé-missir, m. loss of cattle, Jb. 362: loss of money, Grett. 150 C. fé-munir, m. pl. valuables, Hkr. i. 312, Grág. i. 172, Hrafn. 19, 21, Fms. vi. 298, viii. 342. fé-múta, u, f. a bribe in money, Nj. 215, 251, Gullþ. 7, Fms. v. 312, Bs. i. 839, Thom. 72. fé-mætr, adj. ‘money-worth,’ valuable, Fms. i. 105, Ísl. ii. 154, Orkn. 386. fé-neytr ( fé-nýtr), adj. money-worth, Fms. iv. 340, cp. Hkr. ii. 253. fé-nýta, tt, to turn to account, make use of, Bs. i. 760, Grág. ii. 155. fé-penningr, m. a penny-worth, Bs. i. 757. fé-pína, u, f. a fine, H. E. i. 511. fé-prettr, m. a money trick, N. G. L. i. 123. fé-pynd, f. extortion, Bs. i. 757. fé-ráð, n. pl. advice in money-matters, 656 C. 16. fé-rán, n. plunder, Fs. 9, Fms. vi. 263, Fb. i. 215 (in a verse):—execution, confiscation, in the law phrase, féráns-dómr, m. a court of execution or confiscation to be held within a fortnight after the sentence at the house of a person convicted in one of the two degrees of outlawry, vide Grág. Þ. Þ. ch. 29–33, and the Sagas passim, esp. Hrafn. 21, Sturl. i. 135; cp. also Dasent, Introd. to Burnt Njal. fé-ríkr, adj. rich, wealthy, Fms. ix. 272, Gullþ. 7, Ld. 102, Skálda 203. fé-samr, adj. lucrative, Sturl. i. 68 C. fé-sátt ( fé-sætt), f. an agreement as to payment, of weregild or the like, Grág. i. 136, Nj. 189, Ld. 308. fé-sekr, adj. fined, sentenced to a fine, Grág. i. 393. fé-sekt, f. a fine, Nj. 189, Finnb. 276. fé-sinki, f. niggardliness, Sks. 421, 699. fé-sinkr, adj. niggardly, Sturl. i. 162. fé-sjóðr, m., prop. a bag of money, Band. 6, Fbr. 35 new Ed., Nj. 55, Fas. iii. 194: mod. esp. in pl. a treasury, treasure, in Matth. vi. 20, Col. ii. 3, Heb. xi. 26. fé-skaði, a, m. loss in money, Bs. i, Fs. 4, Fms. iv. 327. fé-skipti, n. a sharing or division of property, Nj. 118, Ld. 134. fé-skjálgr, adj., féskjálg augu, eyes squinting for money, Band. 6. fé-skortr, m. shortness of money, Rd. 284. fé-skuld, f. a money debt, Finnb. 350. fé-skurðr, m. detriment, Ld. 44. fé-skygn, adj. covetous, Fms. v. 263. fé-skylft ( fé-skylmt), n. adj., in the phrase, e-n er f., one has many expenses to defray, Grett. 89, 159, Eb. 98. fé-snauðr, adj. poor in money, penniless, Bs. i. 335. fé-sníkja, u, f. ( fé-sníkni), begging, intruding as a parasite, Sks. 669, 451, 585. fé-snúðr, m. lucre, Band. 5, 655 xi. 4. fé-sparr, adj. sparing, close-handed, Band. 6, Fms. iii. 190. fé-spjöll, n. pl. an απ. λεγ. in Vsp. 23, fee-spells, i. e. spells wherewith to conjure hidden treasures out of the earth, where we propose to read,—valði hón (MS. henne, dat.) Herföðr (dat.) … f. spakleg, she (the Vala) endowed the father of hosts (Odin) with wise fee-spells; the passage in Yngl. S. ch. 7—Óðinn vissi of allt jarðfé hvar fólgit var—refers to this very word; Odin is truly represented as a pupil of the old Vala, receiving from her his supernatural gifts. fé-sterkr, adj. wealthy, Fms. iv. 231, Sks. 274. fé-stofn, m. stock. fé-sæla, u, f. wealth, Hkr. i. 15, Edda 16. fé-sæll, adj. wealthy, Edda 15. fé-sök, f. a suit, action for money, Nj. 15, Grág. i. 138. fé-útlega, u, f. a fine, outlay, N. G. L. i. 85. fé-vani, adj. short of money, Fms. iv. 27. fé-ván, f. expectancy of money, Gullþ. 7, Eg. 241, Fms. iv. 27, Orkn. 208. fé-veizla, u, f. contributions, help, Sks. 261, v. l. fé-vél, n. a trick, device against one’s property, N. G. L. i. 34. fé-víti, n. mulct, Grág. fé-vænliga, adv. in a manner promising profit, Fms. v. 257. fé-vænligr, adj. promising profit, profitable, Sturl. i. 138, Fms. v. 257. fé-vænn, adj. = févænligr, Sturl. i. 138. fé-vöxtr, m. increase in property, gain, Eg. 730. fé-þurfi, adj. in need of money, Eb. 164, Fms. ii. 80, Lv. 108, Fas. i. 392. fé-þúfa, u, f. a ‘money-mound,’ used in the Tales like Fortunatus’ purse; in the phrase, hafa e-n fyrir féþúfu, to use one as a milch cow, to squeeze money out of one. fé-þyrfi and fé-þörf, f. need of money, poverty, Rd. 236. fé-örk, f. a money-chest, 224.

(pl. -ir), m. trick, piece of mischief (hrekkir ok slœgðir).

* * *

m., pl. ir, gen. pl. ja, [Dan. rænke], a trick, piece of mischief, Mag. 9, Fas. ii. 372, Nikd. 40; hrekkir ok slægðir, Stat. 273.

* * *

(leik; lék, lékum; leikinn), v.

1) to play (við skulum nú leika fyrst);

leika leik, to play a play;

leika tveim skjöldum, to play a double game;

leika at e-u, to play (amuse oneself) with (Katla sat ok lék at hafri sínum);

leika at tafli, to play at chess;

leika sér, to play (hann lék sér þá enn á gólfi með öðrum börnum);

2) to perform, of a feat or act of prowess (en ek hygg, at engi annarr fái þat leikit);

3) to move, swing, wave to and fro, hang loosely (leika á lopti);

landit skalf sem á þræði léki, as if balanced on a string;

4) of flame, fire, water, waves, to play lightly about or over, lick (eldr tók at leika húsin);

eldrinn lék skjótt, the fire spread fast;

leikr hár hiti við himin sjálfan, the lofty blaze plays against the very heavens;

fig., e-m leikr e-t í skapi (í mun), one feels inclined to, has a mind to (þat leikr mér í skapi at kaupa Íslandsfar);

5) to deal (hardly) with, to (ill-)treat (leika e-n illa, hart, sárt, sárliga);

6) to play a trick upon, delude, = leika á e-n (djöfullinn leikr þá alla);

7) to bewitch, esp. in pp. (maðr sá var leikinn af flagði einu);

8) with preps.:

leika á e-n, to play a trick upon (mjök hefir þú á oss leikit);

fig., lék þat orð á, at, it was rumoured, that;

e-m leikr öfund á, to envy;

e-m leikr hugr á, to have a mind to;

þar leikr minn hugr á, my mind is bent upon that;

hón segir föður sínum um hvat at leika er, she told her father how things stood;

leika e-n út, esp. in pp., to ill-treat (konungr sér nú Áka, hversu hann er út leikinn);

leika við e-n, to play with one;

leika við, to continue (meinit hafð lengi við leikit);

9) refl., leikast, to be performed, done;

ef þat má leikast, if this can be done;

leikst á e-n, it goes against one, he gets the worst of it (mjök hefir leikizt á minn hluta);

leikast við, to play one against the other, play a match;

höfðu þeir leikizt við barna leikum, meðan þeir vóru ungir, they had been playmates.

(pl. leiku), n. plaything, doll.

1) = leika, n.;

2) play-sister (vér vórum leikur vetr níu).

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n., pl. leiku, a plaything, doll, puppet; þú ert leikum ljosari, MS. 4. 9; ek skal færa þik Hildigunni dóttur minni, ok skal hón hafa þik fyrir leika (leiku Ed.), Fas. ii. 233; þótt hann þykki trautt hvers barns leika vera, Fms. xi. 95; léku þeir sér um dag, ok bað Steinólfr Arngrím ljá sér messingar hest—Arngrímr svarar, ek mun gefa þér, þvíat þat er nú heldr þitt leika en mitt fyrir aldrs sökum, Glúm. 353; kurraði þat hverr í sínum híbýlum, at vetrgestr Brynjólfs mundi eigi vera hversdags leika, Sturl. iii. 127: plur., fögr leiku eru þetta, O. H. L. 50; þeir tveir trémenn er Frey höfðu fengnir verit til leikna, Fb. i. 403.

u, f. = leika, n. but a later form, mín leika, Grett. 107 new Ed., cp. Fas. ii. 233.

2. a play-sister = leiksystir; vit vetr níu vórum leikur, Gs. 11; Dvalins-leika, Lex. Poët.

3. cunnus.

(-s, -ar), m. trick, deceit, fraud (með flærð ok prettum).

* * *

m., pl. prettar, Barl. 197, but mod. prettir; acc. pl. prettu; [A. S. Dictionaries give a word præt, pl. prattas; but the age and the etymology of this word are uncertain]:—a trick; var þetta ekki nema prettr þeirra, Fms. i. 59, Fs. 73; konungr mælti, þetta er p. yðvarr, Fms. vii. 32; hafa þeir sýnt eigi góðan prett, Ld. 704; sviksamliga prettu, Stj. 144, Al. 68, Barl. 24; Þórir svarir at hann hirði ekki um prettu þeirra Erlings, Ó. H. 115; þetta vóru þínir prettar, Barl. 197; etja e-n við prettu, Ísl. ii. 224 (in a verse of the beginning of the 10th century, if the verse be genuine).

COMPDS: prettafullr, prettalauss.

1) a board-game, ‘tables’, chess, draughts; sitja at tafli, leika t., at tafli, to play at chess; nú eru brögð í tafli, there is a trick in the game, there is foul play;

2) the board with the pieces (taflit svarfaðist);

3) piece in the game, = tafla.

* * *

n., pl. töfl, [from the Lat. tabula, but borrowed at a very early time, for it is used even in the oldest poems]:—a game, like the Old Engl. tables or draughts, used also of the old hneftafl (q. v.), and later of chess and various other games; sitja at hnef-tafli, … Hvítserkr ok Sigurðr láta þegar falla niðr taflit, Fas. i. 285; leika skák-tafl, 523; þar vóru mjök töfl uppi höfð ok sagna-skemtan, ok mart þat er til híbýla-bótar mátti vera, Þorf. Karl. 407; þeir bitusk bæði um tafl ok kvátru, Sturl. i. 173; vera at tafli, Fs. 40; Valdimarr konungr lék at skáktafli … konungr sá eigi af taflinu, Fms. xi. 365; konungr bar aptr tafl hans, Ó. H. 167; konungr sat ok teflði hneftafl, ok nefndi maðrinn töfl (fem. sing.) konungs, … taflmaðrinn ætlaði at konungr mundi tala til taflsins, Fms. vi. 29; leika at tafli, Ó. H. 167: þá skildi á um tafl, of chess, Sturl. iii. 123; tafl em ek örr at efla, iþróttir kann ek níu, Orkn. (in a verse); ek em maðr hagari ok teflig hneftafl betr, Mork. 186; tefldi annarr Austmaðr við heima-mann Þorgils … kallaði Austmaðr á Sigurð at hann réði um taflit með honum, þvíat hann kunni þat sem aðrar iþróttir, ok er hann leit á, þótti honum mjök farit vera taflit, … en taflit svarfaðisk, 204, 205; um daginn eptir tefldi Grímr við Austmann ok rann at borðinu sveinn ok rótaði taflinu, Dropl. 31; Eiðr sat at tafli ok synir hans tveir, Ísl. ii. 359, Vigl. 17; jafnan skemtu þau Helga sér at tafli ok Gunnlaugr, Ísl. ii. 205: the pieces were of gold and silver, cp. gullnar-töflur, Vsp.; þar sátu konur tvær ok léku at hnet-tafli, ok var taflit allt steypt af silfri enn gyllt allt it rauða … en hann hefði taflit ok þat er fylgði, Gullþ. 20; taflborð ok tafl af lýsi-gulli gört, Fas. iii. 627: of walrus, tennr eigi stærri en göra má mjök stór knífskepti af eðr tafl, Sks. 127, cp. Skíða R. 164, Worsaae, Nos. 560–563; hnefa-tafl, skák-tafl, goða-tafl: in the phrases, verða tafli seinni, to be too late; Snorri kvað enn farit hafa sem fyrr, at þeir höfðu orðit tafli seinni enn Arnkell, Eb. 166; nú eru brögð í tafli, a trick in the game, foul play, Fas. iii. 607; merkti Ögmundr biskup at þá vóru brögð í tafli ok líkaði stórílla, Bs. ii. 318, cp. Þryml. 13; jarl kvað Aron svá tafli teflt hafa við sik ( played him such a game), at okkur sambúð mun skömm vera, Bs. i. 632.

2. also of dice-throwing, dicing; en þeim er leggr fé við tafl eðr aðra hluti, verðar fjörbaugs-garð, Grág. ii. 198; enn eru þeir hlutir er þú skalt flýja ok varask, þat er drykkja, tafl, portkonur, Sks. 26.

B. COMPDS: taflborð, taflbrögð, taflbyrðingr, taflfé, taflkast, taflmaðr, taflpungr, taflspeki.

m. [leika á], a trick, Grett. 139 C.

n. knavish dealing, a trick, Grett. 91, Þorst. hv. 46.

n. a boyish trick, Grett. 92, Sturl. iii. 124.

að, to trick, job; hvat er það sem börn ei b., Jón. Þorl.

(bregð; brá, brugðum; brugðinn), v. with dat.

1) to cause to move (quickly);

bregða sverði, knífi, to draw a sword, knife;

bregða fingri, hendi í e-t, to put (thrust) the finger, hand, into;

hón brá hárinu undir belti sér, she put (fastened) her hair under her belt;

bregða kaðli um e-t, to pass a rope round a thing;

bregða augum sundr, to open the eyes;

bregða e-m á eintal, to take one apart;

bregða sér sjúkum, to feign illness;

2) to deviate from, disregard (vér höfum brugðit af ráðum þínum);

3) to alter, change;

bregða lit, litum, to change colour, to turn pale;

bregða e-m í e-s líki, to turn one (by spell) into another shape (þú brátt þér í merar líki);

4) to break up, leave off, give up;

bregða tjöldum, to strike the tents;

bregða samvist, to leave off living together;

bregða ráðahag, to break off an engagement (wedding);

bregða boði, to countermand a feast;

bregða sýslu, to leave off working;

bregða svefni, blundi, to awake;

bregða tali, to break off talking;

bregða orrustu, kaupi, to break off a battle, bargain;

5) to break (bregða trúnaði, heiti, sáttmáli);

6) bregða e-m e-u, to upbraid, reproach one with a thing (Kálfr brá mér því í dag);

7) with prepp.,

bregða e-m á loft, to lift one aloft;

bregða e-u á, to give out, pretend (hann brá á því, at hann mundi ríða vestr til Miðfjarðar);

absol., bregða á e-t, to begin (suddenly) doing a thing;

bregða á leik, to begin playing or sporting;

Kimbi brá á gaman, took it playfully, laughed at it;

þeir brugðu á glímu ok á glens, they started wrestling and playing;

hestrinn brá á leik, broke into play, ran away;

hönd bregðr á venju, is ready for its old work;

þá brá Ingimundr til útanferðar, I. started to go abroad;

bregða e-u undan, to put it out of the way, to hide it;

bregða upp hendi, höndum, to hold up the hand;

bregða e-u við, to ward off with (bregða við skildi); fig. to put forth as an example, to praise, wonder at (þínum drengskap skal ek við bregða);

absol., bregða við, to start off, set about a thing without delay;

brá hann við skjótt ok fór, he started off at once and went;

8) refl., bregðast;

9) impers., e-u bregðr, it ceases, fails;

svá hart, at nyt bregði (to drive the ewes) so fast that they fail to give milk;

veðráttu brá eigi, there was no change in the weather;

of a sudden appearance, kláða brá á hvarmana, the eye-lids began to itch;

þá brá ljóma af Logafjöllum, then from L. there burst flashes of light;

ljósi bregðr fyrir, a light passes before the eye;

with preps., bregðr af vexti hans frá öðrum selum, his shape differs from that of other seals;

e-m bregðr í brún, one is amazed, startled (nú bregðr mönnum í brún mjök);

e-m bregðr til e-s, one person takes after, resembles another;

en því bregðr mér til foreldris míns, in that I am like my father;

þat er mælt, at fjórðungi bregði til fóstrs, the fostering makes the fourth part of a man;

e-m bregðr við e-t = e-m bregðr í brún;

brá þeim mjök við, er þeir sá hann inn ganga, it startled them much when they saw him come in;

en þó brá fóstru Melkorku mest við þessi tíðindi, this news most affected M.’s nurse.

* * *

pret. sing. brá, 2nd pers. brátt, later brást; pl. brugðu, sup. brugðit; pres. bregð; pret. subj. brygði: reflex, (sk, z, st), pret. brásk, bráz, or brást, pl. brugðusk, etc.: poët. with the neg. suff. brá-at, brásk-at, Orkn. 78, Fms. vi. 51.

A. ACT. WITH DAT.

I. [A. S. bregdan, brædan; Old Engl. and Scot. to brade or braid; cp. bragð throughout]:—to move swiftly:

1. of a weapon, to draw, brandish; b. sverði, to draw the sword, Gísl. 55, Nj. 28, Ld. 222, Korm. 82 sqq., Fms. i. 44, ii. 306, vi. 313, Eg. 306, 505; sverð brugðit, a drawn sword, 746; cp. the alliterative phrase in Old Engl. Ballads, ‘the bright browne (= brugðinn) sword:’ absol., bregð (imperat.), Korm. l. c.: b. knífi, to slash with a knife, Am. 59; b. flötu sverði, to turn it round in the band, Fms. vii. 157; saxi, Bs. i. 629: even of a thrust, b. spjóti, Glúm. 344.

2. of the limbs or parts of the body, to move quickly; b. hendi, fingri, K. Þ. K. 10, Fms. vi. 122; b. augum sundr, to open the eyes, iii. 57, cp. ‘he bradde open his eyen two,’ Engl. Ballads; b. fótum, Nj. 253; b. fæti, in wrestling; b. grönum, to draw up the lips, 199, Fms. v. 220.

3. of other objects; b. skipi, to turn the ship (rare), Fms. viii. 145, Eb. 324; b. e-m á eintal, einmæli, to take one apart, Fms. vi. 11, Ölk. 35; b. sér sjúkum, to feign sickness, Fagrsk. ch. 51; bregða sér in mod. usage means to make a short visit, go or come for a moment; eg brá mér snöggvast til …, etc.

4. adding prepp.; b. upp; b. upp hendi, höndum, to hold up the hand, Fms. i. 167; b. upp glófa, 206, Eb. 326: b. e-m á lopt, to lift aloft, Eg. 122, Nj. 108; b. e-u undan, to put a thing out of the way, to hide it, Fas. i. 6; undir, Sturl. ii. 221, Ld. 222, Eb. 230: b. e-u við (b. við skildi), to ward off with …, Vápn. 5; but chiefly metaph. to put forth as an example, to laud, wonder at, etc.; þínum drengskap skal ek við b., Nj. 18; þessum mun ek við b. Áslaugar órunum, Fas. i. 257; nú mun ek því við b. ( I will speak loud), at ek hefi eigi fyr náð við þik at tala, Lv. 53: b. e-u á, to give out, pretend; hann brá á því at hann mundi ríða vestr til Miðfjarðar, Sturl. iii. 197, Fms. viii. 59, x. 322. β. to deviate from, disregard; vér höfum brugðit af ráðum þínum, Fær. 50, Nj. 13, 109, Ísl. ii. 198, Grág. i. 359; b. af marki, to alter the mark, 397.

5. to turn, alter, change; b. lit, litum, to change colour, to turn pale, etc., Fms. ii. 7, Vígl. 24; b. sér við e-t, to alter one’s mien, shew signs of pain, emotion, or the like, Nj. 116; b. e-m í (or b. á sik) e-s líki, to turn one (by spell) into another shape, Bret. 13; at þú brátt þér í merar líki, Ölk. 37; hann brá á sik ýmissa dýra líki, Edda (pref.) 149.

II. to break up or off, leave off, give up; b. búi, to give up one’s household, Grág. i. 153, Eg. 116, 704; b. tjöldum, to break up, strike the tents, Fms. iv. 302; b. samvist, to part, leave off living together, ii. 295; b. ráðahag, to break off an engagement, esp. wedding, 11; b. boði, to countermand a feast, 194; b. kaupi, to break off a bargain, Nj. 51, Rd. 251; b. sýslu, to leave off working, Fms. vi. 349; b. svefni, blundi, to awake, Sdm. 2; smátt bregðr slíkt svefni mínum, Lv. 53; b. tali, to break off talking, Vápn. 22; b. orustu, to break off the battle, Bret.: esp. freq. in poetry, b. hungri, föstu, sulti, to break or quell the hunger (of the wolf); b. gleði; b. lífi, fjörvi, to put to death, etc., Lex. Poët.

2. to break faith, promise, or the like; b. máli, Grág. i. 148; trúnaði, Nj. 141; brugðið var öllu sáttmáli, Hkr. ii. 121; b. heiti, Alvm. 3: absol., ef bóandi bregðr við griðmann ( breaks a bargain), Grág. i. 153.

3. reflex., bregðask e-m (or absol.), to deceive, fail, in faith or friendship; Gunnarr kvaðsk aldri skyldu b. Njáli né sonum hans, Nj. 57; bregðsk þú oss nú eigi, do not deceive us, Fms. vi. 17; vant er þó at vita hverir mér eru trúir ef feðrnir b., ii. 11; en þeim brásk framhlaupit, i. e. they failed in the onslaught, vii. 298; þat mun eigi bregðask, that cannot fail, Fas. ii. 526, Rb. 50; fáir munu þeir, at einörð sinni haldi, er slíkir brugðusk við oss, Fms. v. 36, Grett. 26 new Ed.

III. [A. S. brædan, to braid, braider], to ‘braid,’ knot, bind, the band, string being in dat.; hann bregðr í fiskinn öðrum enda, he braided the one end in the fish, Finnb. 220; hón brá hárinu undir belli sér, she braided her hair under her belt; (hann) brá ( untied) brókabelti sínu, Fas. i. 47; er þeir höfðu brugðið kaðli um, wound a cable round it, Fms. x. 53; hefir strengrinn brugðizk líttat af fótum honum, the rope had loosened off his feet, xi. 152: but also simply and with acc., b. bragð, to braid a braid, knit a knot, Eg. (in a verse); b. ráð, to weave a plot, (cp. Gr. ράπτειν, Lat. suere), Edda (in a verse); in the proper sense flétta and ríða, q. v., are more usual.

2. in wrestling; b. e-m, the antagonist in dat., the trick in acc., b. e-m bragð (hæl-krók, sveiflu, etc.)

3. recipr., of mutual strife; bregðask brögðum, to play one another tricks; b. brigzlum, to scold one another, Grág. ii. 146; b. frumhlaupum, of mutual aggression, 13, 48; bregðask um e-t, to contest a thing, 66, cp. i. 34.

4. part., brugðinn við e-t, acquainted with a thing; munuð þit brátt brugðnir við meira, i. e. you will soon have greater matters to deal with, Fs. 84; hann er við hvárttveggja b., he is well versed in both, Gísl. 51.

IV. metaph. to upbraid, blame, with dat. of the person and thing; fár bregðr hinu betra, ef hann veit hit verra (a proverb), Nj. 227; Þórðr blígr brá honum því ( Thord threw it in his face), á Þórsnesþingi, at …, Landn. 101; Kálfr brá mér því í dag, Fms. vi. 105; b. e-m brizglum, Nj. 227.

B. NEUT. OR ABSOL. without a case, of swift, sudden motion.

I. b. á e-t, as, b. á leik, gaman, etc., to start or begin sporting, playing; Kimbi brá á gaman, K. took it playfully, i. e. laughed at it, Landn. 101; b. á gamanmál, Fms. xi. 151; þeir brugðu á glímu ok á glens, they started wrestling and playing, Ld. 220; bregðr hann (viz. the horse) á leik, the horse broke into play, ran away, Fms. xi. 280; Glúmr svaraði vel en brá þó á sitt ráð, Glum gave a gentle answer, but went on in his own way, Nj. 26, Fas. i. 250: the phrase, hönd bregðr á venju, the hand is ready for its old work, Edda (Ht.) verse 26, cp. Nj. ch. 78 (in a verse).

2. b. við, to start off, set about a thing without delay, at a moment’s notice, may in Engl. often be rendered by at once or the like; brá hann við skjótt ok fór, he started off at once and went, Fms. i. 158; þeir brugðu við skjótt, ok varð þeim mjök við felmt, i. e. they took to their heels in a great fright, Nj. 105; þeir brugðu við skjótt, ok fara þaðan, 107; bregðr hon við ok hleypr, Grett. 25 new Ed., Bjarn. 60; hrossit bregðr nú við hart, id.; en er Ólafr spurði, at Þorsteinn hafði skjótt við brugðit, ok hafði mikit fjölmenni, Ld. 228.

β. b. til e-s, þá brá Ingimundr til utanferðar, Ingimund started to go abroad, Sturl. i. 117; b. til Grænlands ferðar, Fb. i. 430.

II. reflex, to make a sudden motion with the body; Rútr brásk skjótt við undan högginu, Nj. 28, 129; b. við fast, to turn sharply, 58, 97; bregðsk (= bregðr) jarl nú við skjótt ok ferr, the earl started at once, Fms. xi. 11; hann brásk aldregi við ( he remained motionless) er þeir píndu hann, heldr en þeir lysti á stokk eðr stein, vii. 227.

2. metaph. and of a circumlocutory character; eigi þætti mér ráðið, hvárt ek munda svá skjótt á boð brugðisk hafa, ef …, I am not sure whether I should have been so hasty in bidding you, if …, Ísl. ii. 156; bregðask á beina við e-n, to shew hospitality towards, Fms. viii. 59, cp. bregða sér above.

β. b. yfir, to exceed; heyra þeir svá mikinn gný at yfir brásk, they heard an awful crash, Mag. 6; þá brásk þat þó yfir jafnan ( it surpassed) er konungr talaði, Fms. x. 322, yet these last two instances may be better read ‘barst,’ vide bera C. IV; bregðask úkunnr, reiðr … við e-t, to be startled at the novelty of a thing, v. 258; b. reiðr við, to get excited, angry at a thing, etc.

C. IMPERS.

I. the phrase, e-m bregðr við e-t, of strong emotions, fear, anger, or the like; brá þeim mjök við, er þau sá hann inn ganga, it startled them much, when they saw him come in, Nj. 68; Flosa brá svá við, at hann var í andliti stundum sem blóð, 177; en þó brá fóstru Melkorku mest við þessi tíðindi, i. e. this news most affected Melkorka’s nurse, Ld. 82; aldri hefi ek mannsblóð séð, ok veit ek eigi hve mér bregðr við, I wot not how it will touch me, Nj. 59; brá honum svá við, at hann gerði fölvan í andliti … ok þann veg brá honum opt síðan ( he was oft since then taken in such fits), þá er vígahugr var á honum, Glúm. 342; en við höggit brá Glæsi svá at …, Eb. 324; Þorkell spurði ef honum hefði brugðit nokkut við þessa sýslu.—Ekki sjám vér þér brugðit hafa við þetta, en þó sýndist mér þér áðr brugðit, Fms. xi. 148.

β. bregða í brún, to be amazed, shocked, Fms. i. 214; þá brá Guðrúnu mjök í brún um atburð þenna allan saman, Ld. 326, Nj. 14; þat hlægir mik at þeim mun í brún b., 239; nú bregðr mönnum í brún mjök ( people were very much startled), því at margir höfðu áðr enga frétt af haft, Band. 7.

II. with prepp. við, til, í, af; of appearances, kynligu, undarliga bregðr við, it has a weird look, looks uncanny, of visions, dreams, or the like; en þó bregðr nú kynligu við, undan þykir mér nú gaflaðit hvárt-tveggja undan húsinu, Ísl. ii. 352, Nj. 62, 197, Gísl. 83; nú bregðr undrum við, id., Fms. i. 292.

III. e-m bregðr til e-s, one person turns out like another, cp. the Danish ‘at slægte en paa;’ þat er mælt at fjórðungi bregði til fóstrs, the fostering makes the fourth part of the man, Nj. 64; en því bregðr mér til foreldris míns, in that I am like my father, Hkr. iii. 223; er þat líkast, at þér bregði meir í þræla ættina en Þveræinga, it is too likely, that thou wilt show thyself rather to be kith and kin to the thrall’s house than to that of Thweræingar, Fb. i. 434; b. til bernsku, to be childish, Al. 3.

β. bregðr af vexti hans frá öðrum selum, his shape differs from that of any other seals, Sks. 41 new Ed. (afbrigði).

IV. to cease; e-u bregðr, it ceases; svá hart … at nyt (dat.) bregði, ( to drive the ewes) so fast that they fail ( to give milk), Grág. ii. 231; þessu tali bregðr aldri (= þetta tal bregzk aldri), this calculation can never fail, Rb. 536; veðráttu (dat.) brá eigi, there was no change in the weather, Grett. 91; skini sólar brá, the sun grew dim, Geisü 19; fjörvi feigra brá, the life of the ‘feys’ came to an end (poët.), Fms. vi. 316 (in a verse); brá föstu, hungri, úlfs, ara, the hunger of wolf and eagle was abated, is a freq. phrase with the poets.

V. of a sudden appearance; kláða (dat.) brá á hvarmana, the eye-lids itched, Fms. v. 96: of light passing swiftly by, þá brá ljóma af Logafjöllum, Hkv. 1. 15; ljósi bregðr fyrir, a light passes before the eye; mey brá mér fyrir hvarma steina, a maid passed before my eyes, Snót 117; þar við ugg (dat.) at þrjótum brá, i. e. the rogues were taken by fear, 170.

u, f. a trick; veiði-brella, a ruse, brellinn, adj. = bellinn.

m. [prob. from Engl. grig, cp. Johnson on this word], a juggle (mod. word); göra e-m grikk, to play one a trick.

m. a bad trick, of an urchin.