drápa

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.

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.

u, f. a funeral poem, Fbr. 16, Fms. vi. 198, v. 64.

u, f. the name of a poem (a votive poem composed during a tornado), Landn. 320.

u, f. name of an old poem describing the mythical representation on the wall of an old hall, Ld. 114, Edda.

u, f. an encomium, Landn. 283.

u, f., -kvæði, n., -vísa, u, f. a love encomium, love song, love ditty, Eg. 5, Bs. i. 165, Fb. iii. 241, 242, Ölk. 36, Fs. 60, 87.

u, f. a poem on the creation; skaltú bæta við Guð er þú hefir svá mjök gengit af trú þinni, vil ek nú at þu yrkir uppreistar drápu, ok bætir svá sál þína, Fms. ii.

m. a petty drápa.

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m., dimin. [drápa], a paltry drápa, Hkr. ii. 82, Fms. xi. 204.

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(drep; drap, drápum; drepinn), v.

I. with acc. or absol.;

1) to stike, beat, knock;

drepa e-n vendi, to strike one with a rod;

hann tók hörpu sína ok drap strengi (struck the strings) til sláttar; drepa járn, to hammer iron;

drepa or drepa högg á dyrr, to knock at the door;

drepa botn úr keraldi, to knock the bottom out of a tub;

at eigi drepir þú mik í dúp, that you knock me not into the deep;

drepa í hel, í dauða, til heljar, to smite to death;

2) to kill, slay (skulu vér nú fara at honum ok drepa hann);

3) in a game of chess, to take a piece (þá drap jarl af honum riddara);

4) to produce by a blow or blows;

drepa eld, to strike, fire (= drepa upp eld);

drepa slóð, to make a trail (drápu kyrtlarnir döggslóðina);

5) with prep., drepa af, to kill, slaughter (cattle);

drepa niðr, to kill off (þótt hirðmenn þínir sé drepnir niðr sem svn);

drepa sik ór dróma, to get rid of (throw off) a fetter;

drepa til e-s, to strike, hit, at one;

drepa e-t undir sik, to knock or drag down (skaltu standa hiá, er fjándi sá drepr mik undir sik);

drepa upp eld = drepa eld;

drepa e-t út, to divulge a thing;

drepa yfir e-t, to hide, suppress;

drap hann brátt yfir (he soon mastered) harm sinn;

6) refl., drepast, to perish, die, esp. of cattle (fé hans drapst aldri af drephríðum);

recipr. to put one another to death (þá diepast menn fyrir ágirni sakir);

drepa menn fyrir, to kill one another’s men;

7) impers., drepr honuin aldregi ský (acc.) í augu, his eyes never get clouded;

ofrkappit (acc.) drepr fyrir þeim (their high spirits break down), þegar haminjan brestr; drap þó heldr í fyrir honum, he rather grew worse, his eyes grew weaker;

nú drepr ór hljóð (acc.) fyrst ór konunginum, the king became silent at once;

þá drap stall ór hjarta hans, his heart failed;

ofan drap flaugina, the vane was knocked down;

regn (acc.) drepr í gegnum et, the rain beats through (the thatch);

II. with dat.;

1) to put, thrust;

hendi drap á kampa, he put his hand to his beard;

drepa fœti (fótum) í eð, to strike (knock) one’s foot against, stumble over (drap fótunum í þrøskuldinn ok lá fallinn);

drepa höfði, to droop (with) the head (Egill drap höfðin niðr í feld sinn);

drepa fingri í munn sér, to put the finger into the mouth;

drepa hendi til es, við em, to give one a slap with the hand;

drepa hendi við e-u, to wave away with the hand to refuse a kind offer (drepa hendi við boðnu gulli);

2) to tuck up the sleeves or skirts of a garment (hann hafði drepit upp skautunum);

drepa hári undir belti sér, to tuck the hair under the belt (of a lady);

3) to dip, immerse;

drepa skeggi (the beard) í Breiðafjörð, to be drowned in B. drepa barni I vatn, to baptize a child;

4) drepa orði, dómi á et, to talk, judge of;

drepa huldu á et, to hide, keep secret;

drepa e-u á dreif, see dreif; fig., drepa í egg e-u, to turn a deaf ear to;

5) spoil (drepa gleði, teiti es);

drepa kosti es, to destroy one’s happiness;

impers. drap þá skjótt kosti, the cheer was soon gone;

6) drepa niðr e-u, to suppress (drepa niðr konungs rétti, illu orði);

drepa niðr sœmd es, to drag down one’s reputation, to disparage one;

drepa niðr máli, to quash a lawsuit.

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pret. drap, 2nd pers. drapt, mod. drapst, pl. drápu; pret. subj. dræpi; part. drepit; pres. drep; with the suff. neg. pret. drap-a. Orkn.: [A. S. drepan; Dan. dræbe; Swed. drapa; O. H. G. trefan; mod. Germ. treffen, whence the mod. Dan. treffe, in the sense to hit; Ulf. uses slahan and stautjan, but never dripan; in Engl. the word is lost.]

A. WITH ACC., OR ABSOL. högg ( a blow) or the like being understood, to strike, beat:

I. act. of music, to strike the chords, (cp. phrases such as, slá danz, to strike up for a dance; slagr is battle and poem, Trolla-slagr and Gýgjar-slagr are names of poems); hann tók hörpu sína ok drap strengi ( struck the strings) til slags, Stj. 458 (hence drápa, a song); d. e-n vendi, to strike with a rod, Skm. 26: to knock, d. á dyrr, or d. högg á dyrr, to knock at a door, Nj. 150; síðan gengu þau heim bæði ok drápu á dyrr, 153; drápu þar á dyrr, Sturl. iii. 154: metaph., d. á e-t, to touch slightly on a matter; d. botn ór keraldi, to knock the bottom out of a jar, Fms. xi. 34; d. járn, to beat iron (a blacksmith’s term) with a sledge-hammer, Grett. 129, cp. drep-sleggja.

2. esp. with the sense of violence, to knock, strike; áfallit hafði drepit hann inn í bátinn, Bs. i. 422; at eigi drepir þú mik í djúp, that thou knockest me not into the deep, Post. 656 B. 9; herða klett drep ek þér hálsi af, Ls. 57.

β. as a law term, to smite, strike; ef maðr drepr ( smites) mann, ok varðar þat skóggang, Grág. ii. 116; eigu menn eigi at standa fyrir þeim manni er drepit hefir annan, id.; ef maðr drepr mann svá at bein brotna, 14; nú vænisk sá maðr því er drap, at…, 15; þat er drep ef bein brotna, ok verðr sá úæll till dóms er drepit hefir, 16; nú vænisk hinn því, at hann hafi drepit hann, 19.

γ. the phrases, d. e-n til heljar, Grág. ii. 161, or d. til dauðs, to smite to death; Josúa drap til dauða alla þjóð Anakim, Stj. 456; d. í hel, id., Hbl. 27; hence

3. metaph. or ellipt. to kill, put to death, cp. Lat. caedere, Engl. smite; eigi er manni skylt at d. skógarmann, þótt…, Grág. ii. 162; skulu vér nú fara at honum ok d. hann, Nj. 205; þar varð illa með þeim því at Ásgrímr drap Gaut, 39; til þess at d. Grim, Eg. 114; tóku þeir af eignum jarla konungs en drápu suma, Fms. i. 6; er drepit hafði fóstra hans …, eigi hæfir at d. svá fríðan svein …, d. skyldi hvern mann er mann údæmðan vá, 80; konung drápum fyrstan, Am. 97; drap hann ( smote with the hammer) hina öldnu jötna systur, Þkv. 32; d. mátti Freyr hann með hendi sinni, Edda 23.

β. in a game (of chess), to take a piece; þá drap jarl af honum riddara, Fms. iv. 366; taflsins er hann hafði drepit, vi. 29; Hvítserkr hélt töfl einni er hann hafði drepit, Fas. i. 285.

γ. adding prepp. af, niðr, to slaughter, kill off; þótt hirðmenn þínir sé drepnir niðr sem svín, Fms. vii. 243: d. af, to slaughter (cattle); yxni fimm, ok d. af, Ísl. ii. 330; láttu mik d. af þenna lýð, Post. 656 B. 9.

4. metaph. phrases; d. e-m skúta, to taunt, charge one with; áfelli þat er konungr drap oss skúta um, Fms. iv. 310; hjarta drepr stall, the heart knocks as it were against a block of stone from fear, Hkr. ii. 360, Orkn., Fbr. 36 (hence stall-dræpt hjarta, a ‘block-beating’ faint heart): d. upp eld, to strike fire, Fms. iv. 338: d. sik ór dróma, to throw off the fetter, Edda 19: d. e-t undir sik, to knock or drag down, skaltú standa hjá er fjandi sá drepr mik undir sik, Grett. 126, 101 A: d. slóð, to make a slot or sleuth (trail); d. kyrtlarnir slóðina, the cloaks trailed along the ground so as to leave a track, Gísl. 154: to trail or make a track of droves or deer, Lex. Poët.: d. e-t út, to divulge a thing (in a bad sense), Fms. vi. 208; d. yfir e-t, to hide, suppress, drap hann brátt yfir ( he soon mastered) harm sinn, Bs. i. 140 (hence yfir-drep, hypocrisy, i. e. cloaking).

II. reflex., drepask, to perish, die, esp. of beasts; fé hans drapsk aldrei af megrð ok drephríðum, Eb. 150; drapsk allt hans fólk, Fms. v. 250.

2. recipr. to put one another to death; þá drepask bræðr fyrir ágirni sakar, Edda 40; nú drepask menn (smite one another), eðr særask eðr vegask, Grág. ii. 92; ef menn d. um nætr, Fms. vii. 296; er sjálfir bárusk vápn á ok drápusk, viii. 53; en er bændr fundu at þeir drápusk sjálfir, 68; drepask niðr á leið fram, Ld. 238; drepask menn fyrir, to kill one another’s men, Fms. vii. 177; görðisk af því fjandskapr með þeim Steinólfi svá at þeir drápusk þar (menn?) fyrir, Gullþ. 14.

III. impers., drepr honum aldregi ský (acc.) í augu, his eyes never get clouded, of the eagle flying in the face of the sun, Hom. 47; ofrkappit (acc.) drepr fyrir þeim ( their high spirits break down) þegar hamingjan brestr, Fms. vi. 155; drap þó heldr í fyrir honum, he rather grew worse, i. e. his eyes grew weaker, Bjarn. 59; nú drepr ór hljóð (acc.) fyrst ór konunginum, the king became silent at once, Fms. xi. 115; stall drepr ór hjarta e-s, Fbr. 36 (vide above, I. 4); ofan drap flaugina (acc.), the flaug was knocked down, Bs. 1. 422; regn drepr í gögnum e-t, the rain beats through the thatch or cover, Fagrsk. 123 (in a verse).

β. in mod. usage, drepa is even used in the sense to drip (= drjupa), e. g. þak, hús drepr, the thatch, house lets water through.

B. WITH DAT.:

I. denoting gentle movement; in many cases the dat. seems to be only instrumental:

1. of the limbs; hendi drap á kampa, be put his hand to his beard, Hom. 21; d. fæti (fótum), to stumble, prop. to strike with the foot, Nj. 112, Fas. ii. 558, Bs. i. 742, Hom. 110, Grett. 120; d. fæti í e-t, to stumble against, 103; d. fæti við e-t, id., Fas. ii. 558; d. höfði, to droop, nod with the head; drap í gras höfði, (the horse) drooped with the head, let it fall, Gkv. 2. 5; d. niðr höfði, id., Nj. 32; Egill sat svá opt, at hann drap höfðinu niðr í feld sinn (from sorrow), Eg. 322, O. H. L. 45 (for shame); d. fingri í munn sér, to put the finger into the mouth, Edda 74; fingri drap í munninn sinn (of a child), the words of a ditty; d. hendi til e-s, or við e-m, to give one a slap with the hand (inst. dat.), Nj. 27; hence metaph., d. hendi við e-u, to wave away with the hand, to refuse a kind offer, Bs. i. 636; d. hendi við boðnu gulli, Al. 75: the phrase, d. hendi við sóma sínum, cp. Al. 162.

2. to tuck up the sleeves or skirts of a garment; d. skautum (upp), Fms. vii. 297; hann hafði drepit upp skautunum, Lv. 85; hann hafði drepit upp fyrir blöðunum undir beltið, Eb. 226: Sigurðr drap blöðunum undir belti sér, Orkn. 474; d. hári undir belti sér, to tuck the hair under the belt (of a lady), hárit tók ofan á bringuna ok drap hón (viz. því) undir belti sér, Nj. 24; hafði hár svá mikit, at hann drap undir belti sér, 272.

II. to dip; d. skeggi í Breiðafjörð niðr, to dip the beard in the Breidafiord, i. e. to be drowned, Ld. 316; d. hendi, or fingri í vatn, to dip the hand, finger into water (vide above); d. barni í vatn, to dip a baby into water, i. e. to baptize, K. Þ. K. 10: the phrase, d. fleski í kál, to dip bacon into kale broth, Fas. iii. 381; nú taka þeir hafrstökur tvær, ok d. þeim í sýrukerin, Gísl. 7.

β. the phrase, d. e-u, of wax, lime, butter, or the like, to daub, plaster, fill up with; þú skalt taka vax ok d. því í eyru förunauta þinna, Od. xii. 77; síðan drap eg því í eyru á öllum skipverjum, 177; vaxið er eg hafði drepið í eyru þeim, 200; d. smjöri í ílát, to fill a box with butter.

γ. metaph. phrases; d. dul á e-t, to throw a veil over, Hkr. ii. 140, in mod. usage, draga dulur á e-t: the phrase, d. í skörðin (the tongue understood), to talk indistinctly, from loss of teeth; d. orði, dómi á e-t, to talk, reason, judge of a thing, Fms. ix. 500; d. huldu á, to hide, cloak, keep secret, xi. 106: d. e-u á dreif, prop. to ‘throw adrift,’ throw aside, i. e. think little of a thing, þessu var á dreif drepit, it was hushed up, Orkn. 248; áðr hafði mjök verit á dreif drepit um mál Bjarnar ( there had been much mystery about Björn), hvárt hann var lífs eðr eigi, sagði annarr þat logit, en annarr sagði satt, i. e. no one knew anything for certain, Bjarn. 20; en eigi varð vísan á dreif drepin ( the song was not thrown aside or kept secret) ok kom til eyrna Birni, 32; drápu öllu á dreif um þessa fyrirætlan, hushed it all up, Eg. 49: d. í egg e-u, prop. to bate the edge of a thing, to turn a deaf ear to, Orkn. 188, metaphor from blunting the edge of a weapon.

δ. d. e-u niðr, to suppress a thing (unjustly); d. niðr konungs rétti, N. G. L. i. 7 5; d. niðr sæmd e-s, to pull down a person’s reputation, Boll. 346; d. niðr illu orði, to keep down a bad report, suppress it, Nj. 21; d. niðr máli, to quash a lawsuit, 33; drepit svá niðr herörinni, Fms. iv. 207.

ε. d. glaumi, gleði, teiti e-s, to spoil one’s joy, Lex. Poët.; d. kosti e-s, to destroy one’s happiness, Am. 69: impers., drap þú brátt kosti, the cheer was soon gone, Rm. 98.

(-s, -ar), m.

1) body of men (f. eru fimm menn);

2) company, host (þeir gengu allir í einum flokki);

3) band, troop, party; hefja, reisa, flokk, to raise a band; fylla flokk e-s, to join one’s party, to side with one;

4) short poem, without refrains (opp. to drápa).

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m. akin to fólk, [A. S. floc; Engl. flock; Dan. flok; Swed. flock]

I. a body of men; in law five men make a flokkr; flokkr eru fimm menn, Edda 108; þat heitir f. er fimm menn eru saman, N. G. L. i. 61:—a company, host, party, þeir gengu allir í einum flokki, Nj. 100; engla flokkar, a host of angels, Greg. 34; marga flokka, Th. 3; hlaupa í gegn ór öðrum flokki, Grág. ii. 10: adverb., flokkum, in crowds, 656. 18; flokkum þeir fóru, Sl. 63:—a troop, band, hefja flokk, to raise a band, to rebel, Fms. viii. 273, ix. 4; ofríki flokkanna, vii. 293; fara með flokk, to roam about, 318:—a tribe, company, in a good sense, Stj. 321, 322, passim, and so in mod. usage.

COMPDS: flokkaatvígi, flokkaferð, flokksforingi, flokkshöfðingi, flokksmaðr, flokksvíg.

II. a short poem, Ísl. ii. 237, Fms. v. 227, vi. 391, xi. 203, 204: as the name of poems, Brands-flokkr, Sturl. iii. 90; Tryggva-f., Fms. iii. 54, 116; Kálfs-f., 123; Valþjófs-f., vi. 426; cp. esp. Gunnl. S. and Knytl. S. l. c., vide drápa.

2. in mod. usage an epic poem consisting of several cantos is called flokkr or rímna-flokkr; thus Úlfars-rímur, Núma-rímur, Þrymlur, etc. are each of them a flokkr, but the Skíða-ríma or Ólafs-ríma, being single rhapsodies, are not so called.

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(gen. pl. stefja), n.

1) term, time fixed; viku s., a week’s notice;

2) refrain (in the central portion of a drápa).

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n. (root stafi), gen. pl. stefja, dat. stefjum, a summons, term, time fixed, (= stefna); viku-stef, a week’s notice, Eg. 274; var kveðit á viku stef, 394; þriggja nátta stef, a summons with three days’ notice, Grág. i. 385; bardaga stef, Al. 54.

II. a stave in a lay, burden, refrain; hann orti Hafgerðinga-drápu, þat er þetta stef í,—‘Minar bið ek,’ etc., Landn. 106; kvæðit, ok er þetta stefit í, Ísl. ii. 222; Þórarinn orti þá stef, ok setti í kvæðit, … ok er þetta stefit, Ó. H. 180, Eb. i. 210. In the old poems, called drapa, the middle part had a burden; this part was called ‘stef’ or stefja-bálkr, m. the ‘stave-balk,’ stave-section, Ó. H. 180; and consisted of several equal sets of verses, called stefja-mel or stefja-mál, n. stave-measure; the number of stanzas to each ‘stave-set’ varies in different poems (3, 4, 5, 7); the number of the sets also varies according to the length of the poem, e. g. if the stave-section were of twenty-one stanzas it would fall into seven ‘sets’ (3 x 7); if of twenty, into five (4 x 5); er rétt at setja kvæðit með svá mörgum stefjamelum sem vill, Edda (Ht.) i. 686; hef ek þar lokit stefjum, here the staves end; hefja upp stef, and so on, see the remarks s. v. slæmr. The stave or burden usually stands at the end of each ‘set;’ the burden might even be distributed among the stanzas of the stefjamel, as may be seen in the Togdrápa on king Canute in Ó. H., or in the poem Rek-stefja or Banda-dápa (Hkr. i. and Scripta Hist. Island, iii.)

adj. used of a metre in alhenda, Edda 132; drápa alhend, Sturl. ii. 56.

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1) the act of binding or settling, opp. to lausn;

fig., lausn ok band allra vandamála, the decision in all difficult cases;

2) band, cord (mjótt band);

3) in pl.:

a) bonds, fetters (hafa e-n í böndum);

b) bond, confederacy (ganga í bönd ok eið);

c) poet., the gods, cf. höpt;

blóta bönd, to worship the gods;

at mun banda, at the will of the gods.

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n. pl. bönd, [binda; Ulf. bandi, f. δεσμός; O. H. G. pfand, whence the mod. Dan. pant; N. H. G. band; Engl. band and bond; Dan. baand.]

I. prop. in sing. any kind of band; mjótt band, a thin cord, Edda 20, Grág. ii. 119.

β. a yarn of wool, v. bandvetlingar.

γ. metaph. a bond, obligation; lausn ok b. allra vandamála, Fms. v. 248, Bs. i. 689.

II. in pl. also,

1. bonds, fetters, Lat. vincula; í böndum, in vinculis, Bs. i. 190, Fms. ii. 87, 625. 95: theol., synda bönd, 656 A; líkams bönd, Blas. 40.

2. a bond, confederacy; ganga í bönd ok eið, to enter into a bond and oath, Band. 22; cp. hjónaband, marriage; handaband, a shaking of hands, etc.

3. poët. the gods, cp. hapt; of providence ruling and uniting the world, Hkm. 10; banda vé, the temples, Hkr. i. 204; at mun banda, at the will of the gods, 210; vera manu bönd í landi, the gods (i. e. lares tutelares) are present in the land, Bs. i. 10; gram reki bönd af löndum, Eg. (in a verse); blóta bönd, to worship the gods; vinr banda, the friend of the gods; bönd ollu því, the gods ruled it, Haustl.; vide Lex. Poët., all the instances being taken from heathen poems. Egilsson suggests a reference to the imprisoning of the three gods, Odin, Hænir, and Loki, mentioned Edda 72; but bönd is that which binds, not is bound; (band means vinculum not vinctus.)

4. metric. a kind of intricate intercalary burden (klofastef). This seems to be the meaning in the word Banda-drápa, where the burden consists of five intercalary lines occurring in sets of three verses | Dregr land at mun banda || Eiríkr und sik geira | veðrmildr ok semr hildi || gunnblíðr ok réð síðan | jarl goðvörðu hjarli; but as this metrical term is nowhere else recorded, the name of the poem may have come from the word ‘banda’ (gen. pl. deorum), Hkr. i. 210 sqq.

COMPDS: bandadagr, bandamenn, bandaríki, bandaþing.

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(ber; bar, bárum; borinn), v.

I.

1) to bear, carry, convey (bar B. biskup í börum suðr í Hvamm);

bera (farm) af skipi, to unload a ship;

bera (mat) af borði, to take (the meat) off the table;

bera e-t á hesti, to carry on horseback;

2) to wear (bera klæði, vápn, kórónu);

bera œgishjálm, to inspire fear and awe;

3) to bear, produce, yield (jörðin berr gras; tré bera aldin, epli);

4) to bear, give birth to, esp. of sheep and cows;

kýr hafði borit kálf, had calved;

absol., ván at hón mundi bera, that the cow would calve;

the pp. is used of men; hann hafði verit blindr borinn, born blind;

verða borinn í þenna heim, to be born into this world;

þann sóma, sem ek em til borinn, born to;

borinn e-m, frá e-m (rare), born of;

Nótt var Nörvi borin, was the daughter of N.;

borinn Sigmundi, son of S.;

5) bera e-n afli, ofrafli, ofrliði, ofrmagni, ofríki, to bear one down, overcome, oppress, one by odds or superior force;

bera e-n ráðum, to overrule one;

bera e-n málum, to bear one down (wrongfully) in a lawsuit;

bera e-n sök, to charge one with a fault;

bera e-n bjóri, to make drunk with beer;

verða bráðum borinn, to be taken by surprise;

borinn verkjum, overcome by pains;

þess er borin ván, there is no hope, all hope is gone;

borinn baugum, bribed; cf. bera fé á e-n, to bribe one;

6) to lear, be capable of bearing (of a ship, horse, vehicle);

þeir hlóðu bæði skipin sem borð báru, with as much as they could carry;

fig., to sustain, support (svá mikill mannfjöldi, at landit fekk eigi borit);

of persons, to bear up against, endure, support (grief, sorrow, etc.);

absol., bar hann drengiliga, he bore it manfully;

similarly, bera (harm) af sér, berast vel (illa, lítt) af;

bar hon sköruliga af sér, she bore up bravely;

hversu berst Auðr af um bróðurdauðann, how does she bear it?

hon berst af lítt, she is much cast down;

bera sik vel upp, to bear well up against;

7) bera e-t á, e-n á hendr e-m, to charge or tax one with (eigi erum vér þess valdir, er þú berr á oss);

bera (kvið) á e-n, to give a verdict against, declare guilty (í annat sinn báru þeir á Flosa kviðinn);

bera af e-m (kviðinn), to give a verdict for;

bera e-t af sér, to deny having done a thing;

bera or bera vitni, vætti, to bear witness, testify;

bera or bera um e-t, to give a verdict in a case;

bera e-n sannan at sök, to prove guilty by evidence;

bera e-n undan sök, to acquit;

bera í sundr frændsemi þeirra, to prove (by evidence) that they are not relations;

bera e-m vel (illa) söguna, to give a favourable (unfavourable) account of one;

refl. (pass.), berast, to be proved by evidence (þótt þér berist þat faðerni, er þú segir);

8) to set forth, report, tell;

bera e-m kveðju (orð, orðsending), to bring one a greeting, compliments (word, message);

bera or bera fram erindi sín fyrir e-n, to state (tell) one’s errand or to plead one’s case before one;

bera e-m njósn, to apprise one;

bera e-t upp, to produce, mention, tell;

bera upp gátu, to give (propound) a riddle;

bera upp erindi sín, to state one’s errand;

bera saman ráð sín, to consult together;

eyddist það ráð, er þeir báru saman, which they had designed;

9) to keep, hold, bear, of a title (bera jarlnafn, konnungsnafn);

bera (eigi) giptu, gæfu, hammingju, auðnu til e-s, (not) to have the good fortune to do a thing (bar hann enga gæfu til at þjóna þér);

bera vit, skyn, kunnáttu á e-t, to have knowledge of, uniderstanding about;

vel viti borinn, endowed with a good understanding;

bera hug, áræði, þor, traust til e-s, to have courage, confidence to do a thing;

bera áhyggju fyrir e-u, to be concerned about;

bera ást, elsku, hatr til e-s, to bear affection, love, hatred to;

10) to bear off or away, carry off (some gain);

bera sigr af e-m, af e-u, to carry off the victory from or in;

hann hafði borit sigr af tveim orustum, he had been victorious in two battles;

bera hærra (lægra) hlut to get the best (the worst) of it;

bera efra (hærra) skjöld, to gain the victory;

bera hátt (lágt) höfuðit, to bear the head high (low), to be in high (low) spirits;

bera halann bratt, lágt, to cock up or let fall the tail, to be in high or low spirits;

11) with preps.:

bera af e-m, to surpass;

en þó bar Bolli af, surpassed all the rest;

bera af sér högg, lag to ward off, parry a blow or thrust;

bera eld at, to set fire to;

bera fjötur (bönd) at e-m, to put fetters (bonds) on one;

bera vápn á e-n, to attack one with sharp weapons;

bera á or í, to smear, anoint (bera vatn í augu sér, bera tjöru í höfuð sér);

bera e-t til, to apply to, to try if it fits (bera til hvern lykil af öðrum at portinu);

bera e-t um, to wind round;

þá bar hann þá festi um sik, made it fast round his body;

bera um með e-n, to bear with, have patience with;

bera út barn, to expose a child;

12) refl., berast mikit (lítit) á, to bear oneself proudly (humbly);

láta af berast, to die;

láta fyrir berast e-s staðar, to stay, remain in a place (for shelter);

berast e-t fyrir, to design a thing (barst hann þat fyrir at sjá aldregi konur);

at njósna um, hvat hann bærist fyrir, to inquire into what he was about;

berast vápn á, to attack one another;

berast at or til, to happen;

þat barst at (happened) á einhverju sumri;

ef svá harðliga kann til at berast, if that misfortune does happen;

berast í móti, to happen, occur;

hefir þetta vel í móti borizt, it is a happy coincidence;

berast við, to be prevented;

ok nú lét almáttugr guð við berast kirkjubrunann, prevented, stopped the burning of the church;

II. impers., denoting a sort of passive or involuntary motion;

1) with acc., it bears or carries one to a place;

alla berr at sama brunni, all come to the same well (end);

bar hann (acc.) þá ofan gegnt Ösuri, he happened to come down just opposite to Ö.;

esp. of ships and sailors; berr oss (acc.) til Íslands eða annarra landa, we drift to Iceland or other countries;

þá (acc.) bar suðr í haf, they were carried out southwards;

Skarpheðin (acc.) bar nú at þeim, S. came suddenly upon them;

ef hann (acc.) skyldi bera þar at, if he should happen to come there;

e-n berr yfir, one is borne onwards, of a bird flying, a man riding;

hann (acc.) bar skjótt yfir, it passed quickly (of a flying meteor);

2) followed by preps.:

Gunnar sér, at rauðan kyrtil bar við glugginn, that a red kirtle passed before the window;

hvergi bar skugga (acc.) á, there was nowhere a shadow;

e-t berr fram (hátt), is prominent;

Ólafr konungr stóð í lyptingu ok bar hann (acc.) hátt mjök, stood out conspicuously;

e-t berr á milli, comes between;

leiti (acc.) bar á milli, a hill hid the prospect;

fig. e-m berr e-t á milli, they are at variance about a thing;

mart (acc.) berr nú fyrir augu mér, many things come now before my eyes;

veiði (acc.) berr í hendr e-m, game falls to one’s lot;

e-t berr undan, goes amiss, fails;

bera saman, to coincide;

bar nöfn þeirra saman, they had the same name;

fig., with dat.; bar öllum sögum vel saman, all the stories agreed well together;

fund várn bar saman, we met;

3) bera at, til, við, at hendi, til handa, to befall, happen, with dat. of the person;

svá bar at einn vetr, it happened one winter;

þó at þetta vandræði (acc.) hafi nú borit oss (dat.) at hendi, has befallen us;

bar honum svá til, it so befell him;

þat bar við (it so happened), at Högni kom;

raun (acc.) berr á, it is proved by fact;

4) of time, to fall upon;

ef þing (acc.) berr á hina helgu viku, if the parliament falls in the holy week;

bera í móti, to coincide, happen exactly at the same time;

5) denoting cause;

e-t berr til, causes a thing;

konungr spurði, hvat til bæri úgleði hans, what was the cause of his grief;

ætluðu þat þá allir, at þat mundi til bera, that that was the reason;

berr e-m nauðsyn til e-s, one is obliged to do a thing;

6) e-t berr undir e-n, falls to a person’s lot;

hon á arf at taka, þegar er undir hana berr, in her turn;

e-t berr frá, is surpassing;

er sagt, at þat (acc.) bæri frá, hvé vel þeir mæltu, it was extraordinary how well they spoke;

7) e-t berr bráðum, happens of a sudden;

e-t berr stóru, stórum (stœrrum), it amounts to much (more), it matters a great deal (more), it is of great (greater) importance;

8) absol. or with an adv., vel, illa, with infin.;

e-m berr (vel, illa) at gera e-t, it becomes, beseems one (well, ill) to do a thing (berr yðr vel, herra, at sjá sannindi á þessu máli);

used absol., berr vel, illa, it is beseeming, proper, fit, or unbeseeming, improper, unfit (þat þykkir eigi illa bera, at).

(að), v. to make bare (hon beraði likam sinn).

f. she-bear, = birna.

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u, f.

I. [björn], a she-bear, Lat. ursa; the primitive root ‘ber’ remains only in this word (cp. berserkr and berfjall), björn (q. v.) being the masc. in use, Landn. 176, Fas. i. 367, Vkv. 9: in many Icel. local names, Beru-fjörðr, -vík, from Polar bears; fem. names, Bera, Hallbera, etc., Landn.

II. a shield, poët., the proverb, baugr er á beru sæmstr, to a shield fits best a baugr (q. v.), Lex. Poët., Edda (Gl.); hence names of poems Beru-drápa, Eg.

bar, báru, borit, pres. berr,—poët. forms with the suffixed negative; 3rd pers. sing. pres. Indic. berrat, Hm. 10; 3rd pers. sing. pret. barat, Vellekla; 1st pers. sing. barkak, Eb. 62 (in a verse); barkat ek, Hs. 8; 2nd pers. sing. bartattu; 3rd pers. pl. bárut, etc., v. Lex. Poët. [Gr. φέρειν; Lat. ferre; Ulf. bairan; A. S. beran; Germ. gebären; Engl. bear; Swed. bära; Dan. bære].

A. Lat. ferre, portare:

I. prop. with a sense of motion, to bear, carry, by means of the body, of animals, of vehicles, etc., with acc., Egil tók mjöðdrekku eina mikla, ok bar undir hendi sér, Eg. 237; bar hann heim hrís, Rm. 9; konungr lét bera inn kistur tvær, báru tveir menn hverja, Eg. 310; bera farm af skipi, to unload a ship, Ld. 32; bera (farm) á skip, to load a ship, Nj. 182; tóku alla ösku ok báru á á ( amnem) út, 623, 36; ok bar þat ( carried it) í kerald, 43, K. Þ. K. 92; b. mat á borð, í stofu, to put the meat on table, in the oven; b. mat af borði, to take it off table, Eb. 36, 266, Nj. 75, Fms. ix. 219, etc.

2. Lat. gestare, ferre, denoting to wear clothes, to carry weapons; skikkja dýr er konungr hafði borit, Eg. 318; b. kórónu, to wear the crown, Fms. x. 16; atgeir, Nj. 119; vápn, 209: metaph., b. ægishjálm, to inspire fear and awe; b. merki, to carry the flag in a battle, Nj. 274, Orkn. 28, 30, 38, Fms. v. 64, vi. 413; bera fram merki, to advance, move in a battle, vi. 406.

3. b. e-t á hesti (áburðr), to carry on horseback; Auðunn bar mat á hesti, Grett. 107; ok bar hrís á hesti, 76 new Ed.; þeir báru á sjau hestum, 98 new Ed.

II. without a sense of motion:

1. to give birth to; [the root of barn, bairn; byrja, incipere; burðr, partus; and burr, filius: cp. Lat. parĕre; also Gr. φέρειν, Lat. ferre, of child-bearing.] In Icel. prose, old as well as mod., ‘ala’ and ‘fæða’ are used of women; but ‘bera,’ of cows and sheep; hence sauðburðr, casting of lambs, kýrburðr; a cow is snembær, siðbær, Jólabær, calves early, late, at Yule time, etc.; var ekki ván at hon ( the cow) mundi b. fyr en um várit, Bs. i. 193, 194; kýr hafði borit kálf, Bjarn. 32; bar hvárrtveggi sauðrinn sinn burð, Stj. 178: the participle borinn is used of men in a great many compds in a general sense, aptrborinn, árborinn, endrborinn, frjálsborinn, goðborinn, höldborinn, hersborinn, konungborinn, óðalborinn, samborinn, sundrborinn, velborinn, úborinn, þrælborinn, etc.; also out of compds, mun ek eigi upp gefa þann sóma, sem ek em til borinn, … entitled to by inheritance, Ld. 102; hann hafði blindr verit borinn, born blind, Nj. 152, Hdl. 34, 42, Vsp. 2: esp. borinn e-m, born of one, Rm. 39, Hdl. 12, 23, 27, Hðm. 2, Gs. 9, Vþm. 25, Stor. 16, Vkv. 15; borinn frá e-m, Hdl. 24: the other tenses are in theol. Prose used of Christ, hans blezaða son er virðist at láta berast hingað í heim af sinni blezaðri móður, Fms. i. 281; otherwise only in poetry, eina dóttur (acc.) berr álfröðull (viz. the sun, regarded as the mother), Vþm. 47; hann Gjálp um bar, hann Greip um bar …, Hdl. 36: borit (sup.), Hkv. 1. 1.

β. of trees, flowers; b. ávöxt, blóm …, to bear fruit, flower … (freq.); bar aldinviðrinn tvennan blóma, Fms. ix. 265; cp. the phrase, bera sitt barr, v. barr.

2. denoting to load, with acc. of the person and dat. of the thing:

α. in prop. sense; hann hafði borit sik mjök vápnum, he had loaded himself with arms, i. e. wore heavy armour, Sturl. iii. 250.

β. but mostly in a metaph. sense; b. e-n ofrafli, ofrmagni, ofrliði, ofríki, magni, to bear one down, to overcome, oppress one, by odds or superior force, Grág. i. 101, ii. 195, Nj. 80, Hkr. ii. 371, Gþl. 474, Stj. 512, Fms. iii. 175 (in the last passage a dat. pers. badly); b. e-n ráðum, to overrule one, Nj. 198, Ld. 296; b. e-n málum, to bearhim down (wrongfully) in a lawsuit, Nj. 151; b. e-n bjóri, to make drunk, Vkv. 26: medic., borinn verkjum, sótt, Bjarn. 68, Og. 5; bölvi, Gg. 2: borne down, feeling heavy pains; þess er borin ván, no hope, all hope is gone, Ld. 250; borinn sök, charged with a cause, Fms. v. 324, H. E. i. 561; bráðum borinn, to be taken by surprise, Fms. iv. 111; b. fé, gull á e-n, to bring one a fee, gold, i. e. to bribe one, Nj. 62; borinn baugum, bribed, Alvm. 5; always in a bad sense, cp. the law phrase, b. fé í dóm, to bribe a court, Grág., Nj. 240.

3. to bear, support, sustain, Lat. sustinere, lolerare, ferre:

α. properly, of a ship, horse, vehicle, to bear, be capable of bearing; þeir hlóðu bæði skipin sem borð báru, all that they could carry, Eb. 302;—a ship ‘berr’ ( carries) such and such a weight; but ‘tekr’ ( takes) denotes a measure of fluids.

β. metaph. to sustain, support; dreif þannig svá mikill mannfjöldi at landit fékk eigi borit, Hkr. i. 56; but metaph. to bear up against, endure, support grief, sorrow, etc., sýndist öllum at Guð hefði nær ætlað hvat hann mundi b. mega, Bs. i. 139; biðr hann friðar ok þykist ekki mega b. reiði hans, Fms. iii. 80: the phrase, b. harm sinn í hljóði, to suffer silently; b. svívirðing, x. 333: absol., þótti honum mikit víg Kjartans, en þó bar hann drengilega, he bore it manfully, Ld. 226; er þat úvizka, at b. eigi slíkt, not to bear or put up with, Glúm. 327; b. harm, to grieve, Fms. xi. 425: in the phrases, b. sik, b. af sér, berask, berask vel (illa, lítt), to bear oneself, to bear up against misfortune; Guðrúnu þótti mikit fráfall Þorkels, en þó bar hon sköruliga af sér, she bore her bravely up, Ld. 326–328; lézt hafa spurt at ekkjan bæri vel af sér harmana, Eb. 88; berask af; hversu bersk Auðr af um bróðurdauðann? (how does she bear it?); hón bersk af lítt ( she is much borne down) ok þykir mikit, Gísl. 24; niun oss vandara gört en öðrum at vér berim oss vel (Lat. fortiter ferre), Nj. 197; engi maðr hefði þar jamvel borit sik, none bad borne himself so boldly, Sturl. iii. 132; b. sik vel upp, to bear well up against, bear a stout heart, Hrafn. 17; b. sik beiskliga ( sorely), Stj. 143; b. sik lítt, to be downcast, Fms. ii. 61; b. sik at göra e-t, to do one’s best, try a thing.

III. in law terms or modes of procedure:

1. bera járn, the ordeal of bearing hot iron in the hand, cp. járnburðr, skírsla. This custom was introduced into Scandinavia together with Christianity from Germany and England, and superseded the old heathen ordeals ‘hólmganga,’ and ‘ganga undir jarðarmen,’ v. this word. In Norway, during the civil wars, it was esp. used in proof of paternity of the various pretenders to the crown, Fms. vii. 164, 200, ix. Hák. S. ch. 14, 41–45, viii. (Sverr. S.) ch. 150, xi. (Jómsv. S.) ch. 11, Grett. ch. 41, cp. N. G. L. i. 145, 389. Trial by ordeal was abolished in Norway A. D. 1247. In Icel. It was very rarely mentioned, vide however Lv. ch. 23 (paternity), twice or thrice in the Sturl. i. 56, 65, 147, and Grág. i. 341, 361; it seems to have been very seldom used there, (the passage in Grett. S. l. c. refers to Norway.)

2. bera út (hence útburðr, q. v.), to expose children; on this heathen custom, vide Grimm R. A. In heathen Icel., as in other parts of heathen Scandinavia, it was a lawful act, but seldom exercised; the chief passages on record are, Gunnl. S. ch. 3 (ok þat var þá siðvandi nokkurr, er land var allt alheiðit, at þeir menn er félitlir vórn, en stóð ómegð mjök til handa létu út bera börn sín, ok þótti þó illa gört ávalt), Fs. Vd. ch. 37, Harð. S. ch. 8, Rd. ch. 7, Landn. v. ch. 6, Finnb. ch. 2, Þorst. Uxaf. ch. 4, Hervar. S. ch. 4, Fas. i. 547 (a romance); cp. Jómsv. S. ch. 1. On the introduction of Christianity into Icel. A. D. 1000, it was resolved that, in regard to eating of horse-flesh and exposure of children, the old laws should remain in force, Íb. ch. 9; as Grimm remarks, the exposure must take place immediately after birth, before the child had tasted food of any kind whatever, and before it was besprinkled with water (ausa vatni) or shown to the father, who had to fix its name; exposure, after any of these acts, was murder, cp. the story of Liafburga told by Grimm R. A.); v. Also a Latin essay at the end of the Gunnl. S. (Ed. 1775). The Christian Jus Eccl. put an end to this heathen barbarism by stating at its very beginning, ala skal barn hvert er borit verðr, i. e. all children, if not of monstrous shape, shall be brought up, N. G. L. i. 339, 363.

β. b. út (now more usual, hefja út, Am. 100), to carry out for burial; vera erfðr ok tit borinn, Odd. 20; var hann heygðr, ok út borinn at fornum sið, Fb. i. 123; b. á bál, to place (the body and treasures) upon the pile, the mode of burying in the old heathen time, Fas. i. 487 (in a verse); var hon borin á bálit ok slegit í eldi, Edda 38.

B. Various and metaph. cases.

I. denoting motion:

1. ‘bera’ is in the Grág. the standing law term for delivery of a verdict by a jury (búar), either ‘bera’ absol. or adding kvið ( verdict); bera á e-n, or b. kvið á e-n, to give a verdict against, declare guilty; bera af e-m, or b. af e-m kviðinn, to give a verdict for; or generally, bera, or b. um e-t, to give a verdict in a case; bera, or b. vitni, vætti, also simply means to testify, to witness, Nj. 111, cp. kviðburðr ( delivering of verdict), vitnisburðr ( bearing witness), Grág. ii. 28; eigi eigu búar ( jurors) enn at b. um þat hvat lög eru á landi hér, the jurors have not to give verdict in (to decide) what is law in the country, cp. the Engl. maxim, that jurors have only to decide the question of evidence, not of law, Grág. (Kb.) ch. 85; eigi eru búar skildir at b. um hvatvetna; um engi mál eigu þeir at skilja, þau er erlendis ( abroad) hafa görzt, id.; the form in delivering the verdict—höfum vér ( the jurors), orðit á eitt sáttir, berum á kviðburðinn, berum hann sannan at sökinni, Nj. 238, Grág. i. 49, 22, 138, etc.; í annat sinn báru þeir á Flosa kviðinn, id.; b. annattveggja af eðr á; b. undan, to discharge, Nj. 135; b. kvið í hag ( for), Grág. i. 55; b. lýsingar vætti, Nj. 87; b. vitni ok vætti, 28, 43, 44; b. ljúgvitni, to bear false witness, Grág. i. 28; b. orð, to bear witness to a speech, 43; bera frændsemi sundr, to prove that they are not relations, N. G. L. i. 147: reflex., berask ór vætti, to prove that oneself is wrongly summoned to bear witness or to give a verdict, 44: berask in a pass. sense, to be proved by evidence, ef vanefni b. þess manns er á hönd var lýst, Grág. i. 257; nema jafnmæli berisk, 229; þótt þér berisk þat faðerni er þú segir, Fms. vii. 164; hann kvaðst ætla, at honum mundi berask, that he would be able to get evidence for, Fs. 46.

β. gener. and not as a law term; b. á, b. á hendr, to charge; b. e-n undan, to discharge, Fs. 95; eigi erum vér þessa valdir er þú berr á oss, Nj. 238, Ld. 206, Fms. iv. 380, xi. 251, Th. 78; b. e-m á brýnn, to throw in one’s face, to accuse, Greg. 51; b. af sér, to deny; eigi mun ek af mér b., at… ( non diffitebor), Nj. 271; b. e-m gott vitni, to give one a good…, 11; b. e-m vel (illa) söguna, to bear favourable (unfavourable) witness of one, 271.

2. to bear by word of mouth, report, tell, Lat. referre; either absol. or adding kveðju, orð, orðsending, eyrindi, boð, sögu, njósn, frétt…, or by adding a prep., b. fram, frá, upp, fyrir; b. kveðju, to bring a greeting, compliment, Eg. 127; b. erindi (sín) fyrir e-n, to plead one’s case before one, or to tell one’s errand, 472, 473; b. njósn, to apprise, Nj. 131; b. fram, to deliver (a speech), talaði jungherra Magnús hit fyrsta erindi (M. made his first speech in public), ok fanst mönnum mikit um hversu úbernsliga fram var borit, Fms. x. 53; (in mod. usage, b. fram denotes gramm. to pronounce, hence ‘framburðr,’ pronunciation); mun ek þat nú fram b., I shall now tell, produce it, Ld. 256, Eg. 37; b. frá, to attest, relate with emphasis; má þat frá b., Dropl. 21; b. upp, to produce, mention, tell, þótt slík lygi sé upp borin fyrir hann, though such a lie be told him, Eg. 59; þær (viz. charges) urðu engar upp bornar ( produced) við Rút, Nj. 11; berr Sigtryggr þegar upp erindi sín (cp. Germ. ojfenbaren), 271, Ld. 256; b. upp gátu, to give (propound) a riddle, Stj. 411, Fas. i. 464; b. fyrir, to plead as an excuse; b. saman ráð sín, or the like, to consult, Nj. 91; eyddist þat ráð, er þeir báru saman, which they had designed, Post. 656 A. ii; b. til skripta, to confess (eccl.), of auricular confession, Hom. 124, 655 xx.

II. in a metaphorical or circumlocutory sense, and without any sense of motion, to keep, hold, bear, of a title; b. nafn, to bear a name, esp. as honour or distinction; tignar nafn, haulds nafn, jarls nafn, lends manns nafn, konungs nafn, bónda nafn, Fms. i. 17, vi. 278, xi. 44, Gþl. 106: in a more metaph. sense, denoting endowments, luck, disposition, or the like, b. (ekki) gæfu, hamingju, auðnu til e-s, to enjoy (enjoy not) good or bad luck, etc.; at Þórólfr mundi eigi allsendis gæfu til b. um vináttu við Harald, Eg. 75, 112, 473, Fms. iv. 164, i. 218; úhamingju, 219; b. vit, skyn, kunnáttu á (yfir) e-t, to bring wit, knowledge, etc., to bear upon a thing, xi. 438, Band. 7; hence vel (illa) viti borinn, well (ill) endowed with wit, Eg. 51; vel hyggjandi borinn, well endowed with reason, Grág. ii; b. hug, traust, áræði, þor, til e-s, to have courage, confidence … to do a thing, Gullþ. 47, Fms. ix. 220, Band. 7; b. áhyggju, önn fyrir, to care, be concerned about, Fms. x. 318; b. ást, elsku til e-s, to bear affection, love to one; b. hatr, to hate: b. svört augu, to have dark eyes, poët., Korm. (in a verse); b. snart hjarta, Hom. 5; vant er þat af sjá hvar hvergi berr hjarta sitt, where he keeps his heart, Orkn. 474; b. gott hjarta, to bear a proud heart, Lex. Poët., etc. etc.; b. skyndi at um e-t, to make speed with a thing, Lat. festinare, Fms. viii. 57.

2. with some sense of motion, to bear off or away, carry off, gain, in such phrases as, b. sigr af e-m, af e-u, to carry off the victory from or in …; hann hafði borit sigr af tveim orrustum, er frægstar hafa verit, he had borne off the victory in two battles, Fms. xi. 186; bera banaorð af e-m, to slay one in a fight, to be the victor; Þorr berr banaorð af Miðgarðsormi, Edda 42, Fms. x. 400: it seems properly to mean, to bear off the fame of having killed a man; verðat svá rík sköp, at Regin skyli mitt banorð bera, Fm. 39; b. hærra, lægra hlut, ‘to bear off the higher or the lower lot,’ i. e. to get the best or the worst of it, or the metaphor is taken from a sortilege, Fms. ii. 268, i. 59, vi. 412; b. efra, hærra skjöld, to carry the highest shield, to get the victory, x. 394, Lex. Poët.; b. hátt (lágt) höfuðit, to bear the head high (low), i. e. to be in high or low spirits, Nj. 91; but also, b. halann bratt (lágt), to cock up or let fall the tail (metaph. from cattle), to be in an exultant or low mood: sundry phrases, as, b. bein, to rest the bones, be buried; far þú til Íslands, þar mun þér auðið verða beinin at b., Grett. 91 A; en þó hygg ek at þú munir hér b. beinin í Norðrálfunni, Orkn. 142; b. fyrir borð, to throw overboard, metaph. to oppress; verðr Þórhalli nú fyrir borð borinn, Th. was defied, set at naught, Fær. 234; b. brjóst fyrir e-m, to be the breast-shield, protection of one, Fms. vii. 263: also, b. hönd fyrir höfuð sér, metaph. to put one’s hand before one’s head, i. e. to defend oneself; b. ægishjálm yfir e-m, to keep one in awe and submission, Fm. 16, vide A. I. 2.

III. connected with prepp., b. af, and (rarely) yfir (cp. afburðr, yfirburðr), to excel, surpass; eigi sá hvárttveggja féit er af öðrum berr, who gets the best of it, Nj. 15; en þó bar Bolli af, B. surpassed all the rest, Ld. 330; þat mannval bar eigi minnr af öðrum mönnum um fríðleik, afi ok fræknleik, en Ormrinn Langi af öðrum skipum, Fms. ii. 252; at hinn útlendi skal yfir b. ( outdo) þann sem Enskir kalla meistara, xi. 431: b. til, to apply, try if it fits; en er þeir báru til (viz. shoes to the hoof of a horse), þá var sem hæfði hestinum, ix. 55; bera til hvern lykil at öðrum at portinu, Thom. 141; b. e-t við, to try it on (hence viðburðr, experiment, effort): b. um, to wind round, as a cable round a pole or the like, Nj. 115; þá bar hann þá festi um sik, made it fast round his body, Fms. ix. 219; ‘b. e-t undir e-n’ is to consult one, ellipt., b. undir dóm e-s; ‘b. e-t fyrir’ is to feign, use as excuse: b. á, í, to smear, anoint; b. vatn í augu sér, Rb. 354; b. tjöru í höfuð sér, Nj. 181, Hom. 70, 73, cp. áburðr; b. gull, silfr, á, to ornament with gold or silver, Ld. 114, Finnb. 258: is now also used = to dung, b. á völl; b. vápn á e-n, to attack one with sharp weapons, Eg. 583, Fms. xi. 334: b. eld at, to set fire to, Nj. 122; b. fjötur (bönd) at e-m, to put fetters (bonds) on one, Fms. x. 172, Hm. 150: metaph. reflex., bönd berask at e-m, a law term, the evidence bears against one; b. af sér, to parry off; Gyrðr berr af sér lagit, G. parries the thrust off, Fms. x. 421; cp. A. II. 3. β.

IV. reflex., berask mikit á (cp. áburðr), to bear oneself proudly, or b. lítið á, to bear oneself humbly; hann var hinn kátasti ok barst á mikit, Fms. ii. 68, viii. 219, Eb. 258; b. lítið á, Clem. 35; láta af berask, to die; Óttarr vill skipa til um fjárfar sitt áðr hann láti af b., Fms. ii. 12: berask fyrir, to abide in a place as an asylum, seek shelter; hér munu vit láta fyrir b., Fas. iii. 471; berask e-t fyrir, to design a thing, be busy about, barsk hann þat fyrir at sjá aldregi konur, Greg. 53; at njósna um hvat hann bærist fyrir, to inquire into what he was about, Fms. iv. 184, Vígl. 19.

β. recipr. in the phrase, berask banaspjót eptir, to seek for one another’s life, Glúm. 354: b. vápn á, of a mutual attack with sharp weapons, Fms. viii. 53.

γ. pass., sár berask á e-n, of one in the heat of battle beginning to get wounds and give way, Nj.:—berask við, to be prevented, not to do; ok nú lét Almáttugr Guð við berast kirkjubrunnann, stopped, prevented the burning of the church, Fms. v. 144; en mér þætti gott ef við bærist, svá at hón kæmi eigi til þín, vi. 210, vii. 219; ok var þá búit at hann mundi þegar láta hamarinn skjanna honum, en hann lét þat við berask, he bethought himself and did not, Edda 35; því at mönnum þótti sem þannig mundi helzt úhæfa við berask, that mischief would thus be best prevented, Sturl. ii. 6, iii. 80.

C. IMPERS.:—with a sort of passive sense, both in a loc. and temp. sense, and gener. denotes an involuntary, passive motion, happening suddenly or by chance:

I. with acc. it bears or carries one to a place, i. e. one happens to come; the proverb, alla (acc.) berr at sama brunni, all come to the same well (end), Lat. omnes una manet nox; bar hann þá ofan gegnt Özuri, he happened to come in his course just opposite to Ö., Lat. delatus est, Dropl. 25: esp. of ships or sailors; nú berr svá til ( happens) herra, at vér komum eigi fram ferðinni, berr oss (acc.) til Íslands eðr annara landa, it bore us to I., i. e. if we drive or drift thither, Fms. iv. 176; þá (acc. pl.) bar suðr í haf, they drifted southwards, Nj. 124.

β. as a cricketing term, in the phrase, berr (bar) út knöttinn, the ball rolls out, Gísl. 26, cp. p. 110 where it is transit.; berr Gísli ok út knöttinn, vide Vígl. ch. 11, Grett. ch. 17, Vd. ch. 37, Hallfr. S. ch. 2.

γ. Skarpheðin (acc.) bar nú at þeim, Sk. came suddenly upon them, Nj. 144; bar at Hróaldi þegar allan skjöldinn, the shield was dashed against H.’s body, 198; ok skyldu sæta honum, ef hann (acc.) bæri þar at, if he should per chance come, shew himself there, Orkn. 406; e-n berr yfir, it bears one, i. e. one is borne onwards, as a bird flying, a man riding; þóttist vita, at hann (acc.) mundi fljótara yfir bera ef hann riði en gengi, that he would get on more fleetly riding than walking, Hrafn. 7; hann (acc.) bar skjótt yfir, he passed quickly, of a flying meteor, Nj. 194; e-n berr undan, escapes.

2. also with acc. followed by prepp. við, saman, jafnframt, hjá, of bodies coinciding or covering one another: loc., er jafnframt ber jaðrana tungls ok sólar, if the orb of the moon and sun cover each other, Rb. 34; þat kann vera stundum, at tunglit (acc.) berr jafht á millum vár ok sólar (i. e. in a moon eclipse), 108; ber nokkut jaðar (acc.) þess hjá sólar jaðri, 34; Gunnarr sér at rauðan kyrtil (acc.) bar við glugginn, G. sees that a red kirtle passed before the window, Nj. 114; bar fyrir utan þat skip vápnaburð (acc.) heiðingja (gen. pl.), the missiles of the heathens passed over the ship without hurting them, flew too high, Fms. vii. 232; hvergi bar skugga (acc.) á, nowhere a shadow, all bright, Nj. 118; þangat sem helzt mátti nokkut yfir þá skugga bera af skóginum, where they were shadowed (hidden) by the trees, Fms. x. 239; e-t berr fram (hátt), a body is prominent, Lat. eminet; Ólafr konungr stóð í lyptingunni, bar hann (acc.) hátt mjök, king O. stood out conspicuously, ii. 308; b. yfir, þótti mjök bera hljóð (acc.) þar yfir er Ólafr sat, the sound was heard over there where O. sat, Sturl. i. 21; b. á milli, something comes between; leiti (acc.) bar á milli, a hill hid the prospect, Nj. 263: metaph., e-m berr e-t á milli, they come to dissent, 13, v. 1.; b. fyrir augu (hence fyrirburðr, vision), of a vision or the like; mart (acc.) berr nú fyrir augu mér, ek sé …, many things come now before my eyes, 104; hann mundi allt þat er fyrir hann hafði borit, i. e. all the dream, 195; eina nótt berr fyrir hann í svefni mikla sýn, Fms. i. 137, Rd. 290; veiði (acc.) berr í hendr e-m (a metaphor from hunting), sport falls to one’s lot; hér bæri veiði í hendr nú, here would be a game, Nj. 252; e-t berr undan (a metaphor from fishing, hunting term), when one misses one’s opportunity; vel væri þá … at þá veiði (acc.) bæri eigi undan, that this game should not go amiss, 69; en ef þetta (acc.) berr undan, if this breaks down, 63; hon bað hann þá drepa einhvern manna hans, heldr en allt (acc.) bæri undan, rather than that all should go amiss, Eg. 258: absol., þyki mér illa, ef undan berr, if I miss it, Nj. 155; viljum vér ekki at undan beri at…, we will by no means miss it…, Fms. viii. 309, v. 1. The passage Bs. i. 416 (en fjárhlutr sá er átt hafði Ari, bar undan Guðmundi) is hardly correct, fjárhlut þann would run better, cp. bera undir, as a law term, below.

II. adding prepp.; b. við, at, til, at hendi, at móti, til handa …, to befall, happen, Lat. accidere, occurrere, with dat. of the person, (v. atburðr, viðburðr, tilburðr); engi hlut skyldi þann at b., no such thing should happen as…, Fms. xi. 76; svá bar at einn vetr, it befell, x. 201; þat hefir nú víst at hendi borit, er…, Nj. 174; þó þetta vandræði (acc.) hafi nú borit oss (dat.) at hendi, Eg. 7; b. til handa, id., Sks. 327; bar honum svá til, so it befell him, Fms. xi. 425; at honum bæri engan váðaligan hlut til á veginum, that nothing dangerous should befall him on the way, Stj. 212; bæri þat þá svá við, at hann ryfi, it then perchance might happen, that …, 102; þat bar við at Högni kom, 169, 172, 82; raun (acc.) berr á, it is proved by the fact, event, Fms. ix. 474, x. 185.

2. temp., e-t berr á, it happens to fall on …; ef þing (acc.) ber á hina helgu viku, if the parliament falls on the holy week (Whitsun), Grág. i. 106; ef Crucis messu (acc.) berr á Drottins dag, Rb. 44; berr hana (viz. Petrs messu, June 29) aldrei svá optarr á öldinni, 78; þat er nú berr oss næst, what has occurred of late, Sturl. iii. 182: b. í móti, to happen exactly at a time; þetta (acc.) bar í móti at þenna sama dag andaðist Brandr biskup, Bs. i. 468; b. saman, id.; bar þat saman, at pá var Gunnarr at segja brennusöguna, just when G. was about telling the story, Nj. 269.

3. metaph. of agreement or separation; en þat (acc.) þykir mjök saman b. ok þessi frásögn, Fms. x. 276: with dat., bar öllum sögum vel saman, all the records agreed well together, Nj. 100, v. l.; berr nú enn í sundr með þeim, Bjarna ok Þorkatli at sinni, B. and Th. missed each other, Vápn. 25.

4. denoting cause; e-t (acc.) berr til …, causes a thing; ætluðu þat þá allir, at þat mundi til bera, that that was the reason, Nj. 75; at þat beri til skilnaðar okkars, that this will make us to part (divorce), 261; konungr spurði, hvat til bæri úgleði hans, what was the cause of his grief? Fms. vi. 355; þat berr til tunglhlaups, Rb. 32.

β. meiri ván at brátt beri þat (acc.) til bóta, at herviliga steypi hans ríki, i. e. there will soon come help (revenge), Fms. x. 264; fjórir eru þeir hlutir er menn (acc.) berr í ætt á landi hér, there are four cases under which people may be adopted, Grág. i. 361.

γ. e-t berr undir e-n, falls to a person’s lot; hon á arf at taka þegar er undir hana berr, in her turn, 179; mikla erfð (acc.) bar undir hana, Mar. (Fr.); berr yfir, of surpassing, Bs. ii. 121, 158; b. frá, id. (fráburðr); herðimikill svá at þat (acc.) bar frá því sem aðrir menn, Eg. 305; er sagt, at þat bæri frá hve vel þeir mæltu, it was extraordinary how well they did speak, Jb. 11; bar þat mest frá hversu illa hann var limaðr, but above all, how…, Ó. H. 74.

5. with adverbial nouns in a dat. form; e-t berr bráðum, happens of a sudden; berr þetta (acc.) nú allbráðum, Fms. xi. 139; cp. vera bráðum borinn, to be taken by surprise (above); berr stórum, stærrum, it matters a great deal; ætla ek stærrum b. hin lagabrotin (acc.), they are much more important, matter more, vii. 305; var þat góðr kostr, svá at stórum bar, xi. 50; hefir oss orðit svá mikil vanhyggja, at stóru berr, an enormous blunder, Gísl. 51; svá langa leið, at stóru bar, Fas. i. 116; þat berr stórum, hversu mér þóknast vel þeirra athæfi, it amounts to a great deal, my liking their service, i. e. I do greatly like, Fms. ii. 37; eigi berr þat allsmám hversu vel mér líkar, in no small degree do I like, x. 296.

β. with dat., it is fitting, becoming; svá mikit sem landeiganda (dat.) berr til at hafa eptir lögum, what he is legally entitled to, Dipl. iii. 10; berr til handa, it falls to one’s lot, v. above, Grág. i. 93.

III. answering to Lat. oportet, absolutely or with an adverb, vel, illa, with infinit.; e-m berr, it beseems, becomes one; berr þat ekki né stendr þvílíkum höfuðfeðr, at falsa, Stj. 132; berr yðr (dat.) vel, herra, at sjá sannindi á þessu máli, Fms. ix. 326; sagði, at þat bar eigi Kristnum mönnum, at særa Guð, x. 22; þá siðu at mér beri vel, Sks. 353 B: used absol., berr vel, illa, it is beseeming, proper, fit, unbeseeming, unfit, improper; athæfi þat er vel beri fyrir konungs augliti, 282; þat þykir ok eigi illa bera, at maðr hafi svart skinn til hosna, i. e. it suits pretty well, 301: in case of a pers. pron. in acc. or dat. being added, the sentence becomes personal in order to avoid doubling the impers. sentence, e. g. e-m berr skylda (not skyldu) til, one is bound by duty; veit ek eigi hver skylda (nom.) yðr (acc.) ber til þess at láta jarl einn ráða, Fms. i. 52: also leaving the dat. out, skylda berr til at vera forsjámaðr með honum, vii. 280; eigi berr hér til úviska mín, it is not that I am not knowing, Nj. 135.

IV. when the reflex. inflexion is added to the verb, the noun loses its impers. character and is turned from acc. into nom., e. g. þar (þat?) mun hugrinn minn mest hafa fyrir borizt, this is what I suspected, fancied, Lv. 34; cp. hugarburðr, fancy, and e-t berr fyrir e-n (above, C. I. 2); hefir þetta (nom.) vel í móti borizt, a happy coincidence, Nj. 104; ef svá harðliga kann til at berask, if the misfortunes do happen, Gþl. 55; barsk sú úhamingja (nom.) til á Íslandi, that mischief happened (no doubt the passage is thus to be emended), Bs. i. 78, but bar þá úhamingju …; þat (nom.) barsk at, happened, Fms. x. 253; fundir várir (nom.) hafa at borizt nokkurum sinnum, vii. 256; þat barsk at á einhverju sumri, Eg. 154; bærist at um síðir at allr þingheimrinn berðist, 765, cp. berast við, berask fyrir above (B. V.): berast, absol., means to be shaken, knocked about; var þess ván, at fylkingar mundu berast í hergöngunni, that they would be brought into some confusion, Fms. v. 74; Hrólfr gékk at ramliga, ok barst Atli (was shaken, gave away) fyrir orku sakir, þar til er hann féll. Fas. iii. 253; barst Jökull allr fyrir orku sakir (of two wrestling), Ísl. ii. 467, Fms. iii. 189: vide B. IV.

D. In mod. usage the strong bera—bar is also used in impersonal phrases, denoting to let a thing be seen, shew, but almost always with a negative preceding, e. g. ekki bar (ber) á því, it could ( can) not be seen; að á engu bæri, láta ekki á bera ( to keep tight), etc. All these phrases are no doubt alterations from the weak verb bera, að, nudare, and never occur in old writers; we have not met with any instance previous to the Reformation; the use is certainly of late date, and affords a rare instance of weak verbs turning into strong; the reverse is more freq. the case.

I) pers. pron. I;

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

II) from aka.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. plur.:

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

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

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

in compds, in fours: fer-elingr, m. four ells long, of a fish, Finnb. 220. fer-falda, að, to make fourfold, Stj. 148. fer-faldr, adj. fourfold, Rb. 334, El. 13, Fas. ii. 215, 343, Sturl. iii. 206, 656 A. 33. fer-fætingr, m. a quadruped, 656 C. 8. fer-fættr, adj. four-footed, Stj. 56, Sks. 628, Fas. iii. 272, N. G. L. i. 82; fjór-f., id., Sks. 628 B. fer-hyrndr, part. four-cornered, square, Stj. 57, 171, 205, Al. 109. fer-hyrningr, n. a square. fer-menningr, m. a fourth cousin, vide fjór-menningr. fer-nættingr, m. a period of four nights, K. Á. 182. fer-skepta, u, f. a stuff with fourfold warp, Vm. 52, 93, 115, Am. 50, 90, Jm. 9. fer-skeyta, tt, to square, 415. 18. fer-skeyttr, part. ‘four-sheeted,’ square, Edda, 623. 24: mathem., ferskeytt tala, a square number, Alg. 366; ferskeytt vísa, a quatrain, like the common ballad metre, as in the ditty—yrkja kvæði ólán bjó | eptir flestra sögu | en gaman er að geta þó | gert ferskeytta bögu. fer-skiptr, part. divided into four parts, Stj. 148, v. l. fer-strendr, adj. four-edged, Eg. 285, Sturl. ii. 134, Magn. 450. fer-söngr, m. a quartett, Bb. 2. 11. fer-tugandi, fer-tugasti, adj. fortieth, Fms. x. 73, v. l. fertug-faldr, adj. fortyfold, Stj. 147. fer-tugr (- tögr), adj. forty years old, Stj. 624, N. G. L. i. 106, Fms. iii. 26:— measuring forty (ells, fathoms, etc.). Fas. i. 298, Stj. 563; fertug drápa, a poem of forty verses, Fms. iii. 93; f. at rúma-tali. numbering forty ‘rooms,’ Fb. ii. 277. fer-ærðr, adj. four-oared, Ísl. ii. 74. fer-æringr, m. a four-oared boat. fer-ærr, adj. four years old, Dipl. ii. 16.

a. fine, smooth (rare).

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adj. [Ital. fine and fino = perfect, from Lat. finis; Engl. fine; Germ. fein]:—fine; it occurs in the Icel. poems Nikulas-drápa and Skíða-rima, and prob. came to Icel. along with the English trade at the beginning of the 15th century; sax fínt sem spegill, Fas. iii. 543 (MS. 15th century): in a good sense, girnist þú barn mitt blezan fá, björg lífs og gæfu fína, fine luck, happiness, Pass. 37. 4.

β. of clothes, ‘fínn’ is opp. to ‘coarse,’ but the use of the word is rare in Icel.

m. a grey furred cloak, Hkr. i. 176: a nickname, id., whence Gráfeldar drápa, name of a poem, id.

f. (viz. drápa), the name of an old poem (Edda), prob. from being composed in autumn.