each to the other

1) which (of the two) in pl. of two parties, hvárir sigrast, which of both (hosts) will gain the day;

2) each (of the two); h. við annan, each to the other; sinn veg h., each his own way;

3) at hváru, yet, nevertheless, however.

* * *

pron. interrog. and indef., contr. from hvaðarr, which is obsolete, but occurs thrice in poets of the 10th century, Kormak, Fas. i. 297 (in a verse), Hkr. i. 205 (in a verse): mod. form hvorr, still so proncd. in the south of Icel.: [Goth. hwaþar; A. S. hwæðer, cp. Engl. whether; Hel. hweðar, cp. Germ. weder]:

I. interrog. direct and indirect, whether, which of two, Lat. uter, in a dual sense, distinguished from hverr in plur.: in plur., like Lat. utri, of two parties, hvárir sigrask, either, which of both (hosts) will gain the day, Nj. 198, Fms. x. 199; hvárir ná máli annarra, Nj. 8: in sing., hvárr þeirra, each of them, both, Grág. i. 120: with a possess. pron., hvárr okkar, Nj. 202: hvárr—annarr, one—another, either … the other; hvárr sem ( either) annars frændkonu á, Grág. i. 29; hvárr við annan, Fms. ii. 366; hvárr okkarr við annan, one to another, Fær. 174; annarr hvarr (q. v.), either.

II. indef., each of two; hvárir við aðra, Fms. x. 299, Grág. i. 70; hvarir til annarra, Eg. 126; selja grið hvárir öðrum, Grág. ii. 20; tveggja (gen.) hvárr, either of the twain, 623. 24, Blas. 40, Fms. vii. 157; hvárt … eða, either … or; hvárt er þú vill, láta okkr lifa eðr deyja, Fms. i. 205; á hvára hlið, Rm.; sextigu barna, jafnmart hvárt, syni ok dætr, Stj. 408; hætt er þeirra hvárt, Hm. 87; sinn dag hvárir, Fbr.; sinn veg hvárr, Róm. 347; á sínum stól hvárr þeirra, Stj. 602; mánaðar mat hvars, N. G. L. i. 67, 98, 99; hann kastaði á öxl sér hvárum tveimr, two on each shoulder, Grett. 134 A.

2. adverbial, at hváru, yet, nevertheless, however, often spelt at-vóru, Hom. 116, 119, cp. Hkr. iii. 288; att varu, Al. 30, 137, Hom. 158; sár mun gramr at hváru, but however that may be …, Hallfred; þó at hváru, yet, N. G. L. i. 48; þá á hinn þó at hváru at skuldfesta hann, Grág. i. 233; en hinn selr þó at hváru, yet nevertheless, ii. 253; þót hváru (= þó at h.), 313; þá freistum attvóru, Al. 137, this phrase is now obsolete, and is rare even in old writers.

B. Neut. hvárt, interrog. adverb, whether, direct and indirect; commonly in the first of two correlative clauses, hvárt …, eða or eðr …, whether …, or …, Lat. utrum …, an …, Nj. 205, etc., passim; hvat? … hvárt mægð eðr frændsemi, what? … whether is it affinity or kin? Fb. i. 328; hvárt (better hvat) segi þér til? hvárt skal ek fara eðr eigi, whether shall I go or not? Stj. 602; fæ ek nú varliga séð, hvárt Hrærekr mun fá nauðgat mik til eða eigi at ek láta drepa hann? Ó. H. 74:—but the latter of the two clauses is often dropped; hvárt grætr þú, whether dost thou weep (or not)? what! art thou weeping? Nj. 202; hvárt er rétt, bóndi, whether is it true (or not)? 79; eld kveyki þér nú sveinar, eða hvárt skal nú búa til seyðis? 199; hvárt er Flosi svá nær, at hann megi heyra mál mitt? 200; hvárt er nú engi kona sú er þér er eigandi? Stj. 411, 602; hvat sagðir þú? hvárt eigi þetta? Þiðr. 59; hann vildi vita hvárt hann var í brynju, Ó. H. 74.

2. with adv. er (es, sem), either … or; hvártz sem (sic) maðr verðr sekr at sátt eða á várþingi, Grág. i. 121; hvárt er Hákon Gamli vill eðr eigi, Fms. i. 74; hvárt sem þat er at lögbergi eða í lögréttu, whether it be at the bill of laws or in the legislative chamber? Grág. i. II; hvárt sem þat var í löndum eða í lausa-aurum? Íb. 16; hvárt er friðr er betri eða verri? Ó. H. 208, Fms. iv. 79; hvárt sem þat er heldr í þessarri eðr annarri bók, Stj.

(old gen. hvess, dat. hví), neut. pron.

I. int. pron.

1) what (h. sýnist þér ráð?); h. er þér, Hjálmar? what is the matter with thee, H.?; expressing wonder, what sort of? (h. Øgmundr ertu?); with gen., h. er þat fira, flagða, drauma, fiska? what sort of men. witches, dreams, fishes? h. manna ertu? what sort of a man art thou?; with dat., hann spurði, h. mönnum þeir væri, what kind of men they were;

2) implying an answer in the negative, to what end? of what use? (h. skal rögum manni langt vápn?)

3) how, = hve, hversu; fréttir hann nú, h. liði bónorðs-málum, how the was going on;

II. indef. pron.

1) each, every; h. at öðru, ‘each with the other’, everything; þat lið, er honum fylgdi, flýr sér hvat, scattered in all directions; h. bíðr sinnar stundar, there is a time for everything;

2) = hvatki, with the relat. part. ‘er (es)’ or ‘sem’; h. sem or h. es, whatsoever;

3) with compar., ever so much; hann var til hans h. betr en til sinna barna, he was ever so much kinder to him than to his own children.

* * *

neut. pron. of an obsolete hvar; for the other kindred forms see hverr, hví, and hót.

A. Interrog. direct and indirect, what; eiga at bíða hvat ek skal á kveða, Nj. 3; vita, hvat hann skal við kveða, Hm. 28, Vþm. 55; veit ek eigi hvat til annars kemr, Band. 36 new Ed., passim.

β. = Germ. was für ein …? North. E. what for a …? for what sort of a …? expressing wonder or the like; hvat Ögmundr ertú, what sort of an O. art thou? Fas. ii. 534; hvat fé er þat? Nj. 55: indirectly, þeir vissu eigi hvat lið þat var, Hkr. i. 268.

2. with gen., hvat er manna þat mér ókunnra? Vtkv. 5; hvat er þat fíra, flagða, drauma, fiska, what sort of men, witches, dreams, fishes? Alm. 2, 5, Skv. 2. 1, Fsm. 2, Em. i; hvat mun enn verða æfi minnar? Skv. 1. 12, 14, 18; hvat manna ertú, what sort of a man art thou? Fms. ix. 55; hvat kvenna ertú? Dropl. 4; hvat karla er þat? Fms. vii. 152; hvat íþrótta er þat? Edda 31; hvat undra varð þess? 623. 35: indirect, hann spurði hvat manna Hallfreðr var, Fms. ii. 54, vii. 166; hvat sveina þat myndi vera, x. 219; hann spurði hvat væri ráðs hennar, he asked what she intended to do, i. 186; hvat hann vildi ráða sinna, vii. 154; spurði hvat veðrs væfi, Bjarn. 54.

β. with dat., hvat liði er þetta? Fms. ix. 50; hvat rani var þat? Ísl. ii. 142; hvat húsi stendr þar? Hkr. iii. 187, Stj. 626, 650: indirect, spurði hvat mönnum þeir væri, Eg. 162; hann spyrr hvat mönnum þeir sé, Fær. 64; vita hvat mönnum þeir væri, Hkr, i. 268; hvat erendum, Fs. 11; er hestrinn kenndi hvat hrossi þetta var, Edda 26; Þá þóttisk þórr skilja hvat látum verit hafði um nóttina. 29; hvat matvistum, Str. 81.

3. what, why, how? in asking, denoting surprise, indignation, or expecting an answer in the negative, Lat. numquid? hvat skal rögum manni langt vápn, to what use? hvat skaltú sveinn í sess minn? Eg. (in a verse); hvat hæfir ykkr með mér at vera? Stj. 420; hvat þarftú at spyrja at nafni minu? 399, 410, 476; hvat ek veit, segir Gunnarr, hvárt …? Nj. 85; hvat mun ek þat vita, how should I know that? Bs. ii. 104.

4. how = hve; fréttir hann nú hvat liði bónorðs-málum, Ld. 92; hvat hlýðnir landsmenn vóro, Íb. 16; hvat grimm, how cruel! Mar.

5. causal, why? hvat spyrr þú mik? Hom.; hvat lystr þú mik? id., freq.

B. Indef. pron. each, every, with the particle er (es) or sem, whatso- ever; hvat sem, or hvat es, whatsoever; hvat dýr sem er, Gþl. 457, Fms. vii. 29; hvat sem hann kostaði til, Edda 29; hvat fjarlægr sem…, howsoever remote…, Stj. 93: with suffixed es, hvaz or hvats, id., see er, p. 131.

2. with the possess, pron. sinn; hvat bíðr sinnar stundar, Lat. horam quodque suam expectat, there is a time for everything, Nj. 79; flýr sér hvat, they run each his own way, i. e. were scattered in all directions, Fms. x. 268.

3. hvat af öðru, from one to another, in succession, Fms. i. 128; hvat af hverju, ‘what from which,’ i. e. soon; hans er von hvað af hverju, he is expected every moment, (mod.)

4. with compar. ever so much; hann var til hans hvat betr enn til sinna barna, he was ever so much kinder to him than to his wn children, Ld. 304.

II. as interj., hú, há, eðr hvat! Sks. 365 B; vaknaði hann alltrautt ok mælti nær í úvitinu, hvat! hvat! Fms. ix. 24.

(önnur, annat), a., indef. pron., ord. numb.;

1) one of the two, the one (of two);

Egill þessi hefir aðra hönd (only one hand) ok er kaliaðr einhendr;

á aðra hönd, on the one side;

a. … a. one … the other (hét a. Sörli, en a. Þorkell);

2) second;

í annat sinn, for the second time;

høggr hann þegar annat (viz. högg), a second blow;

3) the next following;

á öðru hausti, the next autumn;

annat sumar eptir;

fig., next in value or rank;

annat mest hof í Noregi, the next greatest temple;

fjölmennast þing annat eptir brennu Njáls, the fullest assembly next to that after the burning of N.;

4) some other (hón lék á gólfinu við aðrar meyjar);

Þórarinn ok tíu menn aðrir, and ten men besides;

hann var örvari af fé en nokkurr a., than anybody else;

5) other, different;

öl er a. maðr, ale (a drunken man) is another man, is not the same man;

þau höfðu annan átrúnað, a different religion;

6) in various combinations;

annarr slíkr, such another, another of the same sort;

gekk a. til at öðrum (one after another) at biðja hann;

hverja nótt aðra sem aðra, every night in turn;

annat var orð Finns harðara en annat, each word of Finn was harder than another;

aðrir … aðrir, some … others;

einir ok aðrir, various;

ymsir ok aðrir, now one, now another (nefna upp ymsa ok aðra);

hvárr (or hverr) … annan, each other, one another (hétu hvárir öðrum atförum);

við þau tíðindi urðu allir giaðir ok sagði hverr öðrum, one told the news to another, man to man.

* * *

önnur, annat, adj.; pl. aðrir; gen. pl. annarra; dat. sing. f. annarri, [Ulf. anþar; A. S. oþar; Engl. other; Germ, andere; Swed. andra and annan: in Icel. assimilated, and, if followed by an r, the nn changes into ð.]

I. = ετερος, alter:

1. one of two, the other; tveir formenn þeirra, hét annarr, the one of them, Fms. ix. 372; sá er af öðrum ber, be that gets the better of it, Nj. 15; a. augat, Fms. ii. 61; á öðrum fæti, Bs. i. 387, Edda 42; annarri hendi…, en annarri, with the one hand …, with the other, Eb. 250, 238; á aðra hönd, on the one side, Grág. i. 432, Nj. 50; a. kné, Bs. i. 680; til annarrar handar, Nj. 50; annarr—annarr, one—other; gullkross á öðrum en ari af gulli á öðrum, Fms. x. 15. Peculiar is the phrase, við annan, þriðja, fjórða … mann, = being two, three, four … altogether; við annan, oneself and one besides, Eb. 60; cp. the Greek τρίτον ήμιτάλαντον, two talents and a half, Germ. anderthalh.

2. secundus, a cardinal number, the second; sá maðr var þar a. Íslenzkr, Fms. xi. 129; í annat sinn, for the second time, Íb. ch. 1, 9; a. vetr aldrs hans, Bs. i. 415; höggr harm þegar annat (viz. högg), a second blow, Sturl. ii. 118.

β. the next following, Lat. proximus; á öðru hausti, the next autumn, Ísl. ii. 228; önnur misseri, the following year, Bs. i. 437, 417; a. sumar eptir, 415, Fms. i. 237. Metaph. the second, next in value or rank, or the like; annat mest hof í Noregi, the next greatest temple, Nj. 129; a. mestr höfðingi, the next in power, Ísl. ii. 202; fjölmennast þing, annat eptir brennu Njáls, the fullest parliament next to that after the burning of N., 259; vitrastr lögmanna annarr en Skapti, the wisest speaker next after S., Bs. i. 28; a. mestr maðr í Danmörk, the next greatest man, Fms. xi. 51; annat bezt ríki, v. 297; var annarr sterkastr er hét Freysteinn, the next strongest champion, Eb. 156; mestrar náttúru a. en Þorsteinn, Fs. 74, Fms. iv. 58.

II. = αλλος, alius, one of many, other, both in sing. and pl.; hon lék á gólfinu við aðrar meyjar, Nj. 2; mart var með henni annara kvenna, i. e. many women besides, 50; jafnt sekr sem aðrir menn, as guilty as anybody else, Grág. i. 432; einginn annarra Knúts manna, none besides, Fms. x. 192; ef þeir gerði lönd sín helgari enn aðrar jarðir, … than all other grounds, Eb. 20; er Þórólfr hafði tignað um fram aðra staði, … more than any other place, id.; kalla þá jörð nú eigi helgari enn aðra, id.; tók Börkr þann kost er hann hafði öðrum ætlað, 40; Þórarinn vann eið … ok tíu menn aðrir, Th. and ten men besides, 48; þeir þóttust fyrir öðrum mönnum, … over all other people, 20; góðr drengr um fram alla menn aðra, 30; af eyjum ok öðru sjófangi, other produce of the sea, 12; hann skal tvá menn nefna aðra en sik, … besides himself, Grág. i. 57; hann var örvari af fé enn nokkurr annarr, … than anybody else, Bret.; jafnt sem annat fúlgufé, as any other money, Grág. i. 432.

2. other, different, in the proverb, öl er annarr maðr, ale (a drunken man) is another man, is not the true man, never mind what he says, Grett. 98; the proverb is also used reversely, öl er innri ( the inner) maðr, ‘in vino veritas:’ annað er gæfa ok görfuleiki, luck and achievements are two things (a proverb); önnur var þá æfi, viz. the reverse of what it is now (a proverb), Grett. 94 (in a verse); ætla ek þik annan mann en þú segir, Fms. xi. 192; hafi þér Danir heldr til annars gört, you deserve something different, worse than that, id.; varð þá annan veg, otherwise, Hkr. ii. 7; Björn varð þess víss at þau höfðu annan átrúnað, … different religion, Eb. 12.

3. like οι αλλοι, reliqui, the rest, the remains; þá er eigi sagt hversu öðrum var skipað, Nj. 50; at hönd b. sé fyrir innan n., en annarr líkami hans ( the rest of his body) fyrir utan, 1812. 18.

III. repeated in comparative clauses: annarr—annarr, or connected with einn, hvárr, hverr, ymsir: gékk annarr af öðrum at biðja hann, alius ex alio, one after another, Bs. i. 128; hverja nótt aðra sem aðra, every night in turn, Mag. 2; annat var orð Finns harðara enn annat, every word of Finn was harder than that which went before it, of a climax, Fms. v. 207: einn—annarr, alius atque alius, one and another, various; eina hluti ok aðra, Stj. 81; einar afleiðingar ok aðrar, Barl. 36; einir ok aðrir, various, Stj. 3; ef maðr telr svá, at hann var einn eðr annarr (that he was anybody, this or that man, viz. if he does not give the name precisely), ok er hinn eigi þá skyldr at rísa ór dómi, Grág. i. 28: ymsir—aðrir, in turn, now this, now the other; ymsir eiga högg í annars garð (a proverb); heita á helga menn, ok nefna ymsa ok aðra (now one, now another), Mar. 35: þágu þessir riddarar veizlur ymsir at öðrum, gave banquets one to another in turn, id.; færðu ymsir aðra niðr, now one was under water and now the other, of two men struggling whilst swimming, Fms. ii. 269: hvárr—annan, hverir—aðra, each other; mæltu hvárir vel fyrir öðrum; hétu hvárir öðrum atförum: of a rapid succession, hvert vandræði kom á bak öðru, misfortunes never come singly, but one on the back of the other, Fr.; við þau tiðindi urðu allir glaðir ok sagði hverr öðrum, one told the news to another, man to man, Fms. i. 21; þóttust hvárirtveggju meira vald at hafa í borginni en aðrir, 655 xvii. 1; hvárirtveggja—aðrir, αλλελοις, mutually, reciprocally; skulu nú h. ganga til ok veita öðrum grið, Nj. 190.

IV. annat, n. used as a subst.; þetta sem annat, as other things, Fas. i. 517; skaltu eigi þora annat, en, Nj. 74; ef eigi bæri a. til, unless something happened, Bs. i. 350: at öllu annars, in everything else, Grág. ii. 141, K. Þ. K. 98: annars simply used adverb. = else = ella; now very freq. but very rare in old writers; stendr a. ríki þitt í mikilli hættu, Fas. i. 459, from a paper MS. and in a text most likely interpolated in the 17th century.

COMPDS: annarskonar, annarskostar, annarsstaðar, annarsvegar. annarra- gen. pl. is used in annarra-bræðra, -bræðri, pl. fourth cousins, Grág. i. 285, ii. 172; cp. D. I. i. 185; v. næsta-bræðra = third cousins, þriðja-bræðra = fifth cousins.

* * *

I. with dat.

1) before, in front of (ok vóru fyrir honum borin merkin);

fyrir dyrum, before the door;

2) before one, in one’s presence;

hón nefndist fyrir þeim Gunnhildr, she told them that her name was G.;

3) for;

hann lét ryðja fyrir þeim búðina, he had the booth cleared for them, for their reception;

4) before one, in one’s way;

fjörðr varð fyrir þeim, they came to a fjord;

sitja fyrir e-m, to lie in wait for one;

5) naut. term. before, off;

liggja fyrir bryggjum, to lie off the piers;

fyrir Humru-mynni, off the Humber;

6) before, at the head of, over;

vera fyrir liði, to be over the troops;

vera fyrir máli, to lead the case;

sitja fyrir svörum, to undertake the defence;

7) of time, ago;

fyrir þrem nóttum, three nights ago;

fyrir stundu, a while ago;

fyrir löngu, long ago;

vera fyrir e-u, to forebode (of a dream);

8) before, above, superior to;

Hálfdan svarti var fyrir þeim brœðrum, H. was the foremost of the brothers;

9) denoting disadvantige, harm, suffering;

þú lætr Egil vefja öll mál fyrir þér, thou lettest E. thwart all thy affairs;

tók at eyðast fyrir herm lausa-fé, her money began to fail;

10) denoting obstacle, hindrance;

mikit gøri þer mér fyrir þessu máli, you make this case hard for me;

varð honum lítit fyrir því, it was a small matter for him;

Ásgrími þótti þungt fyrir, A. thought that things looked bad;

11) because of, for;

hon undi sér hvergri fyrir verkjum, she had no rest for pains;

fyrir hræðslu, for fear;

illa fœrt fyrir ísum, scarcely, passable for ice;

gáðu þeir eigi fyrir veiðum at fá heyjanna, because of fishing, they neglected to make hay;

fyrir því at, because, since, as;

12) against;

gæt þín vel fyrir konungi ok hans mönnum, guard thee well against the king and his men;

beiða griða Baldri fyrir alls konar háska, against all kinds of harm;

13) fyrir sér, of oneself;

mikill fyrir sér, strong, powerful;

minnstr fyrir sér, smallest, weakest;

14) denoting manner or quality, with;

hvítr fyrir hærum, while with hoary hair;

II. with acc.

1) before, in front of;

halda fyrir augu sér, to hold (one’s hands) before one’s eyes;

2) before, into the presence of;

stefna e-m fyrir dómstól, before a court;

3) over;

hlaupa fyrir björg, to leap over a precipice;

kasta fyrir borð, to throw overboard;

4) in one’s way, crossing one’s way;

ríða á leið fyrir þá, to ride in their way, so as to meet them;

5) round, off;

sigla fyrir nes, to weather a point;

6) along, all along;

fyrir endilangan Noreg, all along Norway, from one end to the other;

draga ör fyrir odd, to draw the arrow past the point;

7) of time, fyrir dag, before day;

fyrir e-s minni, before one’s memory;

8) for, on behalf of;

vil ek bjóða at fara fyrir þik, I will offer to go for thee, in thy stead;

lögvörn fyrir mál, a lawful defence for a case;

9) for, for the benefit of;

þeir skáru fyrir þá melinn, they cut the lyme-grass for them (the horses);

10) for, instead of, in place of, as;

11) for, because of (vilja Gunnar dauðan fyrir höggit);

fyrir þín orð, for thy words (intercession);

fyrir sína vinsæld, by reason of his popularity;

12) denoting value, price;

fyrir þrjár merkr, for three marks;

fyrir hvern mun, by all means, at any cost;

13) in spite of, against (giptast fyrir ráð e-s);

14) joined with adverbs ending in -an, governing acc. (fyrir austan, vestan, sunnan, norðan, útan innan, framan, handan, ofan, neðan);

fyrir austan, sunnan fjall, east, south of the fell;

fyrir neðan brú, below the bridge;

fyrir handan á, beyond the river;

fyrir innan garð, inside the fence;

III. as adverb or ellipt.

1) ahead, before, opp. to eptir;

þá var eigi hins verra eptir ván, er slíkt fór fyrir, when this came first, preceded;

2) first;

mun ek þar eptir gera sem þér gerit fyrir, I shall do to you according as you do first;

3) at hand, present, to the fore;

föng þau, er fyrir vóru, stores that were at hand;

þar var fyrir fjöldi boðsmanna, a host of guests was already present (before the bride and bridegroom came);

4) e-m verðr e-t fyrir, one takes a certain step, acts so and so;

Kolbeini varð ekki fyrir, K. was at a loss what to do;

e-t mælist vel (illa) fyrir, a thing is well (ill) spoken or reported of (kvæðit mæltist vel fyrir).

* * *

prep., in the Editions spelt differently; in MSS. this word is usually abbreviated either  (i. e. firir), or Ꝼ̆, fur͛, fvr͛ (i. e. fyrir); in some MSS. it is idiomatically spelt with i, fir͛, e. g. Arna-Magn. 382 (Bs. i. 263 sqq.); and even in the old Miracle-book Arna-Magn. 645 (Bs. i. 333 sqq.), just as ifir is written for yfir ( over); in a few MSS. it is written as a monosyllable fyr, e. g. D. I. i. 475, Mork. passim; in Kb. (Sæm.-Edda) occurs fyr telia, Vsp. I; fyr norðan, 36; fyr dyrum, Gm. 22; fyr vestan ver, Hkv. 2. 8; in other places as a dissyll. fyrir, e. g. Hm. 56, Gm. 54, Skm. 34, Ls. 15, Am. 64, Hkv. 2. 2, 19 (quoted from Bugge’s edition, see his preface, p. xvi); fyr and fyrir stand to one another in the same relation as ept to eptir, und to undir, of ( super) to yfir: this monosyllabic form is obsolete, save in the compds, where ‘for-’ is more common than ‘fyrir-;’ in some cases both forms are used, e. g. for-dæming and fyrir-dæming; in others only one, but without any fixed rule: again, the forms fyri, fyre, or fire, which are often used in Edd., are just as wrong, as if one were to say epti, undi, yfi; yet this spelling is found now and then in MSS., as, fyre, Ó. H. (facsimile); fire, Grág. Sb. ii. 288 (also facsimile): the particles í and á are sometimes added, í fur, Fms. iv. 137; í fyrir, passim; á fur, Haustl. 1. [Ulf. faur and faura; A. S. fore and for; Engl. for and fore-; Germ. für and vor; Dan. for; Swed. för; Gr. προ-; Lat. pro, prae.]

WITH DAT., chiefly without the notion of movement.

A. LOCAL:

I. before, in front of; fyrir dyrum, before the doors, at the doors, Nj. 14, Vsp. 53, Hm. 69, Edda 130; niðr f. smiðju-dyrum, Eg. 142:—ahead, úti fyrir búðinni, Nj. 181; kómusk sauðirnir upp á fjallit f. þeim, ahead of them, 27; vóru fyrir honum borin merkin, the banner was borne before him, 274; göra orð fyrir sér, to send word before one, Fms. vii. 207, Hkr. iii. 335 (Ó. H. 201, l. c., frá sér):—also denoting direction, niðri í eldinum f. sér, beneath in the fire before them, Nj. 204; þeir sá f. sér bæ mikinn, they saw before them a great building, i. e. they came to a great house, Eg. 546; öðrum f. sér ( in front) en öðrum á bak sér, Grág. i. 5.

2. before one, before one’s face, in one’s presence; úhelgaða ek Otkel f. búum, before the neighbours, Nj. 87; lýsi ek f. búum fimm, 218; lýsa e-u ( to proclaim) f. e-m, Ld. 8; hann hermdi boð öll f. Gizuri, Nj. 78; hón nefndisk f. þeim Gunnhildr, told them that her name was G., Fms. i. 8; kæra e-t f. e-m, Ó. H. 60; slíkar fortölur hafði hann f. þeim, Nj. 200; the saying, því læra börnin málið að það er f. þeim haft, bairns learn to speak because it is done before them, i. e. because they hear it; hafa gott (íllt) f. e-m, to give a good (bad) example, e. g. in the presence of children; lifa vel f. Guði, to live well before God, 623. 29; stór ábyrgðar-hluti f. Guði, Nj. 199; sem þeir sjá réttast f. Guði, Grág. i. (pref.); fyrir öllum þeim, Hom. 89; á laun f. öðrum mönnum, hidden from other men, unknown to them, Grág. i. 337, Jb. 378; nú skaltú vera vin minn mikill f. húsfreyju minni, i. e. when you talk to my wife, Nj. 265; fyrir Drottni, before the Lord, Merl. 2. 78.

3. denoting reception of guests, visitors; hann lét ryðja f. þeim búðina, he had the room cleared for them, for their reception, Nj. 228; Valhöll ryðja fyr vegnu fólki, i. e. to clear Valhalla for slain folk, Em. I; ryðja vígvöll f. vegundum, Nj. 212; ljúka upp f. e-m, to open the door for one, Fms. xi. 323, Stj. 5; rýma pallinn f. þeim, Eg. 304; hann lét göra eld f. þeim, he had a fire made for them, 204; þeir görðu eld. f. sér, Fms. xi. 63; … veizlur þar sem fyrir honum var búit, banquets that were ready for him, Eg. 45.

II. before one, in one’s way; þar er díki varð f. þeim, Eg. 530; á (fjörðr) varð f. þeim, a river, fjord, was before them, i. e. they came to it, 133, 161; at verða eigi f. liði yðru, 51; maðr sá varð f. Vindum, that man was overtaken by the V., Hkr. iii. 363; þeirra manna er f. honum urðu, Eg. 92.

2. sitja f. e-m, to lie in wait for one, Ld. 218, Nj. 107; lá f. henni í skóginum, Edda (pref.); sitja f. rekum, to sit watching for wrecks, Eg. 136 (fyrir-sát).

3. ellipt., menn urðu at gæta sín er f. urðu, Nj. 100; Egill var þar f. í runninum, E. was before (them), lay in ambush, Eg. 378; hafði sá bana er f. varð, who was before (the arrow), i. e. he was hit, Nj. 8.

4. verða f. e-u, to be hit, taken, suffer from a thing; ef hann verðr f. drepi, if he be struck, Grág. ii. 19; verða f. áverka, to be wounded, suffer injury, Ld. 140; verða f. reiði konungs, to fall into disgrace with the king, Eg. 226; verða f. ósköpum, to become the victim of a spell, spell-bound, Fas. i. 130; sitja f. hvers manns ámæli, to be the object of all men’s blame, Nj. 71; vera eigi f. sönnu hafðr, to be unjustly charged with a thing, to be innocent.

III. a naut. term, before, off; liggja f. bryggjum, to lie off the pier, Ld. 166; skip fljóta f. strengjum, Sks. 116; þeir lágu f. bænum, they lay off the town, Bs. i. 18; liggja úti f. Jótlands-síðu, off Jutland, Eg. 261; hann druknaði f. Jaðri, off the J., Fms. i. II; þeir kómu at honum f. Sjólandi, off Zealand, x. 394; hafa úti leiðangr f. landi, Hkr. i. 301; f. Humru-minni, off the Humber, Orkn. 338, cp. Km. 3, 8, 9, 13, 19, 21; fyrir Nesjum, off the Ness, Vellekla; fyrir Tungum, Sighvat; fyrir Spáni, off Spain, Orkn. 356.

IV. before, at the head of, denoting leadership; smalamaðr f. búi föður síns, Ver. 26 (of king David); vera f. liði, to be over the troops, Eg. 292, Nj. 7; vera f. máli, to lead the case, Band. 8; vera forstjóri f. búi, to be steward over the household, Eg. 52; ráða f. landi, ríki, etc., to rule, govern, Ó H. 33, Nj. 5; hverr f. eldinum réði, who was the ringleader of the fire, Eg. 239; ráða f. e-u, to rule, manage a thing, passim: the phrase, sitja f. svörum, to respond on one’s behalf, Ölk. 36, Band. 12; hafa svör f. e-m, to be the chief spokesman, Fms. x. 101, Dipl. v. 26.

V. special usages; friða f. e-m, to make peace for one, Fms. vii. 16, Bs. i. 65; bæta f. e-m, to make things good for one, Hom. 109; túlka, vera túlkr, flytja (etc.) f. e-m, to plead for one, Fms. iii. 33, Nj. 128,—also spilla f. e-m, to disparage one, Eg. 255; haga, ætla f. e-u, to manage, arrange for one, Ld. 208, Sturl. i. 14, Boll. 356; rífka ráð f. e-m, to better one’s condition, Nj. 21; ráða heiman-fylgju ok tilgjöf f. frændkonu sinni, Js. 58; standa f. manni, to stand before, shield a man, stand between him and his enemy, Eg. 357, Grág. ii. 13; vera skjöldr f. e-m, 655 xxxii. 4; hafa kostnað f. e-u, to have the expences for a thing, Ld. 14; vinna f. e-m, to support one by one’s work, Sks. 251; starfa f. fé sínu, to manage one’s money, Ld. 166; hyggja f. e-u, to take heed for a thing, Nj. 109; hyggja f. sér, Fs. 5; hafa forsjá f. e-m, to provide for one, Ld. 186; sjá f. e-u, to see after, Eg. 118, Landn, 152; sjá þú nokkut ráð f. mér, Nj. 20: ironic. to put at rest, Háv. 40: ellipt., sjá vel f., to provide well for, Nj. 102.

B. TEMP. ago; fyrir þrem nóttum, three nights ago; fyrir stundu, a while ago, Nj. 80; fyrir litlu, a little while ago, Fms. i. 76, Ld. 134; fyrir skömmu, a sbort while ago; fyrir löngu, a long while ago, Nj. 260, Fms. i. 50; fyrir öndverðu, from the beginning, Grág. i. 80, ii. 323, 394, Finnb. 342; fyrir þeim, before they were born, Fms. i. 57.

2. the phrase, vera f. e-u, to forebode; vera f. stórfundum, Nj. 107, 277; þat hygg ek vera munu f. siða-skipti, Fms. xi. 12; þessi draumr mun vera f. kvámu nökkurs manns, vii. 163; dreyma draum f. e-u, 8; fyrir tiðendum, ii. 65:—spá f. e-m, to ‘spae’ before, prophecy to one, Nj. 171.

C. METAPH.:

I. before, above; þóttu þeir þar f. öllum ungum mönnum, Dropl. 7; þykkisk hann mjök f. öðrum mönnum, Ld. 38; ver f. hirðmönnum, be first among my herdsmen, Eg. 65; Hálfdan svarti var f. þeim bræðrum, H. was the foremost of the brothers, Fms. i. 4; þorgrímr var f. sonum Önundar, Grett. 87; var Haraldr mest f. þeim at virðingu, Fms. i. 47.

II. denoting help, assistance; haun skal rétta vættið f. þeim, Grág. i. 45 (vide above A. IV and V).

2. the following seem to be Latinisms, láta lífit f. heilagri Kristni, to give up one’s life for holy Christianity, = Lat. pro, Fms. vii. 172; ganga undir píslir fyrir Guðs nafni, Blas. 38; gjalda önd mína f. önd þinni, Johann. 17; gefa gjöf f. sál sinni ( pro animâ suâ), H. E. i. 466; fyrir mér ok minni sál, Dipl. iv. 8; færa Guði fórnir f. e-m, 656 A; heita f. e-m, biðja f. e-m, to make a vow, pray for one (orare pro), Fms. iii. 48, Bs. i. 70; biðja f. mönnum, to intercede for, 19, Fms. xi. 287: even with a double construction, biðja f. stað sinn (acc., which is vernacular) ok heilagri kirkju (dat., which is a Latinism), x. 127.

III. denoting disadvantage, harm, suffering; þú lætr Egil vefja öll mál fyrir þér, thou lettest Egil thwart all thy affairs, Eg. 249; únýtir hann þá málit fyrir sér, then he ruins his own case, Grág. i. 36, Dropl. 14, 16; Manverjar rufu safnaðinn f. Þorkatli, the Manxmen broke up the assembly, i. e. forsook Thorkel, Fms. ix. 422; kom upp grátr f. henni, she burst into tears, 477; taka fé f. öðrum, to take another’s money, N. G. L. i. 20; knörr þann er konungr lét taka fyrir Þórólfi, Landn. 56; ef hross verðr tekit f. honum, if a horse of his be taken, Grág. i. 436; hann tók upp fé fyrir öllum, he seized property for them all, Ó. H. 60; e-t ferr ílla f. e-m, a thing turns out ill for one; svá fór f. Ólófu, so it came to pass for O., Vígl. 18; loka dyrr f. e-m, to lock the door in one’s face, Edda 21: þeir hafa eigi þessa menn f. yðr drepit, heldr f. yðrar sakir þessi víg vegit, i. e. they have not harmed you, but rather done you a service in slaying those men, Fbr. 33; tók at eyðask f. henni lausa-fé, her money began to fail, Nj. 29; rak á f. þeim storma ok stríðviðri, they were overtaken by gales and bad weather, Vígl. 27; Víglundr rak út knöttinn f. Jökli, V. drove the ball for J., i. e. so that he had to run after it, 24; sá er skar tygil f. Þóri, he who cut Thor’s line, Bragi; sverð brast f. mér, my sword broke, Korm. 98 (in a verse); brjóta e-t f. e-m, to break a thing for one, Bs. i. 15 (in a verse); Valgarðr braut krossa fyrir Merði ok öll heilög tákn, Nj. 167; árin brotnaði f. honum, his oar broke; allar kýrnar drápust fyrir honum, all his cows died.

2. denoting difficulty, hindrance; sitja f. sæmd e-s, to sit between oneself and one’s honour, i. e. to hinder one’s doing well, Sturl. 87; mikit göri þér mér f. þessu máli, you make this case sore for me, Eb. 124; þér er mikit f. máli, thy case stands ill, Fms. v. 325; ekki er Guði f. því, it is easy for God to do, 656 B. 9; varð honum lítið f. því, it was a small matter for him, he did it easily, Grett. III; mér er minna f. því, it is easier for me, Am. 60; þykkja mikit f. e-u, to be much grieved for a thing, do it unwillingly, Nj. 77; Icel. also say, þykja fyrir (ellipt.), to feel hurt, be displeased:—ellipt., er þeim lítið fyrir at villa járnburð þenna, it is a small matter for them to spoil this ordeal, Ó. H. 140; sem sér muni lítið f. at veiða Gunnar, Nj. 113; fast mun f. vera, it will be fast-fixed before (one), hard to move, Ld. 154; Ásgrími þótti þungt f., A. thought that things looked sad (heavy), Nj. 185; hann var lengi f., he was long about it, Fms. x. 205; hann var lengi f. ok kvað eigi nei við, he was cross and said not downright no, Þorf. Karl. 388.

IV. in a causal sense, for, because of, Lat. per, pro; sofa ek né mákat fugls jarmi fyrir, I cannot sleep for the shrill cry of birds, Edda 16 (in a verse); hon undi sér hvergi f. verkjum, she had no rest for pains, Bjarn. 69; fyrir gráti, tárum, = Lat. prae lacrymis; fyrir harmi, for sorrow; f. hlátri, for laughter, as in Engl.; þeir æddust f. einni konu, they went mad for the sake of one woman, Sól. 11; ílla fært f. ísum, scarce passable for ice, Fms. xi. 360; hætt var at sitja útar f. Miðgarðs-ormi, Edda 35; hann var lítt gengr f. sárinu, he could hardly walk for the wound, Fbr. 178; fyrir hræðslu, for fear, Hbl. 26; heptisk vegrinn f. þeim meinvættum sem …, Fs. 4; gáðu þeir eigi f. veiðum at fá heyjanna, because of fishing they took no care to make hay, Landn. 30; fyrir riki konungs, for the king’s power, Eg. 67, 117; fyrir ofríki manna, Grág. i. 68; fyrir hví, for why? Eluc. 4; fyrir hví þeir væri þar, Eg. 375; fyrir því, at …, for that, because, Edda 35, Fms. i. 22, vii. 330, Ld. 104; en fyrir því nú at, now since, Skálda 171; nú fyrir því at, id., 169: the phrase, fyrir sökum, for the sake of, because of, passim; vide sök.

V. by, by the force of; öxlin gékk ór liði fyrir högginu, the shoulder was disjointed by the force of the stroke, Háv. 52.

2. denoting contest; falla f. e-m, to fall before one, i. e. fighting against one, Fms. i. 7, iv. 9, x. 196; verða halloki f. e-m, to be overcome in fighting one, Ld. 146; látask f. e-m, to perish by one, Eb. 34; hafa bana f. e-m, to be slain by one, Nj. 43; þeir kváðu fá fúnað hafa f. honum, 263; mæddisk hann f. þeim, he lost his breath in fighting them, Eg. 192; láta ríki f. e-m, to lose the kingdom before another, i. e. so that the latter gains it, 264; láta lausar eignir mínar f. þér, 505; láta hlut sinn f. e-m, Fs. 47; standask f. e-m, to stand one’s ground before one, Edda (pref.); hugðisk hann falla mundu f. sjóninni einni saman, that he would sink before his glance, 28, Hým. 12; halda hlut f. e-m, Ld. 54; halda frið ok frelsi f. várum óvinum, Fms. viii. 219; fara mun ek sem ek hefi áðr ætlað f. þínum draum ( thy dream notwithstanding), Ld. 216; þér farit hvárt er þér vilit f. mér, you go wherever you like for me, so far as I am concerted, Fær. 37; halda vöku f. sér, to keep oneself awake, Fms. i. 216.

β. with verbs, flýja, hlaupa, renna, stökkva f. e-m, to fly, leap, run before one, i. e. to be pursued, Bs. i. 774, Grág. ii. 359; at hann rynni f. þrælum hans, Ld. 64; fyrir þessum úfriði stökk Þangbrandr til Noregs, 180; skyldi hann ganga ór á f. Hofsmönnum, Landn. 178; ganga f. e-u, to give way before, yield to a thing, Fms. i. 305, x. 292; vægja f. e-m, to yield to one, give way, Eg. 21, 187, Nj. 57, Ld. 234.

VI. against; verja land f. e-m, Eg. 32; verja landit f. Dönum ok öðrum víkingum, Fms. i. 23; til landvarnar f. víkingum, Eg. 260; landvarnar-maðr f. Norðmönnum, Fms. vi. 295; gæta brúarinnar f. bergrisum, Edda 17; gæt þín vel f. konungi ok hans mönnum, guard thee well against the king and his men, Eg. 113; góð aðstoð f. tröllum ok dvergum, Bárð. 163; beiða Baldri griða f. allskonar háska, Edda 36; auðskæðr f. höggum, Eg. 770.

VII. in the sense of being driven before; fyrir straumi, veðri, vindi, before the stream, wind, weather (forstreymis, forvindis), Grág. ii. 384, Fms. vii. 262; halda f. veðri, to stand before the wind, Róm. 211.

2. rýrt mun verða f. honum smá-mennit, he will have an easy game with the small people, Nj. 94: ellipt., hafði sá bana er f. varð, 8; sprakk f., 16, 91.

VIII. fyrir sér, of oneself, esp. of physical power; mikill f. sér, strong, powerful; lítill f. sér, weak, feeble, Nj. 20, Ísl. ii. 368, Eg. 192; þér munuð kalla mik lítinn mann f. mér, Edda 33; minnstr f. sér, smallest, weakest, Eg. 123; gildr maðr f. sér, Ísl. ii. 322, Fms. ii. 145; herðimaðr mikiil f. sér, a hardy man, Nj. 270; hvat ert þú f. þér, what kind of fellow art thou? Clem. 33; vera einn f. sér, to be a strange fellow, Grett. 79 new Ed.; Icel. also say, göra mikið (lítið) f. sér, to make oneself big ( little).

β. sjóða e-t f. sér, to hesitate, saunter, Nj. 154; mæla f. munni, to talk between one’s teeth, to mutter, Orkn. 248, Nj. 249.

IX. denoting manner or quality; hvítr f. hærum, white with hoary hairs, Fms. vi. 95, Fas. ii. 540; gráir fyrir járnum, grey with steel, of a host in armour, Mag. 5; hjölt hvít f. silfri, a hilt white with silver = richly silvered, Eb. 226.

X. as adverb or ellipt.,

1. ahead, in front, = á undan, Lat. prae, opp. to eptir; þá var eigi hins verra eptir ván, er slíkt fór fyrir, as this came first, preceded, Nj. 34; at einhverr mundi fara heim fyrir, that some one would go home first (to spy), Eg. 580; Egill fór f., E. went in before, id.; at vér ríðim þegar f. í nótt, 283.

β. first; hann stefndi f. málinu, en hann mælti eptir, one pronounced the words first, but the other repeated after him, Nj. 35; mun ek þar eptir göra sem þér gerit f., I shall do to you according as you do first, 90:—temp., sjau nóttum f., seven nights before, Grág. ii. 217.

2. to the fore, at hand, present; þar var fyrir fjöldi boðsmanna, a host of guests was already to the fore, i. e. before the bride and bridegroom came, Nj. 11; úvíst er at vita hvar úvinir sitja á fleti fyrir, Hm. 1; skal þá lögmaðr þar f. vera, he shall be there present, Js. 3; heima í túni fyrir, Fær. 50; þar vóru fyrir Hildiríðar-synir, Eg. 98; var honum allt kunnigt fyrir, he knew all about the localities, 583; þeim ómögum, sem f. eru, who are there already, i. e. in his charge, Grág. i. 286: of things, föng þau er f. vóru, stores that were to the fore, at hand, Eg. 134.

3. fore, opp. to ‘back,’ of clothes; slæður settar f. allt gullknöppum, Eg. 516; bak ok fyrir, back and front, = bak ok brjóst, Mar.

XI. in the phrase, e-m verðr e-t fyrir, a thing is before one, i. e. one takes that and that step, acts so and so in an emergency; nú verðr öðrum þeirra þat f., at hann kveðr, now if the other part alleges, that …, Grág. i. 362; Kolbeini varð ekki f., K. had no resource, i. e. lost his head, Sturl. iii. 285:—the phrase, e-t mælisk vel (ílla) fyrir, a thing is well ( ill) reported of; víg Gunnars spurðisk ok mæltisk ílla fyrir um allar sveitir, Nj. 117, Sturl. ii. 151; mun þat vel f. mælask, people will like it well, Nj. 29, Þórð. 55 new Ed.; ílla mun þat f. mælask at ganga á sættir við frændr sína, Ld. 238; ok er lokit var, mæltisk kvæðit vel f., the people praised the poem, Fms. vii. 113.

XII. in special senses, either as prep. or adv. (vide A. V. above); segja leið f. skipi, to pilot a ship, Eg. 359; segja f. skipi, to say a prayer for a new ship or for any ship going to sea, Bs. i. 774, Fms. x. 480; mæla f. e-u, to dictate, Grág. ii. 266; mæla f. minni, to bring out a toast, vide minni; mæla f. sætt, i. 90; skipa, koma e-u f., to arrange, put right; ætla f. e-u, to make allowance for; trúa e-m f. e-u, to entrust one with; það fer mikið f. e-u (impers.), it is of great compass, bulky; hafa f. e-u, to have trouble with a thing; leita f. sér, to enquire; biðjask f., to say one’s prayers, vide biðja; mæla fyrir, segja f., etc., to order, Nj. 103, Js. 3: of a spell or solemn speaking, hann mælti svá f., at …, Landn. 34; spyrjask f., to enquire, Hkr. ii. 333; búask f., to prepare, make arrangement, Landn. 35, Sks. 551; skipask f., to draw up, Nj. 197; leggjask f., to lie down in despair, Bs. i. 194; spá fyrir, to ‘spae’ before, foretell; þeir menn er spá f. úorðna hluti, Fms. i. 96; segja f., to foretell, 76, Bb. 332; Njáll hefir ok sagt f. um æfi hans, Nj. 102; vita e-t f., to ‘wit’ beforehand, know the future, 98; sjá e-t f., to foresee, 162; ef þat er ætlat f., fore-ordained, id.

WITH ACC., mostly with the notion of movement.

A. LOCAL:

I. before, in front of; fyrir dyrrin, Nj. 198; láta síga brýnn f. brár, Hkv. Hjörv. 19; halda f. augu sér, to hold (one’s hands) before one’s eyes, Nj. 132; leggja sverði fyrir brjóst e-m, to thrust a sword into his breast, 162, Fs. 39.

2. before one, before a court; stefna e-m f. dómstól, Fms. xi. 444; ganga, koma f. e-n, to go, come before one, Fms. i. 15, Eg. 426, Nj. 6, 129, passim; fyrir augu e-s, before one’s eyes, Stj. 611.

3. before, so as to shield; hann kom skildinum f. sik, he put the shield before him, Nj. 97, 115; halda skildi f. e-n, a duelling term, since the seconder had to hold one’s shield, Ísl. ii. 257.

4. joined to adverbs such as fram, aptr, út, inn, ofan, niðr, austr, vestr, suðr, norðr, all denoting direction; fram f., forward; aptr f., backward, etc.; hann reiddi öxina fram f. sik, a stroke forward with the axe, Fms. vii. 91; hann hljóp eigi skemra aptr en fram fyrir sik, Nj. 29; þótti honum hann skjóta brandinum austr til fjallanna f. sik, 195; komask út f. dyrr, to go outside the door, Eg. 206:—draga ofan f. brekku, to drag over the hill, Ld. 220; hrinda f. mel ofan, to thrust one over the gravel bank, Eg. 748; hlaupa f. björg, to leap over a precipice, Eb. 62, Landn. 36; elta e-n f. björg, Grág. ii. 34; hlaupa (kasta) f. borð, to leap ( throw) overboard, Fms. i. 178, Hkr. iii. 391, Ld. 226; síga ( to be hauled) niðr f. borgar-vegg, 656 C. 13, Fms. ix. 3; hlaupa niðr f. stafn, Eg. 142; niðr f. skaflinn, Dropl. 25; fyrir brekku, Orkn. 450, Glúm. 395 (in a verse).

II. in one’s way, crossing one’s way; þeir stefndu f. þá, Fms. ix. 475; ríða á leið f. þá, to ride in their way, so as to meet them, Boll. 348; hlaupa ofan f. þá, Nj. 153; vóru allt komin f. hann bréf, letters were come before him, in his way, Fms. vii. 207; þeir felldu brota f. hann, viz. they felled trees before him, so as to stop him, viii. 60, ix. 357; leggja bann f. skip, to lay an embargo on a ship, Ld. 166.

III. round, off a point; fyrir nesit, Nj. 44; út f. Holm, out past the Holm, Fms. vii. 356: esp. as a naut. term, off a point on the shore, sigla f. England, Norðyrnbraland, Þrasnes, Spán, to sail by the coast of, stand off England, Northumberland, … Spain, Orkn. 338, 340, 342, 354; fyrir Yrjar, Fms. vii. (in a verse); fyrir Siggju, Aumar, Lista, Edda 91 (in a verse); er hann kom f. Elfina, when be came off the Gotha, Eg. 80; leggja land f. skut, to lay the land clear of the stern, i. e. to pass it, Edda l. c.; göra frið f. land sitt, to pacify the land from one end to another, Ld. 28; fyrir uppsprettu árinnar, to come to ( round) the sources of the river, Fms. iii. 183; fyrir garðs-enda, Grág. ii. 263; girða f. nes, to make a wall across the ness, block it up, cp. Lat. praesepire, praemunire, etc., Grág. ii. 263; so also binda f. op, poka, Lat. praeligare, praestringere; hlaða f. gat, holu, to stop a hole, opening; greri f. stúfinn, the stump (of the arm or leg) was healed, closed, Nj. 275; skjóta slagbrandi f. dyrr, to shoot a bolt before the door, to bar it, Dropl. 29; láta loku (lás) f. hurð, to lock a door, Gísl. 28; setja innsigli f. bréf, to set a seal to a letter, Dipl. i. 3: ellipt., setr hón þar lás fyrir, Ld. 42, Bs. i. 512.

2. along, all along; f. endilanga Danmörk, f. endilangan Noreg, all along Denmark, Norway, from one end to the other, Fms. iv. 319, xi. 91, Grett. 97:—öx álnar f. munn, an axe with an ell-long edge, Ld. 276; draga ör f. ödd, to draw the arrow past the point, an archer’s term, Fms. ii. 321.

IV. with verbs, fyrir ván komit, one is come past hope, all hope is gone, Sturl. i. 44, Hrafn. 13, Fms. ii. 131; taka f. munn e-m, to stop one’s mouth; taka f. háls, kverkar, e-m, to seize one by the throat, etc.; taka mál f. munn e-m, ‘verba alicujus praeripere,’ to take the word out of one’s mouth, xi. 12; taka f. hendr e-m, to seize one’s hands, stop one in doing a thing, Eb. 124; mod., taka fram f. hendrnar á e-m.

B. TEMP.: fyrir dag, before day, Eg. 80; f. miðjan dag, Ld. 14; f. sól, before sunrise, 268; f. sólar-lag, before sunset; f. miðjan aptan, Nj. 192; f. náttmál, 197; f. óttu, Sighvat; f. þinglausnir, Ölk. 37; f. Jól, Nj. 269; f. fardaga, Grág. ii. 341; viku f. sumar, 244; f. mitt sumar, Nj. 138; litlu f. vetr, Eg. 159; f. vetrnætr, Grág. ii. 217; f. e-s minni, before one’s memory, Íb. 16.

C. METAPH.:

I. above, before; hann hafdi mest fyrir aðra konunga hraustleikinn, Fms. x. 372.

II. for, on behalf of; vil ek bjóða at fara f. þik, I will go for thee, in thy stead, Nj. 77; ganga í skuld f. e-n, Grág. i. 283; Egill drakk … ok svá f. Ölvi, Eg. 210; kaupa e-t f. e-n, Nj. 157; gjalda gjöld f. e-n, Grág. i. 173; verja, sækja, sakir f. e-n, Eg. 504; hvárr f. sik, each for oneself, Dipl. v. 26; sættisk á öll mál f. Björn, Nj. 266; tók sættir f. Björn, Eg. 168; svara f. e-t, Fms. xi. 444; hafa til varnir f. sik, láta lýrit, lög-vörn koma f.; færa vörn f. sik, etc.; verja, sækja sakir f. sik, and many similar law phrases, Grág. passim; biðja konu f. e-n, to woo a lady for another, Fms. x. 44; fyrir mik, on my behalf, for my part, Gs. 16; lögvörn f. mál, a lawful defence for a case, Nj. 111; hafa til varnar f. sök, to defend a case, Grág. i. 61; halda skiladómi f. e-t, Dipl. iv. 8; festa lög f. e-t, vide festa.

III. in a distributive sense; penning f. mann, a penny per man, K. Þ. K. 88; fyrir nef hvert, per nose = per head, Lv. 89, Fms. i. 153, Ó. H. 141; hve f. marga menn, for how many men, Grág. i. 296; fyrir hverja stiku, for each yard, 497.

IV. for, for the benefit of; brjóta brauð f. hungraða, Hom. 75; þeir skáru f. þá melinn, they cut the straw for them (the horses), Nj. 265; leggja kostnað f. e-n, to defray one’s costs, Grág. i. 341.

V. for, instead of; hann setti sik f. Guð, Edda (pref.); hafa e-n f. Guð (Lat. pro Deo), Stj. 73, Barl. 131; geta, fá, kveðja mann f. sik, to get a man as one’s delegate or substitute, Grág. i. 48 passim; þeir höfðu vargstakka f. brynjur, Fs. 17; manna-höfuð vóru f. kljána, Nj. 275; gagl f. gás ok grís f. gamalt svín, Ó. H. 86; rif stór f. hlunna, Háv. 48; buðkr er f. húslker er hafðr, Vm. 171; auga f. auga, tönn f. tönn, Exod. xxi. 24; skell f. skillinga, Þkv. 32.

VI. because of, for; vilja Gunnar dauðan fyrir höggit, Nj. 92, Fms. v. 162; eigi f. sakleysi, not without ground, i. 302; fyrir hvat (why, for what) stefndi Gunnarr þeim til úhelgi? Nj. 101; ok urðu f. þat sekir, Landn. 323; hafa ámæli f. e-t, Nj. 65, passim.

2. in a good sense, for one’s sake, for one; fyrir þín orð, for thy words, intercession, Ísl. ii. 217; vil ek göra f. þín orð, Ld. 158, Nj. 88; fyrir sína vinsæld, by his popularity, Fms. i. 259: the phrase, fyrir e-s sök, for one’s sake, vide sök: in swearing, a Latinism, fyrir trú mína, by my faith! (so in Old Engl. ‘fore God), Karl. 241; fyrir þitt líf, Stj. 514; ek særi þik f. alla krapta Krists ok manndóm þinn, Nj. 176. VII. for, at, denoting value, price; fyrir þrjár merkr, for three marks, Eg. 714; er sik leysti út f. þrjú hundruð marka, Fms. ix. 421; ganga f. hundrað, to pass or go for a hundred, D. I. i. 316:—also of the thing bought, þú skalt reiða f. hana þrjár merkr, thou shall pay for her three marks, Ld. 30; fyrir þik skulu koma mannhefndir, Nj. 57; bætr f. víg, Ísl. ii. 274; bætr f. mann, Eg. 259, passim; fyrir áverka Þorgeirs kom legorðs-sökin, Nj. 101:—so in the phrase, fyrir hvern mun, by all means, at any cost; fyrir öngan mun, by no means, Fms. i. 9, 157, Gþl. 531:—hafði hverr þeirra mann f. sik, eða tvá …, each slew a man or more for himself, i. e. they sold their lives dearly, Ó. H. 217.

2. ellipt., í staðinn f., instead of, Grág. i. 61; hér vil ek bjóða f. góð boð, Nj. 77; taka umbun f., Fms. vii. 161; svara slíku f. sem …, Boll. 350; þér skulut öngu f. týna nema lífinu, you shall lose nothing less than your head, Nj. 7.

VIII. by means of, by, through; fyrir þat sama orð, Stj.; fyrir sína náttúru, Fms. v. 162; fyrir messu-serkinn, iii. 168; fyrir þinn krapt ok frelsis-hönd, Pass. 19. 12; svikin f. orminn, by the serpent, Al. 63,—this use of fyrir seems to be a Latinism, but is very freq. in eccl. writings, esp. after the Reformation, N. T., Pass., Vídal.; fyrir munn Davíðs, through the mouth of David, etc.:—in good old historical writings such instances are few; þeir hlutuðu f. kast ( by dice), Sturl. ii. 159.

IX. in spite of, against; fyrir vilja sinn, N. G. L. i. 151; fyrir vitorð eðr vilja e-s, against one’s will or knowledge, Grág. ii. 348; kvángask (giptask) f. ráð e-s, i. 177, 178, Þiðr. 190; nú fara menn f. bann ( in spite of an embargo) landa á milli, Gþl. 517; hann gaf henni líf f. framkvæmd farar, i. e. although she had not fulfilled her journey ( her vow), Fms. v. 223; fyrir várt lof, vi. 220; fyrir allt þat, in spite of all that, Grett. 80 new Ed.; fyrir ráð fram, heedlessly; fyrir lög fram, vide fram.

X. denoting capacity, in the same sense as ‘at,’ C. II, p. 27, col. 1; scarcely found in old writers (who use ‘at’), but freq. in mod. usage, thus, eigi e-n f. vin, to have one for a friend, in old writers ‘at vin;’ hafa e-n f. fífl, fól, to make sport of one.

2. in old writers some phrases come near to this, e. g. vita f. vist, to know for certain, Dipl. i. 3; vita f. full sannindi, id., ii. 16; hafa f. satt, to take for sooth, believe, Nj. 135; koma f. eitt, to come ( turn) all to one, Lv. 11, Nj. 91, Fms. i. 208; koma f. ekki, to come to naught, be of no avail, Ísl. ii. 215; fyrir hitt mun ganga, it will turn the other way, Nj. 93; fyrir hann er einskis örvænt orðs né verks, from him everything may be expected, Ísl. ii. 326; hafa e-s víti f. varnað, to have another’s faults for warning, Sól. 19.

XI. joined with adverbs ending in -an, fyrir austan, vestan, sunnan, norðan, útan, innan, framan, handan, ofan, neðan, either with a following acc. denoting. direction, thus, fyrir austan, sunnan … fjall, east, south of the fell, i. e. on the eastern, southern side; fyrir neðan brú, below the bridge; fyrir útan fjall = Lat. ultra; fyrir innan fjall = Lat. infra; fyrir handan á, beyond the river; fyrir innan garð, inside the yard; fyrir ofan garð, above, beyond the yard, etc.; vide these adverbs:—used adverb., fyrir sunnan, in the south; fyrir vestan, in the west; fyrir norðan, in the north; fyrir austan, in the east,—current phrases in Icel. to mark the quarters of the country, cp. the ditty in Esp. Árb. year 1530; but not freq. in old writers, who simply say, norðr, suðr …, cp. Kristni S. ch. 1: absol. and adverb., fyrir ofan, uppermost; fyrir handan, on the other side:—fyrir útan e-t, except, save, Anal. 98, Vkv. 8; fyrir fram, vide fram.

☞ For- and fyrir- as prefixes, vide pp. 163–167 and below:

I. fore-, for-, meaning before, above, in the widest sense, local, temp., and metaph. furthering or the like, for-dyri, for-nes, for-ellri, for-beini, etc.

β. before, down, for-brekkis, -bergis, -streymis, -vindis, -viðris, etc.

2. in an intens. sense = before others, very, but not freq.; for-dyld, -góðr, -hagr, -hraustr, -kostuligr, -kuðr, -lítill, -ljótr, -prís, -ríkr, -snjallr.

II. (cp. fyrir, acc., C. IX), in a neg. or priv. sense; a few words occur even in the earliest poems, laws, and writers, e. g. for-að, -átta, -dæða, -nám, -næmi, -sending, -sköp, -verk, -veðja, -viða, -vitni, -ynja, -yrtir; those words at least seem to be original and vernacular: at a later time more words of the same kind crept in:

1. as early as writers of the 13th and 14th centuries, e. g. for-boð, -bænir, -djarfa, -dæma (fyrir-dæma), -taka (fyrir-taka), -þóttr; fyrir-bjóða, -fara, -göra, -koma, -kunna, -líta, -muna, -mæla, -vega, -verða.

2. introduced in some words at the time of the Reformation through Luther’s Bible and German hymns, and still later in many more through Danish, e. g. for-brjóta, -drífa, -láta, -líkast, -merkja, -nema, -sorga, -sóma, -standa, -svara, -þénusta, and several others; many of these, however, are not truly naturalised, being chiefly used in eccl. writings:—it is curious that if the pronoun be placed after the verb (which is the vernacular use in Icel.) the sense is in many cases reversed; thus, fyrir-koma, to destroy, but koma e-u fyrir can only mean to arrange; so also fyrir-mæla, to curse, and mæla fyrir, to speak for; for-bænir, but biðja fyrir e-m, etc.; in the latter case the sense is good and positive, in the former bad and negative; this seems to prove clearly that these compds are due to foreign influence.

(sín, sitt), poss. pron. his, her, its, their;

1) referring to the subj. in a sentence, Hallgerðr fastnaði dóttur sína, H. betrothed her daughter;

Hrútr var harðráðr við úvini sína, H. was stern towards his foes;

2) referring to the object;

hvat vill Haraldr bjóða Nóregs konungi fyrir sitt starf, what will H. offer to the king of Norway for his (viz. the latter’s) trouble? Sigurðr jarl gaf upp Orkneyingum óðul sín, their odals;

hann þakkar honum sitt sinni, he thanks him for his help;

3) neut. as subst.;

kostaði hann einn allt fyrir, en bœndr ekki af sínu, nothing of their own;

allt mun þat sínu fran fara um aldr manna, it will all go its own course to a man’s life;

4) with sjálfr both words are declined;

þeir báðu hana taka sjálfrar sinnar ráð, they bade her take her own counsel;

5) with hvárr and hverr in a distributive sense;

tók sitt langskip hvárr þeira, each of the two took a long ship;

sinn vetr þá hvárr heimboð at öðrum, they visited each other, winter about;

sínu sinni at hvárs búum, alternately on each other’s estates;

sinn veg hvárr, one each way;

þykkir nökkut sinn veg hváru, each took his own view of the matter;

ferr sinn veg hverr um skóginn, they (all) went each his own way in the wood;

skulu vaka sinn þriðjung nætr hverir tveir, two and two in turn.

n. time;

eitt sinn, einu sinni, one time, once (þat var eitt sinn, at Egill gekk til elda at verma sik);

eitthvert sinn, einhverju sinni = eitt sinn, einu sinni;

einhverju sinni bar svá til, at, one time it happened that;

ekki sinn, engu sinni, never;

aldri sinn, never more (aldri skaltu koma í mína rekkju sinn síðan);

þat sinn, that time;

þessu sinni, this time;

(í) annat sinn, öðru sinni, a second time, again;

hit fyrra sinn, the first time;

hit þriðja sinn, for the third time;

at sinni, for the present (þeir skilja tal sitt at sinni);

um sinn, once (veg þú aldri meirr í inn sama knérunn en um sinn);

for this one time (ek mun leysa þik ór vandræði þessu um sinn);

um sinns sakir, for this once (eigi vil ek synja þér um sinns sakir þessa);

dat. pl., sjau sinnum, seven times;

endr ok sinnum, now and then, from time to time;

nökkurum sinnum, several times.

* * *

sín, sitt, pron. possess. reflex.; the better and true form is sínn, sín, sítt, with í throughout, see the remarks on minn; [Ulf. seins, etc.]:—his, hers, its, theirs = Lat. suus, usually placed after, but also, if emphatic, before; þar sitr Sigyn um sínum ver, Vsp. 39; síns um freista frama, Hm. 2; mál síns maga, 20; síns ins heila hugar, síns ins svára sofa, 105: properly referring to the subject in a sentence, Hallgerðr fastnaði dóttur sína, H. gave away her daughter. Nj. 51; Hrútr var hagráðr við vini sína, 2; hann skipaði sínum mónnum, 50; þeir leiða hesta sína, 265; hann kvaddi Ólaf stjúpson sinn til at söðla sér hest, Ó. H. 15; síðan vóru honum öll ráð sín þungrærð ok torsótt, 195; var honum sjálfum hugr sinn bæði fyrir skjöld ok brynju, Fbr. 56 new Ed. The pronoun may also refer to the object, or, in a complex sentence, to a second person in the predicate of the sentence, hvat vill Haraldr bjóða Noregs konungi fyrir sitt starf, what will H. offer to the king of Norway for his (i. e. the Norse king’s) trouble? Fms. vi. 415; Sigurðr jarl gaf upp Orkneyingum óðul sín (their odals), Orkn. 20, cp. the Lat. ‘Syracusanis res suas restituit;’ sagði Dufþakr at Ormr skyldi hafa byrði sína, i. e. as much as O. could carry, Fb. i. 523; eigi þér at bæta prestinum rétt sinn, to the priest his due, Bs. i. 709; Eyjólfr þakkar konungi gjafir sínar ok vinmæli for his (the king’s) gifts, Lv. 112; hann þakkar honum sitt sinni, he thanks him for his help, Fas. ii. 542: so also in mod. writers, og hann gaf hann aptr sinni móður, Luke vii. 15 (Vídal.); ræn ei Guð Sínum rétti, rob thou not God of his right, Pass. 7. 11, and passim.

II. neut. as subst.; allt mun þat sínu fram fara ( go its own course) um aldr manna, Nj. 259; ryðik hann um sitt, = Lat. pro virili, i. e. for his own part, with might and main, Fms. xi. 132: ellipt., hann segir sínar (viz. farar) eigi sléttar, Korm. 158; kom hann svá sinni (viz. ár) fyrir borð, Fas. i. 524.

III. with sjálfr, both words are declined; skaða sjálfs síns, one’s own self’s scathe, Sks. 228 B; minni sjálfs síns, one’s own recollection, D. N. ii. 110; þeir báðu hana taka sjálfrar sinnar ráð. ‘take her own self’s rede,’ act for herself, Fms. x. 103; með höndum sjálfra sinna, Barl. 25; leggr hón í veð sjálfra sinna eignir, D. N. ii. 82; sakir óforsjó sálfra sinna, i. 107: in mod. usage both the possessive and the indeclinable forms are used, thus, sjálfs síns eignum, but if placed after, eignum sjálfs sín; the possessive however is more freq., as it also is the better form of the two.

IV. with hvárr (dual), hverr (plur.), in a distributive sense:

α. sinn-hverr in n purely distributive sense; tók sitt langskip ‘hvárr þeirra, they took a long ship, each of the two, Eg. 74; England ok Skotland er ein ey, ok er þó sitt hvárt konungs-ríki, England and Scotland are one island, and yet each is a separate kingdom, Symb. 14: lét sitt naut hvárr fram leiða, Eg. 506; sinn vetr þá hvúrr heimboð at öðrum, each his winter, alternately, Nj. 51; ef sinn lögsögu-mann vilja hvárir, Grág. i. 1; þeirra manna er tví-tyngðir eru ok hafa í sínum hváptinum hvára tunguna, Al. 4; hón hélt sinni hendi um háls hvárum þeirra, … liggi til sinnar handar mér hvárr ykkar, Fms. i. 9.

β. sinn hverr (plur.), ferr sinn veg hverr um skóginn, they went each his own way in the wood, i. e. dispersed, Glúm. 329; skulu vaka sinn þriðjung nætr hverir tveir, two and two in turn, Fms. iv. 299; hann selr sína bolöxi í hendr hverjum þeirra, v. 288; hann sá þrjú hásæti ok sátu þrír menn, sinn í hverju, Edda 2; hann kastaði um öxl hverja sínum sauðum tveimr, Grett. 134 new Ed.; fór sinn veg hverr, they went each his own way, i. e. they parted; but, fór hverr sinn veg, each his (appointed) way: rarely with the possessive placed after, fóru hvárir leið sína, Nj. 34; fara hvárir til síns heima, Korm. 222. In mod. usage, when sinn is placed after hverr, it gives emphasis with the notion of one’s due, one’s own, thus, gefa hverjum sitt, to give every one his due, Lat. suum cuique; whereas ‘sitt hverjum,’ with the order reversed, is merely distributive; thus hver fékk sinn penning, Matth. xx. 9 (of wages due to each); whereas ‘fékk sinn pening hverr’ would be said of alms distributed.

B. COMPDS: sinn-veg, sinn-eg, sinn-ig, adv. one each way; þykkir nokkut sinnveg hváru, they disagreed, Ld. 90; talaði annarr at öðrum, ok hóf sinneg; hverr, they all spoke in turn, and each began his speech differently, Fms. vii. 222. Also, sinns-ig, adv.; flýði sinnsig hverr, Fms. viii. 413, v. l.; sinnsiginn var litr hvers steins, Konr.; skildu þeir svá sínu tali, at sinnsiginn líkaði hverjum, Bs. (Laur.); segir svá Gregorius papa, at sinnsig á hvern á at minna, each has to be admonished in his own way, one this way, another that, 655 xi. 2.

* * *

(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.

* * *

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.

(gen. -ar and -s; pl. -ir and -ar, acc. -u and -a), m.

1) way, road (á vegum úti);

2) fig. phrases, koma e-u til vegar, to bring about; fara til vegar, to go, proceed (ekki mun þér um, at kenna, hversu sem til vegar ferr); ganga (koma) til vegar, to come to an issue, be decided (gekk þat ok eigi til vegar); gera endiligan veg á máli, to bring it to an issue; venda sínum vegi, to wend one’s way;

3) way, mode, manner; þessir menn munu sœkja oss með eldi, er þeir megu eigi annan veg, if they cannot (get at us) in any other way; einn veg, one way, in the same way; annan veg, other-wise (er annan veg en ek hygg); þann veg, thus, in that wise (þetta er ekki þann veg at skilja); hvern veg, how (eigi veit ek hvern veg þá mun verða);þótti sinn veg hvárum, each of the two had his own opinion, they disagreed; á alla vega, in every way, manner, respect; á marga vega, in many ways;

4) direction; alla vega, in all directions, on all sides (kváðu við lúðrar alla vega í braut frá þeim); skjót annan veg, in another direction; snúa hverr síns vegar, each his own way, in different directions; flýja viðs vegar, to flee scattered about;

5) side, hand; eins vegar, on one side (var eins vegar sjór); á hœgra (vinstra) veg e-u, on the right (left) hand of; tvá vega, on two sides.

(gen. -s), m. honour, distinction (er yðr þat v. mikill); til vegs guði, to the glory of God.

f. pl. levers, see vög.

* * *

m., gen. vegar; but vegs, Eg. 295, Bret. 262; vegsins, Hbl. 56; dat. vegi and veg; with the article veginum, Eg. 544; but veg, Fms. i. 9: pl. vegir and vegar, Eg. 544; acc. vega and vegu, the former is the better form, for the root is ‘vig,’ not ‘vigu;’ vega is also used in old adverbial phrases, as alla vega, marga vega: [Ulf. wigs = ὁδός; A. S., O. H. G. and Germ. weg; Engl. way; Dan. vej; Swed. väg; Lat. via; the root word is vega, q. v.]:—a way, road; vegir er renna til bæja, Gþl. 413; vegir allir, Eg. 543; þröngastir vegir, Fms. ix. 366, passim.

2. metaph. phrases; fara vel til vegar, to be well on ones way, go on, Fms. ix. 283; ganga til vegar, to be in the way towards, to come to an issue, vii. 136, Boll. 355; komask til vegar, Háv. 51; einum verðr e-ð að vegi, to find one’s way out; koma e-u til vegar, to put one in the way, Ld. 320; göra veg á við e-n, to travel with one, come to an understanding; göra endiligan veg á máli, to bring it to an issue, Bs. i. 905; var þat endiligr vegr hér á, Dipl. ii. 11; venda sínum vegi, to wend one’s way, Fms. xi. 425; verða á veg e-s, i. 9; ríða í veg með e-m, on the way, iii. 110; um langan veg, a long way off, Eg. 410, Hom. 7, Edda 30; um farinn veg, á förnum vegi, see fara (A. VI. 2).

II. special, partly adverbial, phrases; víða vega, far and wide, 655 ix. C. 1; miðja vega, midway, Gísl. 5; annan veg, another way, Grág. (Kb.) i. 153; á hvárn tveggja veg, both ways; á hægra veg. on the right hand, Fms. x. 16; á vinstra veg. Mar.; tvá vega, both ways, Fms. x. 14; á alla vega, to all sides, Grág. (Kb.) i. 148; á alla vega frá, 119; flýði sins vegar hvár, Fms. vii. 250, Ver. 11; sinn veg hverr, Landn. 36; flýja víðs vegar, to fly scattered about, Eg. 530, Fms. vi. 87; á verra veg, to the worse, i. 270; á alla vega, in every way, manner, respect. Ld. 222, Fms. xi. 76; á marga vega, Skálda ii. 148; á þrá vega, Hom. 157; fjóra vega, on four sides, D. N. iv. 506.

2. engi veg, in no way, Blas. 43; hverngi veg, howsoever Grág. (Kb.) i. 75; annan veg, otherwise, Fms. vii. 263; einn veg, one way, in the same way, Grág. i. 490; er eigi einn veg farit úgæfu okkarri, Nj. 183; engan veg, in nowise, Fas. ii. 150: gen., eins vegar, on one side, Art.; annars vegar, Fms. viii. 228; hins vegar, on the farther side; síns vegar hverr, one on each side, Pr. 71, Fbr. 67 new Ed.; til vinstra vegsins, Hbl. 56; skógrinn var til hægra vegs, Eg. 295.

III. a region, county; in local names, Austr-vegir, Suðr-vegir, Nór-egr.

IV. peculiar forms are megin (acc. sing.) and megum (dat. pl., see p. 421, col. 2), dropping the initial v and prefixing the m from a preceding dative, the true forms being -egum, -eginn, as in báðum-egum, öllum-eginn, sínum-eginn, hinum-egum, þeim-egin, tveim-egum, whence báðu-megin … tveim-megin; the v remains in tveim vegum, Gþl. 418; nörðrum veginn, B. K. 32, 97; nörðra veginn, 97; tveim veginn, Sks. 414 B.

2. suffixed to pronouns, einn, hinn, hvern, þann, sinn, in the forms -ig, -og, -ug; einn-ig, also; hinn-ig or hinn-og, the other way; hvern-ig, hvern-og, how; þann-ig, þann-og, thither; sinns-egin, sinn-og, (see these words, as also hinn B, p. 264; sinn B, p. 529; so also in Nór-egr, q. v.)

B. vegna, a gen. pl. (?); þær heiðar er vatnsföll deilir af tveggja vegna, on both sides, Grág. i. 440; stukku menn frá tveggja vegna, Eg. 289; senda fjögurra vegna, Fms. i. 209.

II. á vegna e-s, on one’s behalf; this is only found in later vellums, and is said to be derived from the Germ. von wegen (Grimm’s Gramm. iii. 266); which etymology is strongly supported by the fact, that af vegna or á vegna (= Germ. von wegen) is the oldest form; af hins fátæka vegna, Stj. 151; af staðarins vegna, Vm. 55; kom á stefnu fyrir oss Sira Einarr ráðsmaðr af vegna Hóla-kirkju, Dipl. ii. 18; á vegna (= af vegna) Árna, Vm. 131.

2. then, dropping the particle, simply vegna; vegna e-s, on one’s account or behalf, on the part of; jarls vegna, Fms. x. 113, v. l.; staðarins vegna, Dipl. iii. 9, v. 9; minna vegna, on my behalf, Fms. iii. 154 (a late vellum); várra vegna, H. E. i. 436; sem Halldórr hafði áðr fram leitt sinna vegna, Dipl. ii. 5; Loðinn gaf upp sinna vegna, Fms. x. 99.

3. lastly, in mod. usage it has become a regular prep. with gen., having displaced the old fyrir … sakir; but in this sense it is hardly found in vellums; but in inaccurate paper transcripts it is often substituted for the ‘sakir’ of the vellum; cp. Vd. old Ed. 100 and Fs. ch. 24 fine; alls vegna, Þórð. 63 old Ed.; but fyrir alls sakir, new Ed. 13, l. c.

C. COMPDS: vegabót, vegarfall, vegarganga, vegalauss, vegaleysi, vegamót, vegarán, vegaskil, vegsummerki.

m., gen. vegs, glory, honour; er yðr þat vegr mikill, Eg. 410; þótti þeim miklu minni vegr at þessum, 67; leita e-m vegs, Nj. 78; með miklum veg, ok þó eigi allir með jöfnum veg, Fms. x. 170; skína með mikilli birti ok veg, i. 77; rekinn frá öllum veg, es fyrr vas prýddr öllum veg, Eluc. 13; þeim sé vegr ok veldi, lof ok dýrð, 623. 57: so in the phrase, hafa veg ok vanda af e-u, to have both the honour and the responsibility of a thing.

COMPDS: vegsboð, vegskona, vegslauss, vegsmunir.

(pl. -ir), f. thousand.

* * *

f.; sérhverja þúsund, Stj. 298; á þúsund (dat.), Sks. 705; tvær, þrjár … þúsundir, 623. 53: in mod. usage it is mostly neut. (influenced by Latin?), but also fem. It is spelt þús-hund, Barl. 53; þús-hundum, Fms. vi. 409 (v. l.), Geisli 49; another form þús-hundrað (q. v.) is freq., esp. in Stj., Barl.; this double form -hund and -hundrað answers to the equally double form of ‘hundred,’ see p. 292, and is a proof that þúsund is a compound word, the latter part of which is ‘hund’ or ‘hundred;’ the etymology of the former part ‘þús’ is less certain; it is, we believe, akin to þysja, þyss, þaus-nir (a lost strong verb þúsa, þaus, þusu); þúsund would thus literally mean a swarm of hundreds: [in Goth. the gender varies, þûsundi, pl. þusundjos = χίλιοι, or þusundja, neut.; A. S. þûsend; Engl. thousand; O. H. G. dusunta; Germ. tausend, qs. dausend; Swed. tusende and tusen; Dan. tusinde; Dutch tuysend: this word is also common to the Slavon. languages: again, the Lapp, duhat and Finn. tuhat are no doubt borrowed from the Slavon. or Scandin.; the Gr., Lat., and Sansk. use other words]—a thousand.

B. There is little doubt that with the ancient heathen Scandinavians (and perhaps all Teutons), before their contact with the civilised southern people, the notion of numbers was limited, and that their thousand was not a definite number, but a vague term, denoting a swarm, crowd, host (cp. the Gr. μυρίοι): in ancient lays it occurs thrice (Hkv., Em., Fas. i. 502), but indefinitely; hvat þrym er þar sem þúsund bifisk eðr mengi til mikit, what a din is there as if a thousand were shaking, or an over-mickle multitude, Em. 2; sjau þúsundir, Hkv. 1. 49, literally = seven thousands, but in fact meaning seven hosts of men.

2. the dat. pl. þúsundum is, like huudruðum, used adverbially = by thousands, in countless numbers, Fms. vi. 409 (in a verse), Geisli 49.

3. in the ancient popular literature, uninfluenced by southern writers, ‘þúsund,’ as a definite number, occurs, we think, not half-a-dozen times. As the multiple of ten duodecimal hundreds, ere the decimal hundred was adopted, ‘þnsund’ would mean twelve decimal hundreds; and such is its use in the Sverris Saga, Fms. viii. 40, where one vellum says ‘tvær þúsundir,’ whilst the others, by a more idiomatic phrase, call it ‘twenty hundreds.’

II. in ecclesiastical writers, and in annals influenced by the Latin and the like, it is frequent enough; tíu þúsundir, fjórtán þúsundir, Fms. i. 107, 108 (annalistic records); fimm þúsundir, xi. 386, Al. 111; tíu þúsundum, Sks. 705; tíu þúsundum sinna hundrað þúsunda, Hom.; þúsund þúsunda, a thousand of thousands, i. e. a million, (mod.); hundrað þúsundir rasta ok átta tigir þúsunda, … hundrað þúsund mílna, Fb. i. 31 (in the legend of Eric the Far-traveller and Paradise, taken from some church-legend); fjórar þúsundir, Þiðr. 234: or of the years of the world, sex þúsundir vetra, Fs. 197; sjau þúsundir vetra, Landn. 34.

C. REMARKS.—The popular way of counting high numbers was not by thousands, but by tens (decades) and duodecimal hundreds as factors; thus ten … twenty hundreds, and then going on three, four, five, six … tens of hundreds (a ‘ten of hundreds’ being = 1200). The following references may illustrate this—tíu hundruð, ellefu hundruð, tólf hundruð, þrettán hundruð, fimtán hundruð …, Íb. 17, Ó. H. 119, 201, Fms. vii. 295, xi. 383, 385. From twenty and upwards—tuttugu hundrað manna, twenty hundreds of men, Fms. vii. 324, viii. 40; hálfr þriðitugr hundraða skipa, two tens and a half hundreds of ships, i. e. twenty-five hundreds, Fas. i. 378; þrjá tigu hundraða manna, three tens of hundreds of men, Fms. viii. 311; var skorat manntal, hafði hann meirr enn þrjá tigu hundraða manna, vii. 204; þrír tigir hundraða, D. N. v. 18; user fjorir tigir hundraða manna, nearly four tens of hundreds of men, Fms. vii. 275; á fimta tigi hundraða, on the fifth ten of hundreds, i. e. from four to five tens of hundreds, viii. 321; sex tigir hundraða, six tens of hundreds, 311, xi. 390; sex tigu hundraða manna, Fb. ii. 518, D. I. i. 350,—all odd amounts being neglected. The highest number recorded as actually reckoned in this way is ‘six tens of hundreds’ (fimtán tigir hundraða, fifteen tens of hundreds, Fms. viii. 321, v. l., is a scribe’s error): it is probable that no reckoning exceeded twelve tens of hundreds. All high multiples were unintelligible to the ancients; the number of the Einherjar in Walhalla is in the old lay Gm. thus expressed,—there are ‘five hundred doors in Walhalla, and five tens beside (the ‘five tens’ are, by the way, merely added for alliteration’s sake), and eight hundred Einherjar will walk out of each door when they go out to fight the Wolf’ (on the Day of final Doom). There seems to have been some dim exaggerated notion of a definite thousand in an ancient lay, only preserved in a half alliterative prose paraphrase, Fas. i. 502, where a mythical host is given thus,—there were thirty-three phalanxes, each of five ‘thousand,’ each thousand of thirteen hundreds, each hundred four times counted. The armies in the battle of Brawalla, the greatest of the mythical age, are given, not in numbers, but by the space the ranks occupied, Skjöld. S. ch. 8. This resembles the story in Ó. H. ch. 59, of the two young brothers, king’s sons: when asked what they would like to have most of, the one said: ‘Cows.’ ‘And how many?’ ‘As many,’ said he, ‘as could stand packed in a row round the lake (Mjösen in Norway) and drink.’ ‘But you?’ they asked the other boy: ‘House-carles’ (soldiers), said he. ‘And how many?’ ‘As many,’ said he, ‘as would in one meal eat up all my brother’s cows.’ Add also the tale of the King and the Giant, and the number of the giant’s house-carles, Maurer’s Volksagen 306. No less elementary was the rule for division and fractions, of which a remarkable instance is preserved in an ancient Icelandic deed, called Spákonu-arfr, published in D. I. i. 305. See also the words tigr, hundrað, skor, skora, and the remarks in Gramm. p. xix. The Homeric numeration, as set forth in Mr. Gladstone’s Homeric Studies, vol. iii, p. 425 sqq., is highly interesting, and bears a striking resemblance to that of the ancient Scandinavians. We may notice that in Iceland land and property are still divided into hundreds (hundreds of ells = 120), see hundrað B; in this case a thousand is never used, but units and hundreds of hundreds as factors, thus, sex tögu hundraða, in Reykh. Máld, (a deed of the 12th century), and so still in mod. usage; a wealthy man of the 15th century is said to have bequeathed to his daughters in land, ‘tólf hundruð hundraða ok ellefu-tíu og tvau hundruð betr, en í lausafé fimm hundruð hundraða,’ i. e. twelve hundreds of hundreds and ‘eleventy’ and two hundreds, and in movables five hundreds of hundreds, Feðga-æfi 16 (by the learned Bogi Benidiktsson of Staðarfell in Iceland, A. D. 1771–1849); sjau hundruð hundraða og þrjátigi hundruð betr, 21; hann eptir-lét börnum sínum fjármuni upp á níu hundruð hundraða, 22,—a proof that in very remote times, when this valuation of land first took place, ‘thousand’ was still unknown as a definite number.

* * *

(gen. handar, dat. hendi; pl. hendr), f.

1) hand;

taka hendi á e-u, to touch with the hand;

hafa e-t í hendi, to hold in the hand;

drepa hendi við e-u, to refuse;

halda hendi yfir e-m, to protect one;

taka e-n höndum, to seize, capture;

bera hönd fyrir höfuð sér, to defend oneself;

eiga hendr sínar at verja, to act in self defence;

láta e-t hendi firr, to let go out of one’s hands, to lose;

taka í hönd e-m, to join hands with one;

eiga e-t jöfnum höndum, to own in equal shares;

sverja sér af hendi, to forswear;

af hendi e-s, on one’s behalf, on the part of (af hendi landsmanna);

at hendi, as adv. in turn;

hverr at hendi, each in turn;

felast á hendi e-m, to be under one’s protection;

hvat er þér á höndum, what hast thou in hand?;

ef honum væri ekki á höndum, if he had nothing in hand, if his hands were free;

eiga e-t fyrir hendi (höndum), to have in hand (duty, business, engagement);

vera í hendi, to be at hand, at one’s disposal;

hafa vel (illa) í höndum, to behave well (badly);

hafa e-t með höndum, to have in hand, manage, discharge;

hljóta e-t undan hendi e-s, from one, at one’s hand;

á hönd, á hendr, against (lýsa vígi á hönd e-m);

snúa vanda á hendr e-m, to throw the responsibility on one;

fœrast e-t á hendr, to undertake;

ganga (drífa) á hönd e-m, to submit to one;

bjargast á sínar hendr, by one’s own handiwork;

selja, gefa, fá e-t í hönd (hendr) e-m, to give into one’s hands, hand over;

búa e-t í hendr e-m, to make it ready for one;

kalla til e-s í hendr e-m, to lay claim to a thing at the hands of another;

þá sömu nótt, er fór í hönd, the following night;

veðr óx í hönd, the wind rose higher and higher;

vera hœgt um hönd, to be easy in hand;

til handa e-m, into one’s hands;

ganga til handa e-m, to put oneself in another’s hands, submit to him;

ef þat berr þér til handa, if it befalls thee;

þá skömrn kýs ek mér eigi til handa, I will not have that shame at my door;

biðja konu til handa e-m, on one’s behalf, for him;

2) the arm and hand, the arm (höndin gekk af axlarliðnum; hann hefir á hœgri hendi hring fyrir ofan ölnboga);

var eigi djúpara en þeim tók undir hendr, the water just reached to their armpits;

3) hand, side;

á hœgri (vinstri) hönd, on the right (left) hand, side;

á hvára hönd, on either hand;

minnar (yðvarrar) handar, for my (your) part;

4) kind, sort;

allra handa árgœzka, great abundance of all things.

* * *

f., gen. handar, dat. hendi, acc. hönd, pl. hendr, mod. proncd. höndur, gen. handa; [Goth. handus; A. S. and Engl. hand; O. H. G. hant; Germ. hand; Dan. haand; Swed. hand]:—a hand; beit höndina þar er nú heitir úlfliðr, Edda 17; armleggir, handleggir ok hendr, Anecd. 6; kné eðr hendi, Grág. ii. 8; ganga á höndum, Fms. vi. 5; með hendi sinni, K. Þ. K. 5 new Ed.; taka hendi á e-u, to touch with the hand, Fms. x. 110; taka höndum um háls e-m, Nj. 10; hvítri hendi, Hallfred; hafa e-t í hendi, to hold in hand, wield, Eg. 297, Nj. 84, 97, 255; hrjóta ór hendi e-m, Fms. xi. 141; hafa fingrgull á hendi, Nj. 146; handar-högg, Fms. xi. 126, Fas. ii. 459; sjá ekki handa sinna skil (deili), not to be able to see one’s hands, of a dense fog.

2. the arm and hand, the arm, like Gr. χείρ, Nj. 160, 253; á hendi heitir alnbogi, Edda 110; hendr til axla, Fas. i. 160; leggir handa ok fóta, Magn. 532; hönd fyrir ofan úlnlið, Nj. 84; hafa hring á hendi, of an arm-ring, Nj. 131; hring á hægri hendi fyrir ofan ölnboga, Fms. iv. 383:—the arm and arm-pit, ná, taka undir hönd ( arm-pit) e-m, Gþl. 380; var eigi djúpara en þeim tók undir hendr, the water reached to their arm-pits, Ld. 78; taka undir hönd sér, to take hold under one’s arms, Eg. 237, Nj. 200; sjá undir hönd e-m, Fas. ii. 558; renna undir hendr e-m, to backspan one, Háv. 40, 41; þykkr undir hönd, stout, Ld. 272.

3. metaph. handwriting, hand; rita góða hönd, to write a good hand; snar-hönd, running hand, italics.

II. the hand, side; hægri hönd, the right hand; vinstri hönd, the left hand; á hvára hönd, on either hand, each side, Landn. 215; á vinstri hönd, Nj. 196; á hægri hönd; á tvær hendr, on both hands or sides, Ísl. ii. 368, Fas. i. 384; á báðar hendr, Grág.; hvat sem á aðra hönd ber, whatsoever may happen; á aðra hönd … en á aðra, Ld. 46; til hvárigrar handara, Fms. x. 313; til annarrar handar, Nj. 50, 97; til sinnar handar hvárr, 140; til beggja handa, Eg. 65; til ýmsa handa, Bs. i. 750; þver-hönd, a hand’s breadth; örv-hönd.

III. sayings and phrases referring to the hand:

1. sayings; sjálfs hönd er hollust, one’s own hand is best, i. e. if you want to have a thing well done, do it yourself, Glúm. 332, Ó. H. 157; blíð er bætandi hönd, blessed is the mending hand; gjörn er hönd á venju, Grett. 150, Nj. (in a verse), and Edda (Ht. 26); margar hendr vinna létt verk; fiplar hönd á feigu tafli; betri ein kráka í hendi en tvær á skógi, Ld. 96; skamma stund verðr hönd höggvi fegin, see högg.

2. phrases; drepa hendi við, to refuse, Nj. 71; halda hendi yfir e-m, to hold one’s hand over, protect, 266, Fbr. 22, Anecd. 14; taka e-n höndum, to take hold with the hands, seize, capture, Fms. x. 314, Nj. 265, passim; eiga hendr sínar at verja, to act in self-defence, 84, 223; hefja handa, to lift the hands, stir for action, 65, Ld. 262; bera hönd fyrir höfuð sér, to put one’s hand before one’s head, stand on one’s guard, defend oneself; vera í hers höndum, óvina höndum, to be in a state of war, exposed to rapine; vera í góðum höndum, vina-höndum, góðra manna höndum, to be in good hands, among friends.

β. læknis-hendr, ‘leech hands,’ healing hands; pains and sickness were believed to give way to the magical touch of a person gifted with such hands, Sdm. 4, Magn. S. Góða ch. 36 (Fms. vi. 73), cp. Rafns S. ch. 2; hönd full, a handful, Fms. ii. 302, vi. 38, viii. 306; fullar hendr fjár, hands full of gold:—kasta hendinni til e-s, to huddle a thing up; með harðri hendi, with hard hand, harshly, rudely; með hangandi hendi, with drooping hand, slothfully; fegins hendi, with glad hand, joyfully; sitja auðum höndum, to sit with empty hands, sit idle; but með tómar hendr, empty-handed, portionless, Thom.:—láta hendr standa fram úr ermum, to work briskly; víkja hendi til e-s (handar-vik), to move the hand to do a thing; það er ekki í tveim höndum að hafa við e-n, of double handed (i. e. faltering) half measures, when the one hand undoes what the other has done; kann ek þat sjá at ekki má í tveim höndum hafa við slíka menn, Band. 3; láta hönd selja hendi, of a ready bargain; láta e-t ganga hendi firr, to let go out of one’s hands, lose, Ld. 202; ok lét sér eigi hendi firr ganga, and never lost sight of him, 656 ii. 4; e-m fallask hendr, to be discomfited, lose one’s head (see falla); leggja görva hönd á allt, to be a ready hand, adept in everything, Thom. 300 (see göra F. 2); taka í hönd e-m, to join hands, Nj. 3; takask í hendr, to join, shake hands, Grág. ii. 80; leggja hendr saman, id., Gþl. 18,—of shaking hands as symbolical of a bargain, see the compds hand-lag, hand-festi, handa-band; eiga, taka, jöfnum höndum, to own, take with even hands, i. e. in equal shares, Grág. i. 171, ii. 66, Hkr. i. 318; vinna jöfnum höndum, to work even-handed, to help one another; e-m eru mislagðar hendr, one’s hands are amiss, when bad work is done by one from whom better was expected; honum hafa verið mislagðar hendr, etc.

B. Metaph. usages:

I. dat., sverja sér af hendi, to forswear, Fms. vii. 176; færa af höndum sér, to dismiss, Grág. i. 248; hefjask af höndum e-m, Fms. xi. 59:—af hendi e-s, on one’s behalf, part, Landn. 154; af hendi Hákonar, Fms. i. 20, iv. 118; af hendi landsmanna, ix. 359; af sinni hendi, of one’s own hand, for one’s own part, Grág. i. 392; reiða, greiða, gjalda, inna af hendi or höndum, to discharge, pay off, Fms. vii. 230, Nj. 146, 190, 232, 239, 257, 281, Grág. i. 82, ii. 374; selja, láta af hendi (höndum), to part with, dismiss, Nj. 186, 231, Fms. vii. 173, Rb. 12; líða af hendi, to pass, of time, Ísl. ii. 144, Fms. iv. 83: koma, bera at hendi, to happen, Nj. 71, 177: at hendi, as adv. in turn; hvern at hendi, each in turn, Fms. i. 150: þar næst Gunnarr, þá Loðinn, þá hverr at hendi, Nj. 140; hverr segir at hendi þat er frá honum hefir stolit verit, Mar.: felask á hendi e-m, to be under one’s charge, protection, Nj. 201, Bs. i. 167, 173. vera e-m á hendi, id., Fms. vii. 243; vera bundinn á hendi e-m, Sturl. i. 57: hafa e-t á höndum (hendi), to have a thing in hand, of duty, business to be done, Grág. i. 38; eiga ferð á höndum, Ld. 72; hvat er þér á höndum, what hast thou in hand? for what art thou concerned, distressed? Nj. 133, Ld. 270; ella eru þér stórir hlutir á höndum, Fms. vii. 30; ef honum væri ekki á höndum, if he had nothing in hand, if his hands were free, Ld. 42: eiga e-t fyrir hendi (höndum), to have in hand (duty, business, engagement), Fas. ii. 557; farvegr langr fyrir hendi, Fms. xi. 316; tveir kostir fyrir höndum, Nj. 264, Grág. i. 279; hafa sýslu fyrir höndum, Ísl. ii. 344; eiga vandræði fyrir höndum, Ld. 4; eiga gott fyrir höndum, Hkr. iii. 254: vera í hendi, to be at hand, within reach, at one’s disposal, in one’s power; hann er eigi í hendi, Fms. vi. 213; þat er eigi í hendi, ‘tis no easy matter, v. l.; hafa raun ( evidence) í hendi, Bs. i. 708; hafa ráð e-s í hendi sér, Ld. 174, Fas. i. 260; hafa vel, ílla í höndum, to behave well, badly, Ísl. ii. 387, Eg. 158; varð honum þat vel í höndum, 50: hafa e-t með höndum (fé, auðæfi, embætti, etc.), to have in hand, manage, discharge, Grág. ii. 389, Greg. 25, Stj. 248, Hkr. iii. 131; to design, hafa ráð, stórræði með höndum, 623. 51: hljóta undan hendi e-s, from one, at one’s hands, Fas. i. 365: undir höndum, eigi lítill undir höndum, not a small man to handle, Fms. vii. 17; vera undir höndum e-m, to be under or in one’s hands, under one’s protection, in one’s power, Sks. 337, Fms. i. 7, 13; sitja undir hendi e-m, Hkr. i. 166,—um hendr, Fms. iv. 71, is prob. an error = undir hendi.

2. absol., annarri hendi, on the other hand, Fms. vii. 158; en annarri hendi vildu þeir gjarna veita konungi hlýðni, ix. 258.

II. acc., with prepp.; á hönd, á hendr, against; höfða sök, lýsa vígi (etc.) á hönd e-m, to make a suit … against, Grág. i. 19, Nj. 86, 87, 98, 99, 101, 110, 120, 230; hyggja e-t á hendr e-m, to lay a thing to a person’s charge, Hom. 115; reynask á hendr e-m, to have a charge brought home to one, Fms. xi. 76; snúa vanda á hendr e-m, to throw the responsibility upon …, Nj. 215; færa, segja stríð á hendr e-m, to wage, declare war against one; fara geystr á hendr e-m, to rage against, Fms. vii. 230; færask e-t á hendr, to undertake, Nj. 126; ganga á hönd e-m, to vex one, 625. 33; sótt elnar á hendr e-m, Eg. 126; leggja e-t á hendr e-m, to lay ( a burden) on one’s hands, Fms. xi. 98; in a good sense, ganga á hönd, to pay homage to, submit, Ó. H. 184; dreif allt fólk á hönd honum, submitted to him, filled his ranks, Fms. i. 21; bjargask á sínar hendr, by one’s own handwork, Vápn. 28; (for at hönd, Grág. i. 135, read á hönd): selja, fá, gefa e-t í hönd, hendr e-m, to give into one’s hands, hand over; selja sök í hönd e-m (handsöl), Grág. ii. 80, Nj. 4, 98, 112, 186; so, halda e-u í hönd e-m, Ísl. ii. 232, Fms. vii. 274; búa í hendr e-m, to make it ready for one, Ld. 130; veiði berr í hendr e-m, Nj. 252; kalla til e-s í hendr e-m, to lay claim to a thing at the hands of another, Ld. 300, Eg. 350, Fms. iv. 222, ix. 424; þegar í hönd, offhand, immediately, Bs. i; þá sömu nótt er fór í hönd, the following night, Fms. viii. 397, Glúm. 341; gjalda í hönd, to pay in cash, Vm. 16; veðr óx í hönd, the wind rose higher and higher, Fb. i. 432: undir jafna hönd, equally, Sturl. iii. 243; standa óbrigðiliga undir jafna hönd, Dipl. v. 26: væra hægt um hönd, to be easy in hand, Nj. 25; þegar eg vil er hægt um hönd, heima á Fróni að vera, Núm. 1. 10; but mér er e-t um hönd, it is awkward, costs trouble: hafa við hönd sér, to keep at hand, Fms. x. 264; tóku konur manna ok dætr ok höfðu við hönd sér viku, Grett. 97; hafa e-t við höndina, to have it at hand.

III. gen., with prepp.; til handa e-m, into one’s hands; fara Guði til handa, to go into God’s hands, Blas. 51; ganga til handa e-m, to put oneself in another’s hands, submit to him, Rb. 404, Eg. 12, Fms. vii. 234, Fas. ii. 522; ef þat berr þér til handa, if it befalls thee, i. 135; þá skömm kýs ek mér eigi til handa, I will not have that shame at my door, Nj. 191: for one, on one’s behalf, biðja konu til handa e-m, 120, 180, Grág. i. 353; í þeirri bæn er hann orti oss til handa, for its, for our use, our sake, 655 i. 2; hann hélt fénu til handa Þrándi, Landn. 214, Nj. 151; safnar konungr liði (til) handa Oddi, Fas. ii. 553; til handa Þorkatli, Fs.

β. dropping the prep. til; mikit fé handa honum, Rd. 195 (late MSS.): whence, handa has become an adverb with dat., handa e-m, for one, Lat. alicui, which is freq. in mod. usage.

2. adverbial; allra handa, Dan. allehaande, of every kind; allra handa árgæzka, Edda (pref.); allra handa ganganda fé, Þórð. 51 new Ed.; fjögurra handa, of a fourfold kind, H. E. i. 525.

3. absol., minnar handar, for my part, Ísl. ii. 356; yðvarrar handar, for your part, Fms. ix. 498; hvárrar-tveggju handar, on either hand, Skálda 164; innan handar, within one’s hands, easy, Ld. 112; þótti þeim innan handar falla at taka land þetta hjá sér sjálfum, 210.

C. COMPDS:

I. plur., handa-afl, n., Edda, = handafl, p. 237. handa-band, n. a joining or shaking of hands, as a law term = handlag, Dipl. i. 11, iv. 2, Vígl. 23; in plur., Bs. (Laur. S.); heilsa, kveðja með handabandi. handa-festi, f. a hold for the hands, Fms. ii. 276. handa-gangr, m. grasping after a thing with all hands, Fas. iii. 345. handa-görvi, f. ‘hand-gear,’ gloves, Sd. 143, Fbr. 139. handa-hóf, n., in the phrase, af handahófi, at random. handa-kenning, f. hand touching, Eluc. 20. handa-klapp, n. a clapping of hands, Skálda 174. handa-læti, n. pl. gestures with the arms, Sks. 116. handar-mál, n., in the phrase, at handarmáli, in heaps; var þá drepit lið hans at handarmáli, Fas. i. 41. handa-saumr, m. tight gloves, Bs. ii. 10. handa-síðr, adj. = handsíðr. handa-skil, n. pl., in the phrase, sjá ekki h., not to see one’s own hands, as in the dark, in a dense fog. handa-skol, n. pl. maladroitness; það er allt í handaskolum. handa-skömm, f. shameful work, a scandal; það er mesta h.! handa-staðr, m. the print of the hands. Fas. i. 285. handa-tak, n., -tekt, f., -tekja, u, f. a taking of hands, as a bargain, Háv. 42, H. E. ii. 194, D. N. i. 398. handa-tæki, n. pl. a laying hold, a fight, Bs. i. (Laur. S.): a pledging of hands, Dipl. ii. 6, D. N. passim. handa-upphald, n. a lifting the arms, Stj. 296. handa-verk, n. pl. one’s handiwork, doings, N. G. L. i. 76, Fms. vii. 295, Stj. 198; í handaverkum eða bókfræði, 46; handaverk manna, men’s handiwork, Blas. 47; Guðs h.; ek em þín h., Sks. 610; hans h., Fms. viii. 406.

II. sing., handar-bak, n. the back of the hand, Sdm. 7. handar-gagn, n. a being ready to the hand; leggja e-t til handargagns, to lay it so as to be ready at hand, Hkr. ii, 158, 249. handar-grip, n. a measure, = spönn, Karl. 481. handar-hald, proncd. handarald, n. a handle, Fas. ii. 355. handar-jaðarr, m. the hand’s edge; in the phrase, vera undir handar-jaðri e-s, to be in one’s hands, in one’s power, Fær. 201. handar-kriki, a, m. ‘hand’s-creek,’ the arm-pit, Eg. 396, Fms. vi. 348, Sturl. ii. 37. handar-mein, n. a sore in the hand, Bs. i. 115, 187, Sturl. ii. 177. handar-stúfr, m. a ‘hand-stump,’ stump of the arm, the hand being hacked off, Fms. x. 258, xi. 119. handar-vani, a, m. maimed in hand, Hm. 70, Matth. xviii. 8. handar-veif, n., í handarveifi, in a ‘wave of the hand,’ in a moment. handar-vik, n. the hands’ reach, movement, work; lítið handarvik, a small work. handar-væni, a, m. want of hands (?), Hm. 72.

☞ For the compds in hand- see pp. 237, 238.

* * *

I) refl. pron. dat.

1) for oneself, separately, singly (fór Eyjólfr einn sér);

eitt er þat sér, that is a thing by itself;

2) in a distributive sense, sér hverr, sér hvárr, each by himself, each separately;

ef sér ferr hverr várr, if each of us goes by himself;

stundum báðir samt, stundum sér hvárr þeirra, sometimes each of them singly;

þat lið, er honum fylgði, flýr sér hvat, in all directions.

II) from vera.

* * *

reflex. pron. dat. = Lat. sibi (see sik, sín), to himself (herself, itself, themselves), used when referring to the subject in a sentence, whether sing. or plur.; hann hafði kesjuna fyrir sér, Eg. 532; hann segir sér mikit þykkja, 539; hón lét söðla sér hest, 603; hann bað Gizur sitja hjá sér, Nj. 226; sögðu þat allir, at hann brygði sér hvárki við sár né bana, 116, where it refers to the second subject ‘hann.’

II. special usages; vera mikill (lítill) fyrir sér, to be great (little) of oneself, a strong (weak) man; þeir fengu sér róðrar-skip, Eg. 109; drápu þeir sér upp eld, Fms. iv. 338; leika sér, to play, Nj. 2; gamna sér, etc.

2. giving emphasis; bað hón sér til Guðs, she ‘prayed her’ to God, Sks. 465 B; hón veinaði sér, she ‘wailed her’ bitterly, Hom. 150; eiga sér e-t, to own, hirzlu átti halrinn sér, Skíða R.: þau áttu sér eina dóttur, they had one daughter, and the like.

III. for oneself, separately, singly, as Lat. se-; fór Eyjólfr einn sér, Glúm. 329; einn er hann sér um sefa, Hm.; þeir vóru sér um móður, D. N. i. 149; settisk Joseph sér cinsliga, Stj. 217; þeir Þorljótr ok Sigurðr vóru sér einir ok heimasveitin, Th. and S. on the one hand and the house-folk on the other, Sturl. ii. 53; eitt er þat sér, that is a thing by itself, Gísl. 15; skyldi drekka saman karlmaðr ok kona svá sem til ynnisk, en þeir sér er fleiri væri, Eg. 247; ok vera þeir sér, er næstir búa, N. G. L. i. 98; at hverri gleði hlotnaðisk svá til, at þau urðu sér, Víglundr ok Ketilríðr, Vígl. 19.

2. in a distributive sense with the pron. hverr, one by one; ef sér ferr hverr várr, Glúm. 329; skulu ver undan hlaupa, sér hverr várr, Fær. 161; optliga allir saman, en stundum sér hvárir, Fms. i. 52; stundum báðir samt, stundum sér hvárr þeirra, Hkr. i. 30; þat lið er honum fylgði flýr, sér hvat, Fms. x. 268; þótt ek greina nú eigi svá, sér hvat, sem hann görði, each separately, Bs. i. 64; var borgin öll brotin, ok borinn sér hverr steinn, each stone of it scattered, Fms. ix. 48; greindusk sér hver skipin, vii. 289; hvártz þær (nætr) eru allar saman eða sér hver, whether they be three continuous or separate nights, Grág. i. 143; sér í lagi, for itself, separate, B. K. 83; sér í stað, id., Stj. 288: the exclamation, sér er hvað! sér er hver ósköpin, what a wonder, wonderful! expressing amazement.

* * *

older umb, prep. with acc. and dat.

I. with acc.

1) around (slá hring um e-n);

2) about, all over (hárit féll um hana alla); um allar sveitir, all over the country; mikill um herðar, large about the shoulders, broad-shouldered; liggja um akkeri, to ride at anchor;

3) of proportion; margir voru um einn, many against one; um einn hest voru tveir menn, two men to each horse;

4) round, past, beyond, with verbs denoting motion (sigla vestr um Bretland); leggja um skut þessu skipi, to pass by this ship; ríða um tún, to pass by a place;

5) over, across, along (flytja e-n um haf); kominn um langan veg, come from a long way off; ganga um gólf, to cross the floor (but also to walk up and down the floor); slá, er lá um þvert skipit, a beam that lay athwart the ship; um kné sér, across the knee; e-t er hœgt um hönd, gives little trouble, is ready to hand;

6) of time, during, in the course of (um messuna, um þingit, um sumarit); þat var um nótt, by night; um nætr sem um daga, by night as well as day; lengra en fara megi um dag, in the course of one day;

7) at a point of time (hann kom at höllinni um drykkju); um þat, at that time, then; um þat er, when (um þat, er vér erum allir at velli lagðir);

8) of, about, in regard to a thing; bera um e-t, dœma um e-t, to bear witness, judge about; tala um e-t, to speak of; annast um e-t, to attend to; sviðr um sik, wise of oneself; hvárr um sik, each for himself; var mart vel um hann, he had many good qualities;

9) e-m er ekki um e-t, one does not like (var honum ekki um Norðmenn); with infin., honum er ekki um at berjast í dag, he has no liking to fight to-day; er þér nökkut um, at vér rannsökum þik ok hús þín, have you any objection that we …?; e-m er mikit (lítil) um e-t, one likes it much, little (Guðrúnu var lítil um þat); sá, er mönnum væri meira um, whom people liked better; e-m finnst mikit um e-t, one is much pleased umwith, has a high opinion of (konungi fannst mikit um list þá ok kurteisi þá, er þar var á öllu);

10) because of, for; öfunda e-n um e-t, to envy one for a thing; verða útlagt um e-t, to be fined for a transgression; um sakleysi, without cause;

11) beyond, above; margir fengu eigi hlaupit um röst, more than one mile; hafa vetr um þrítugt, to be thirty-one; e-m um afl, um megn, beyond one’s strength, more than one can do (þetta mál er nökkut þér um megn); kasta steini um megn sér, to overstrain oneself; um of, too much, excessive (þótti mörgum þetta um of); um alla menn fram or um fram alla menn, above all men (hón unni honum um alla menn fram); e-m er e-t um hug, one has no mind for, dislikes (ef þér er nökkut um hug á kaupum við oss);

12) over, across; detta, falla um e-t, to stumble over (féll bóandinn um hann);

13) by; draugrinn hafði þokat at Þorsteini um þrjár setur, by three seats;

14) about; þeir sögðu honum, hvat um var at vera, what it was about, how matters stood; hvat sem um þat er, however that may be; eiga e-t um at vera, to be troubled about a thing (lætr sem hann eigi um ekki at vera); var fátt um með þeim, they were not on good terms;

15) ellipt., ef satt skal um tala, if the truth must be told; þannig sem atburðr hefir orðit um, as things have turned out;

16) as adv., gekk um veðrit, veered round, changed; ríða (sigla) um, to ride (sail) by; langt um, far beyond, quite; fljótit var langt um úfœrt (úreitt), quite impassable; um liðinn, passed by, of time; á þeirri viku, er um var liðin, in the past umweek;

II. with dat.

1) over, esp. poet.; sitja um borðum = sitja yfir borðum; sá es um verði glissir, he that gabbles over a meal;

2) of time, by; um dögum, um nóttum, by day, by night; um sumrum, haustum, vetrum, várum, in the summer, etc.; um vetrum ok sumrum, both winter and summer.

* * *

umb, of, prep. (sounded umm); umb is used in the oldest vellums (the Eluc., Greg., Miracle-book, Jb.), and occurs now and then in later vellums (e. g. Orkn. 218, Fms. x. 378, xi. 63, 64), perh. from being a transcript of an old vellum; in rhymes, umb, tr umbu, Fms. viii. (in a verse of A. D. 1184); for of see ‘of’ at p. 462, col. 2: [A. S. ymbe; Germ. um; um and yfir (q. v.) are identical.]

WITH ACC.

A. Around; silki-hlað um höfuð, Ld. 188; um höfuð henni, 36; hafa um sik belti, Nj. 91, 184; um herðar sér, Ld. 56; leggja linda umb kistu, leggja lindann umb enn vanheila mann, Bs. i. 337; gyrða um sik, Sks.; beta strengi um ásenda … festa endana um steina, Nj. 115; vefjask um fótinn, Fms. iv. 335; upp um herðarnar, Eg. 580; göra garð of engi, Grág. ii. 288; lykja um akra ok eng, Eg. 529; skjóta um hann skjaldborg, Nj. 274; slá hring um e-n, 275, Eg. 88; fara í hring um skipit, Ld. 56; taka um hönd e-m, Ó. H. 176; þar var poki um útan, Ld. 188; honum vefsk tunga um höfuð, Nj. 160; vefsk tunga um tönn (see tönn) … strjúka dúki um augu, Fms. v. 326, Fs. 114 (in a verse); sjó, er fellr um heim allan, Róm. 193: Aðils jarl féll ok mart manna um hann, Eg. 297; tjalda um skip sín, Fms. xi. 63; hafa um sik ( about oneself) fjölmenni, Eg. 12, 38; selit var gört um einn ás, Ld. 280.

II. about, all over, denoting the surface; manna-ferð um héraðit, Ld. 257; fylgja þeim um einn skóg, Karl. 348; hann hafði goðorð suðr um Nesin, Ísl. ii. 207; herja um Skotland, Írland, Fms. i. 23; næfrum var þakt um ræfrit, Eg. 90; dæma för úmögum um þat þing, Grág. i. 127; flýja hingað ok þangat um eyjarnar, Fms. vii. 43; um allar sveitir, all over the country, Boll. 362; kunnigt er mér um allt Ísland, Nj. 32; of allan Noreg, Fms. x. 118; um alla Svíþjóð, Ó. H. 17; um allt ríki sitt, Eg. 278; sitja um mitt landit, about the midland, Fms. i. 26; um miðjan skóginn er smáviði, Eg. 580; sjá um alla veröld, Ó. H. 202; kominn um langan veg, come a long way off, Stj. 366, Skv. 8; of lopt ok um lög, Hkv. 1. 21; fátt kom um lengra, farther off, Fb. ii. 303; hárit féll um hana alla, Landn. 151, Fas. i. 244; hárit hékk ofan um bringu, Fas. ii. 518: mikill um herðar, large about the shoulders, broad-shouldered, Nj. 200; þykkr um bóga, þeim manni er beit á of garðinn, Grág. ii. 286; skalat hann verja um bóstað hans, 222; kveðja um þann vetvang, 106; kveðja búa heiman um þann stað, i. 130, 355: liggja um strengi, Ld. 76; or liggja um akkeri, to ride at anchor, Eg. 261, 374, Fms. ii. 5, ix. 45, x. 351.

2. of proportion; margir vóru um einn, too many against one, Ld. 156; þar vóru fjórir of einn ( four to one) mót Hákoni, Fms. x. 382; eigi minni liðs-munr, en sex mundi vera um Hákonar mann einn, i. 43; um einn hest vóru tveir menn, two men to each horse, vii. 295; sex menn sé um sáld, Grág. ii. 402: Hrafn var mjök einn um sitt, kept for himself, Fs. 29; malit hefi ek mitt of leiti? Gs. 16.

III. off, past, beyond (cp. yfir), with verbs denoting motion; fara … suðr um Stað, Eg. 12; norðr um Stað, Fms. vii. 7; sigla vestr um Bretland, Nj. 281; er þeir kómu fram um Bjarkey, Ó. H. 137; norðr um Jaðar, 182; austan um Foldina, Eg. 81; út um Eldey, Eb. 108; austr um búðina, Nj. 231; ríða um þá þrjá bæi, Grág. i. 432; hann hljóp um þá, ok í fjall upp, passed them by, Landn. 89; sigla svá um oss fram, Orkn. 402; leggja um skut þessu skipi, to pass by this ship, Fms. x. 346; leita langt um skamt fram, Nj. 207 (cp. Lat. quod petis hic est); vaða jörð upp um klaufir, Ld. 336; fram um stafn, Landn. 29; aptr um stafn, Fms. x. 266; honum var úhægt at höggva um bríkina, Sturl. iii. 219; ríða um tún, to pass by a place, Ísl. ii. 252; neðan um sáðlandit, Nj. 82; fara of engi manns, Grág. ii. 277; fara um góð héruð, Landn. 37; ganga upp um bryggjuna, Eg. 195; ganga um stræti, by the road, Korm. 228; róa út um sund, Eg. 385; kominn um langan veg, 410; þeim dropum er renna um þekjuna, Fms. i. 263.

2. over, across, along; sá er annan dregr um eldinn, Fms. i. 305; skyldi ganga um gólf at minnum öllum, to cross the flood, Eg. 253; but also to walk up and down the floor, 247; bera öl um eld, to bear the ale across the fire, Fms. vi. 442; slá um þvert skipit, Nj. 44; sigla vestr um haf, Fms. i. 22; ríða vestr um ár, austr um ár, Nj. 10, 99; suðr um sæ, Eg. 288; flytja e-n um haf, Nj. 128; austan um Kjöl, Ó. H.; sunnan um fjall, Fms. x. 3; suðr um fjall, Eg. 476; um þvera stofu, Fms. vi. 440; um þvera búð, Grág. i. 24; um þvert nesit, Fms. xi. 65; um öxl, round or across the shoulder, Ld. 276; um kné sér, across the knee, Eg. 304: the phrase, mér er e-ð um hönd, difficult to lay hand on, hard, not easy; and again, hægt um hönd, giving little trouble, easy to lay hand on; ykkr er þat hægst um hönd, easiest for you, Nj. 25; þegar eg vil er hægt um hönd, heima á Fróni at vera, Núm.; kastaði (the mail) um söðul sinn, across the saddle, Grett. 93 A.

IV. with adverbs denoting direction, upp um, út um, niðr um, ofan um, inn um, fram um, with acc. or ellipt.; sær féll út ok inn of nökkvann, Edda 36; loginn stóð inn um ræfrit, Eg. 239; hann var kominn upp um ský, Fms. i. 137; út um bringuna, Ld. 150; hann gékk út of Miðgarð, Edda 35; ganga út um dyrr, Eg. 420; fara út um glugg, Fms. ix. 3; út um glugginn, Ld. 278; láta sér um munn fara, to pass out of the mouth, Háv. 51; ferr orð er um munn líðr, Sturl. i. 207.

B. Temp. during, in the course of, cp. Engl. that spring, that summer; um messuna, Fms. x. 109; um þingit, Eg. 765; um sex ár, Stj.; um vetrinn, Eg. 168; of sumarit, Fms. x. 93; um sumarit, Nj. 4; um várit, Eg. 42; um nótt, Grág. i. 115; þat var um nótt, by night, Ld. 152; hann mátti eigi sofa um nætr, Nj. 210; sofa um nóttina, 7; vera þar um nóttina, 252; lengra enn fara megi um dag, in the course of one day, Grág. i. 89; um daginn, for the rest of the day, Ld. 42; um morna, Landn. (in a verse), Ó. H. 44; um nætr sem um daga, by night as well as day, Sks. 20 new Ed.; um allar aldir, Edda; um alla daga, all day long, Skm. 4; um alla sína daga, all his days, Hom. 114; allt um hans æfi, Eg. 268; um aldr, for ever, passim; um tíma, for a while, Mar.; um hríð, um stund, for a while, see stund, hríð; um … sakar, a while, see sök (A. III. 2); um samt, altogether, Sks. 113 B.

2. above, beyond; standa um várþing, Grág. i. 103; um hálfan mánuð, Fms. ix. 526, v. l.; um viku, above a week.

3. at a point of time, at; hann kom at höllinni um drykkju, Nj. 269; of matmál, at meal time, Grág. i. 261; um dagmál, um náttmál, einnhvern dag um þingit, Ld. 290; eitt hvert sinn um haustið, Nj. 26; þat var of vár, Fms. x. 389; um várit urðu mikil tíðendi, 2; þeir höfðu verit á sundi um daginn, Ld. 130; opt um daga, Edda 39; um daginn, the other day: um þat, when; um þat er þrír vetr eru liðnir, Ld. 146; um þat þessir eru bættir, Eg. 426; um þat lýkr, when the end is there, in the end, Fas. ii. 361; ef ek kom eigi aptr um þat, then, at that time, Fms. ii. 58; um þat er vér erum allir at velli lagðir, Eg. 426; um sinn, once, see sinni B, p. 530; um síðir, at last, see síð (II); um leið, at the same time; hér um bil, about so and so; um allt, of allt, always; Kristinn dóin má um allt sækja, at all times, N. G. L. ii. 154; nokkrum sinnum, ok hefir mér ofallt íllt þótt, Fms. v. 205 (see ávallt, p. 47, col. 2).

C. Metaph. usages, of, about, in regard to a thing, Lat. de; halda vörð á um e-t, Eg. ch. 27; annask um e-t, to attend to, Nj. 75, Glúm. 342, Kormak; gefa gaum at um e-t, to give heed to, Ó. H. 215; bera um e-t, dæma um e-t, to bear witness, judge about, Nj. 100; tala um e-t, to speak of, 40; þræta um e-t, to quarrel about; spyrja um e-t, to speer or ask about, 110; göra, yrkja um e-n, Fms. x. 378; halda njósn um e-t, Eg. 72; nefna, búa um mál, Nj. 86; um alla ráða-görð, 101; stefna e-m um e-t, Grág. i. 175, 313, Nj. 87; vera til eptir-máls um e-t, passim; frækinn um allt, in everything, 89; bera gæfu til um e-t, Eg. 76; kappsamr of allt, þeir hyggja þat lög um þat mál, Grág. i. 9; eitt ráð myndi honum um þat sýnask, Nj. 79; kunna hóf at um ágirni sína, Ó. H. 131; þat er um þat átan, er …, N. G. L. i. 19; þau tíðendi er görzk höfðu um ferðir Egils ok stórvirki, Eg. 686; stór úfarar görask of menn þessa, Fms. xi. 151; aumligt er um e-t, Hom. 159 (Ed.); seinkaðisk of svörin, 623. 16; mikit er um fyrirburði slíka, Nj. 119; þá var hvíld á um bardagann, 248; hann telzk undan um förina, Fms. xi. 69; ruðning um kviðinn, Nj.; misfangi um mark, a mistake as to a mark, Grág.; binda um heilt, to bind up a sound limb, Ld. 206: gróa um heilt, to become sound, be healed, Fms. xi. 87, Al. 120; ganga um beina, to attend; leita e-s í um mein hennar, Eg. 565; veita tilkall um arf, Eg.; leita um sættir, grið, Nj. 92; selja laun um liðveizlu, 214: in inscriptions of chapters, um so and so, = Lat. de; um viðrtal Njáls ok Skarphéðins, um misfanga ok um mark, um bæjar bruna, Nj., Grág., Fms.; göra mikit um sik, to make a great fuss, Fb. i. 545; görði mikit um sik ok var sjálfhælinn, Grett. 133 A: vera vel um sik ( of good quality) ok vinsæll, Fms. xi. 118; mey er ok vissa vænsta ok bezt um sik, 104; at hón væri í engum hlut verri um sik, Hkr. ii. 129; sviðr um sik, wise of oneself, Hm. 102; auga blátt ok snart ok vel um sik, Mag. 7; hvárr um sik, each for himself, one by one, Dipl. ii. 11; vér staðfestum þessa articulos hvern um sik ok sér hverja, 13; þykki mér þat undarligt um svá vitran mann, of a man so wise, Eg. 20; var mart vel um hann, he had many good qualities, Rb. 364; þat mátti vera um röskvan mann, Fms. vii. 227.

2. ganga um sýslur manna, to go about or upon men’s business, as an overseer. Eg. 2; ganga um beina, to attend, see beini.

3. e-m er mikit (ekki) um e-t, to like, dislike; Guðrúnu var lítið um þat … lítið ætla ek þeim um þat bræðrum, at …, Ld. 246, 264, Fms. ii. 81; var honum ekki um Norðmenn, Hkr. i. 128; Þórði kvaðsk ekki vera um manna-setur, Ld. 42; er þér nökkut um ( hast thou any objection?), at vér rannsakim þik ok hús þin, Gísl. 53; sá er mönnum væri meira um, whom people liked more, Fms, ix. 36; ef þór er mikit um ráða-hug við mik, if thou art much bent on it, xi. 4.

4. búa um eitt lyndi, to be of one mind, Jb. 396; búa um nægtir, grun, skoll, búa um heilt, see búa (A. II); búa um hvílu, to make a bed; búa um okkr, Nj. 201 (see búa B. I. 2. γ); setjask um kyrt, to settle oneself to rest, take rest, Fas. ii. 530; or sitja um kyrt.

II. because of, for, Lat. ob; öfunda e-n um e-t ( invidere a-i a-d), Nj. 168; reiðask um e-t, um hvat reiddusk goðin þá, Bs. i. 22; telja á e-n of e-t, to blame one for a thing, Nj. 52; berja e-n íllyrðum um slikt, 64; lágu margir á hálsi honum þat, Fms. xi. 336; týna aldri um óra sök, Skv. 3. 49; verða útlagr um e-t, to be fined for a transgression, Grág. i. 16; dæmdr fjörbaugs-maðr um spellvirki, 129; maðr vegr mann um konu, if a man slays a person for [ violating] his wife, 61; um sakleysi, without cause, Nj. 106, 270, Bs. i. 19.

III. beyond, above; fimm hundruð gólfa ok um ( plus) fjórum togum, Gm. 24; kistan var eigi um vættar höfga, Bs. i. 712; margir fengu eigi hlaupit um röst, Karl. 351; lítið um tuttugu menn, Sturl. i. 183; hann var ekki um tvítugan, Róm. 327; hafa vetr um þrítugt, to be one beyond thirty, i. e. thirty-one, Sturl. i. 183: freq. in mod. usage, hafa tvo um þrítugt ( thirty-two), átta um fertugt ( forty-eight), tvo um fimtugt ( fifty-two), einn um áttrætt ( eighty-one); sá dagr, sem um vikur fullar er í árinu, Rb. 128: at yðr verði þat ekki um afl, beyond your strength, more than one can do, Band. 21 new Ed.; um megn, id., Fms. viii. 62; þetta mál er nökkut þér um megn, vi. 18; kasta steini um megn sér, to overstrain oneself: um of, excessive; þótti mörgum þetta um of, Vígl. 18: um fram (q. v.), beyond; um alla menn fram, above all men, Ld. 20, Fms. v. 343; um alla hluti fram, above all things; um þat fram sem ykkr var lofat, Sks.: um hug; vera e-t um hug, to have no mind for, dislike; ef þér er nökkut um hug á kaupum við oss, Nj. 24.

IV. turned over, in exchange; skipta um, snúa um, venda um, see skipta III and snúa A. III.

V. over, across; detta, falla um e-t, to stumble over; hverr féll um annan, of heaps of slain. Eg. 24; fÉll bóandinn um hann, Nj. 96; detta um stein, þúfu, to stumble over a stone, mound; glotta um tönn, see tönn.

VI. by; draugrinn hafði þokat at Þorsteini um þrjár setur, by three seats, Fb. i. 417; hefja upp of faðm saman, by a fathom, Grág. ii. 336; minka um helming, to decrease by one half; hverr um sik, each by himself, Rétt. 114.

VII. about; eiga e-t um at vera, to be troubled about a thing; þeir sögðu honum hvat um var at vera, what it was about, Hrafn. 18; sem engi ótti væri um at vera, no danger, Fms. iv. 57; eiga ekki um at vera, iii. 156; or, eiga um ekki at vera, Gísl. 30; eiga vandræði, fjölskyldi um at vera, Fms. vi. 378, xi. 78; hann segir honum um hvat vera er, what was the matter? Gísl. 36; þann sagði þvílíkt er hann hafði um at vera, Krok.; var fátt um með þeim, they were on cold terms, Nj. 2; var þá ekki lítið um, there was no little fuss about it, Bárð. 174; mikit er um þá maðrinn býr, mart hefir hann að hugsa, a ditty.

VIII. ellipt., til marks um, Nj. 56; þykkir honum vænkask um, Fms. xi. 135; þann mála-búnað at hann verðr sekr um, Nj. 88; ef satt skal um tala, 105; mér hefir tvennt um sýnzk, 3; menn ræddu um at vánt væri skip hans, 282; hér má ek vel svara þér um, 33; hann brá dúki um, Fms. x. 382; enda er þá djöfullinn um (about, lurking) at svíkja þann mann, Hom. 159; þannig sem atburðr hefir orðit um, as things have turned out, Fms. xi. 64; ekki er við menn um at eiga, this is no dealing with men (but with trolls or devils), Nj. 97.

IX. with adverbs; í hring útan um, all round, Eg. 486; gékk um Veðrit, veered round, changed, Bs. i. 775; ríða um, to ride by, Eg. 748; sigla um, to sail by, Fms. x. 23; er konungr færi norðan ok suðr um, Eg. 53; langt um, far beyond, quite; fljótið var langt um úfært, quite impassable, Nj. 63, 144; þessi veðr eru langt um úfær, Grett. 181 new Ed.; cp. mod. það er langt um betra, by far better; kring-um, all around, see A.V.

2. um liðinn, passed by, of time; á þeirri viku er um var liðin, in the past week, Ísl. ii. 332.

WITH DAT.

A. Local, over, Lat. super; but almost entirely confined to poets, sitja um matborði (of Hkr. iii. 109) = sitja yfir matborði, Fms. viii. 51; um verði, over the table, Hm. 30; sitja of (= yfir) skörðum hlut, Ó. H. 150; sá er tvá húskarla á, ok um sjálfum sér, two house-carles besides himself, Grág. (Kb.) i. 10; um alda sonum, Fm. 16; er ek hafðak veldi of héruðum þessum, Clem. 35; hár söngr of svírum, Hornklofi; nema þér syngi um höfði, Hkv. 2; sitja um sínum ver, Vsp.; er ek sat soltin um Sigurði, Gkv. 2. 11; opin-spjallr um e-u, … þagmælskr um þjóðlygi (dat.), Ad. 1; um styrkum ættar stuðli, 12; ægis-hjálm bar ek um alda sonum, meðan ek um menjum lák, Fm. 16; gól um hánum, Vsp.; úlfr þaut um hræfi, Ó. H. (in a verse); see ‘of,’ prep., p. 462, col. 2, and yfir.

B. Of time, by; um dögum, by day, Fms. vi. 98, ix. 48; um nóttum, by night, vii. 166; um haustum, in the autumn, Eb. 216; bæði um haustum ok várum, both in autumn and spring, Sks. 235 B; um sumrum, Fms. vi. 255; um sumrum herjuðu þeir í Noreg, Eb. 3; þakt með ísum um vetrum ok sumrum, both winter and summer, Sks. 181 B; opt um vetnim, Eg. 4; þeir liggja úti hvert sumar, en um vetrum eru þeir heima, Fms. xi. 97. This use with dat. is obsolete in mod. prose.

* * *

(að, rarely -ta, -t), v. to show, point out, indicate;

vísa e-m leið, to show one the way;

vísa augum í e-n, to direct, fix the eyes on one;

vísa hundi at mann í, to set a hound on a person;

vísa e-m til sætis, to show one where to sit;

vísa e-m til landskostar, to direct one to the best of the land;

þeir vísuðu honum til Kols, they showed him the way to Kol, told him where he was to be found;

vísa e-m til vegar, to show one the road;

vísa e-m frá, to send one away, reject an application;

vísa á e-t, to point at, indicate (fleiri eru þau tíðindi, er kvæðit vísar á);

vísa svá til, at, to indicate (vísa ok svá til enskar bœkr, at);

impers., vísar svá til í sögu Bjarnar, it is indicated, referred to, in the story of B.;

with infin., vísa e-m at gera e-t, to tell, prompt one to do a thing.

f. verse, strophe, stanza (hann orti kvæði ok eru þessar vísur í).

* * *

u; f. [Germ. weise; Dan. vise], a strophe, stanza; kveða vísu, Nj. 12; hann orti kvæði ok eru þessar vísur í, Fms. v. 108; vísu lengd, the length of a stanza, Edda (Ht.) i. 606, 656: referring to the repetition of verses as a means of measuring time (minutes), Fs. (Vd. ch. 26); lausa-vísa, a ditty; níð-vísa, söng-visa; höldar danza harla snart, þá heyrist vísan min, a ditty: as the names of shorter poems, as, Nesja-vísur, Austrfarar-vísur, by Sighvat; Vísna-bók, a book of lays. Unlike the old Greek epics, as well as the poems of the Saxon Beowulf, all ancient Northern poetry is in strophic lays. Four sets of alliteration make a verse (vísa), two a half strophe, vísu-helmingr, Edda (Ht.) i. 610, or half vísa, Grág. ii. 148; one set a quarter of a vísa (vísu-fjórðungr); each alliterative set being again divided into two halves, called vísu-orð, a word or sentence, Edda (Ht.) i. 596, cp. Hallfr. S. ch. 6 (Fs. 96, 97); thus ‘fastorðr skyli fyrða | fengsæll vera þengill’ is an alliterative set. ☞ The vellums give verses in unbroken lines, but in modern print each alliterative set is divided into two lines: this may do for metres of the drótt-kvæð kind, with two rhyming syllables in each vísu-orð; but in the brief kviðu-háttr (the metre of the Vsp.) each alliterative set should, for the sake of the flow of the verse, be printed in one line, thus, Hljóðs bið ek allar helgar kindir | meiri ok minni mögu Heimdalar; for a pause only follows between each pair of sets, but none between the sub-staves and the head-stave. This plan is that advocated by Jacob Grimm: the other, commonly followed in the Editions, chops the verse into—hljóðs bið ek allar | helgar kindir | meiri ok minni | mögu Heimdalar.

(-ar, -ir), m.

1) lot;

bera (leggja) hluti í skaut, to throw the lots into a cloth (lap of a garment);

skera (marka) hluti, to mark the lots;

2) amukt, talisman (hlutr er horfinn or pússi þínum);

3) share, allotment, portion (hann fœrði Ølvi skip sin ok kallar þat vera hans hlut);

4) part (of a whole);

höggva í tvá hluti, to cut in two parts;

mestr hlutr liðs, the most part of the company;

meiri hlutr dómanda, the majority of the judges;

tveim hlutum dýrra, twice as dear;

5) participation;

eiga hlut í e-u or at e-u, to have part in, be concerned in (mér uggir, at hér muni eigi gæfumenn hlut í eiga);

þar er þú ættir hlut at, wherein thou wast concerned;

6) condition, position, lot;

eiga hlut e-s, to be in one’s place (position);

ef þú ættir minn hlut, if thou wert in my place;

láta hlut sinn, to be worsted;

sitja yfir hlut e-s, to oppress, weigh a person down;

leggja hlut sinn við e-t, to cast in one’s lot with, to espouse a cause;

hafa (fá) hærra, meira (lægra) hlut, to get the best (worst) of it;

7) thing;

allir hlutir, all things;

kynligr hlutr, a strange thing;

um alla hluti, in all things, in all respects.

* * *

m., the original form was diphthongal, hlautr, like the Gothic, as is borne out by the kindred and derivative words hlaut, hleyti, q. v.; the acc. was weakened into o, hlotr, Fms. xi. 128; and lastly into u, hlutr; old nom. pl. hlotar, Jómsv. S. l. c., but commonly hlutir; gen. sing. hlutar: [Goth. hlauts = κληρος, Mark xv. 24, Col. i. 12, Ephes. i. 11, Luke i. 9; A. S. and Hel. hlot; Engl. lot; Germ. loos; Dan. lod; Swed. lott; the Goth., Germ., and earliest Scandin. have a long vowel, and prob. also A. S. and O. H. G. (hlôt, not hlot); the Ormul. spells lott with a short vowel, as is the case also in Icel., Dan., Swed., and Engl.]

A. A lot; the ceremony of drawing lots was like that described in Homer; each party marked his lot (skera or marka hluti), which was then thrown into a sheet (lap of a garment, bera or leggja hluti í skaut), and a third person came and drew a lot out; (it was not thrown out by shaking.) This drawing of lots was originally a sacred ceremony; it was used in sacrifices (by way of augury, see below), in sharing booty or an inheritance; in law the order in which suits came on was decided by lot, in banquets the seats of honour were so assigned (e. g. who was to sit next to the daughter of the house), etc. Many words in the language refer to this old rite, and the ceremony is thus described: en hluti skyldi skera ok í skaut bera, Fms. vii. 140; kom þat ásamt með þeim at hluti skyldi bera í skaut, … skyldi því hvárir-tveggju una sem hlutr segði, vóru þá hlutir markaðir; þá mælti Norðbrikt til Gyrgis: ‘lát mik sjá hversu þú markar þinn hlut at vit markim eigi báðir einn veg;’ hann gerði svá; síðan markaði Norðbrikt sinn hlut, ok kastaði í skaut ok svá báðir þeir; síðan gékk sá maðr at er til (upp, v. l.) skyldi taka, ok tók upp annan hlutinn milli fingra sér …; síðan var at hugat þeim hlutinum ok kenndu þar allir mark Gyrgis, vi. 136, 137: hverr maðr er sök hefir með at fara í dóm, þá skal hlut bera í skaut, einn, þótt hann hafi fleiri sakar í dóm þann, hverr maðr skal merkja hlut sinn ok bera alla saman í skaut, ok skal maðr taka fjóra hluti senn upp, Grág. i. 37; bjóða til hlutfalla ok bera þar hluti í skaut, 74; menn báru þá hluti sína í skaut ok tók jarlinn upp; … svá sagði hlutr til, at Egill skyldi sitja hjá jarls-dóttur um kveldit, Eg. 247; en þá er tólfmenningr var skipaðr til at sitja ok settir hlutir til hverr næst skyldi sitja Ástríði, dóttur Vigfúss hersis, ok hlaut Eyjólfr ávalt at sitja hjá henni, Glúm. 331: nú ræða þeir um goðorðit ok verða eigi ásáttir, vildi hverr sinn hlut ( case) fram draga; þá leggja þeir hluti í skaut, ok kom jafnan upp hlutr Silfra, Fs. 68; þeir lögðu hluti á, ok hlaut Þrándr, Fær.

2. of sacrifice; vóru þá görvir hlutir af vísinda-mönnum ( soothsayers), ok feldr blótspánn til, en svá gékk fréttin, at …, Fas. i. 452; cp. hristu teina ok á hlaut sá, Hym. 1; and, þá kná Hænir hlautvið kjósa (= taka upp hluti), Vsp. l. c.; see also hlaut, hlauttein, p. 270.

II. the hlutir were talismans or little images, which people used to wear on their persons; síðan tekr jarl skálar ( scales) góðar … ok fylgðu tvau met ( weights), annat af gulli en annat af silfri; þar var á líkneskja manns, ok hétu þat hlutar (hlotar sem fornmönnum var títt at hafa, add. in v. l.), ok fylgði sú náttúra, at þá er jarl lagði þá í skálarnar, ok kvað á hvat hvárr skyldi merkja, ok ef sá kom upp ( turned up) er hann vildi, þá breylti sá í skálinni svá at varð glamm af. Jarl gaf Einari skálarnar ok varð hann glaðr við ok síðan kallaðr Einarr Skálarglam, Jómsv. S. (1824) 37, 38; hlutr er horfinn ór pússi þínum sá er Haraldr konungr gaf þér í Hafrsfirði, ok er hann nú kominn í holt þat er þú munt byggja, ok er á hlutnum markaðr Freyr af silfri, Fs. 19; ok vili Freyr þar láta sinn hlut niðr koma er hann vill sitt sæmdar-sæti setja, 22; cp. Landn., hann sendi Finna tvá í hamförum til Íslands eptir hlut sínum, 174; hann hefir líkneski Þórs í pungi sínum af tönn gört …; nú fannsk engi sá ‘hlutr’ í hans valdi, Fs. 97: the ‘gumna heillir’ or talismans, mentioned in Sdm., were prob. hlutir.

B. Metaph., without the actual drawing of lots:

I. a share, allotment, portion; skal þat þeirra er biskup lofar skilnað, hafa slíkan hlut fjár ( portion) við annat, Grág. i. 329: of booty, hann færði Ölvi skip sín ok kallar þat vera hlut hans, Nj. 46: of a finder’s share, heimtir hlut af sauðunum, Háv. 40; halda til hlutar, id.

β. esp. of a fisherman’s share of the catch, Band. 4, cp. Höfuðl. 1; a fishing boat has one or two hundred … í hlut, each of the crew (hásetar) taking his ‘hlutr,’ and besides this there was a færis-hlutr ( line share) or netja-hlutr ( net share), skips-hlutr (ship’s share), and lastly for-manns-hlutr (foreman’s share, he getting double); see the remarks on aflausn.

γ. a share, lot, portion, of inheritance, often in early Dan. law, where the daughter received a half, the brother a whole portion, sun til ful lot, oc dotær til half lot, Wald. Sjæll. Lov., p. 1;—whence in Dan. broder-lod, söster-lod, = a brother’s, sister’s portion; en komi jafnmikit fé á hlut hvers þeirra, Grág. (Kb.) i. 220: of duty, kom þat á hlut Andreas postula, 625. 64.

2. metaph. phrases; láta hlut sinn, to let go one’s share, be worsted, Fms. i. 74, Fb. ii. 62; þeirra h. brann við, got singed, Hkr. ii. 178; þinn hlutr má ekki verða betri en góðr, thy case cannot be better than good, is as good as it can be, Nj. 256; ella muntú finna á þínum hlut, thou shalt find it to thy cost, Ld. 98; þeirra h. varð æ minni ok minni, their lot grew ever worse and worse, Fms. x. 250; eigi skyldi hennar h. batna við þat, her case should not mend with that, Nj. 52; sitja yfir hlut e-s, to oppress, weigh a person down, Eg. 512, Nj. 89, Fb. iii. 450; mínka sinn hlut, to yield one’s lot ( right), 451; láta sinn (hlut) undir liggja, to let one’s lot be the nethermost, Bárð.; leggja hlut sinn við e-t, to throw in one’s lot with a thing, to espouse a cause, run a risk, Lv. 45 (twice), Fb. iii. 166, Sturl. i. 162 C; eigi mundi svá Sverrir gera, ef hann ætti várn hlut, S. would not do so if he had our lot, our cards in his hand, Fms. viii. 392; eigi mundir þú svá renna frá þínum manni, ef þú ættir minn hlut, xi. 72; hafa (fá) hærra (meira, lægra) hlut, to get the better ( less) share, to get the best ( worst) of it, to win or lose, Eb. 194, Fs. 32, 113, Nj. 90, 224, Fas. i. 252, Fms. vi. 412, viii. 284, Hkv. 2. 19; hafa allan hlut mála, Bs. i. 82; eiga hlut at e-u, to own a share in, take part ( interest) in, interfere ( meddle) in a thing, be concerned about, Eb. 124, Nj. 27, 101, 119, Fms. xi. 83; þar er þú ættir hlut at, wherein thou wast concerned, Nj. 54; nú mun eigi mega sitjanda hlut í eiga, to take a sitter’s part in it, i. e. not stir in the matter, 110; hér munu eigi gæfu-menn í hlut eiga, 179; hafa inn vesta hlut af, to behave meanly, Eg. 271.

II. a part, Lat. pars; enn efra hlut Hrunamanna-hrepps, Landn. 312: mestr h. liðs, the most part of the body, Eg. 275; meiri hlutr, búa, dómanda …, the majority of the neighbours, judges …, Nj. 237, Grág. i. 79; tíundi h. eyrir, a tenth part of an ounce, 357: byggja jörð til hlutar, to lease an estate in shares, N. G. L. i. 137: sjau hlutum ljósari, seven times brighter, Eluc. 44; tveim hlutum dýrra, twice as dear, Landn. 243; eins hlutar ( on the one hand) … annars hlutar ( on the other hand), 625. 172.

III. a case, thing, Lat. res; hvern hlut, everything, Nj. 53; á engum hlut, in nothing, Fms. ii. 27; í öllum hlutum, in everything, passim; allir hlutir, all things, Edda 147 (pref.); aðra hluti, other things, Fms. i. 213; alla hluti þá er …, all things whatsoever, Ld. 18; allir þeirra hlutir, all their things, Fms. x. 250; fjórir eru þeir hlutir ( cases) er menn ber í átt, Grág. i. 361; hverngi hlut ( reason) er maðr vill til þess færa, 179; fyrir tengda sakir ok annarra stórra hluta er hér hvarfla í milli, Nj. 147; undarlegr, kynlegr h., a strange thing, Ld. 200, Fms. x. 169; iðna slíka hluti, Grág. i. 149; eru þér stórir hlutir á höndum, Fms. vii. 30: a deed, fact, orðinn h., a bygone thing, Fr. fait accompli, Nj. 20; einn lítill h., a little thing, small matter, Fms. ix. 448.

β. with neg. adv. = Engl. naught; görðit hlut þiggja, Am. 94; ekki lyt (lyf MS.), Skv. 1. 9; engi hluta(r), noways, 656 C. 25.

(-ar, ir), m.

1) ‘stead’, place, spot;

fimmtán í hvárum stað, fifteen in each place;

í einum stað í Englandi, somewhere in England;

skipta í tvá, fjóra staði, to divide into two, four parts;

fara af stað, to go away, leave;

hafa sik af stað, to absent oneself;

bíða e-s ór stað, to wait on the spot, wait till one is attacked (Baglar biðu eigi högganna ór stað, ok flýðu þeir upp fyrir norðan bœinn);

ráða e-u til staðar, to settle;

gefa e-u stað, to stop;

þeir gefa eigi stað ferðinni, they stopped not on their journey;

gefa staðar, to stop, halt;

þá er sá íss gaf staðar ok rann eigi, when that ice stopped and flowed no more;

nema stað or staðar, to stop (hér munum vér stað nema);

leita staðar, to seek a place to ease oneself;

2) adverbially, í stað, þegar í stað, on the spot, at once;

rétt í stað, just now;

í marga staði, in many respects;

í alla staði, in every respect;

í engan stað, no-ways;

í annan stað, on the other hand, secondly;

í staðinn, instead;

alls staðar, everywhere;

annars staðar, elsewhere;

nökkurs staðar, anywhere;

3) end, result;

vil ek vita, hvern stað eiga skal málit, I wish to know how the matter is to stand;

koma í einn stað niðr, to turn out the same way;

4) stop, pause, hesitation (þeim varð staðr á um andsvörin);

5) springness, elasticity, of steel, etc.;

ok dregr ór allan ataðinn ór boganum, the bow lost all its spring;

6) strength of mind, courage;

mun hann ekki eiga stað við sjónum hans, he will not be able to stand his looks;

gøra stað í hestinn, to make the horse firm

7) mark, print, traces (þeir sá þar engan stað þeira tíðinda, er þar höfðu orðit);

8) church establishment, church, convent (staðrinn í Skálaholti, á Hólum);

9) town (marga staði vann hann í þessu landi í vald Girkjakonungi).

a. restive, of a horse;

verða staðr at, to stop, start, from surprise.

* * *

m., gen. staðar, dat. stað, and older staði, pl. staðir: [from standa; Ulf. staþs = τόπος; A. S. stæð; Engl. stead in home-stead; Dan. stæd; Germ. statt]:—a ‘stead,’ place, abode; stjörnur þat né vissu hvar þær staði áttu, Vsp. 5; sessa ok staði, Ls. 7; fá mönnum stað ok mála, Grág. i. 473; nú hefir maðr eigi stað þeim mönnum, 465; færa úmaga til staðar, 256; færa varnað til staðar, Eg. 535; koma í þann stað, Grág. i. 485; í einn stað, in one place; í annan stað, in another place, 656 C. 11; fimmtán í hvárum stað, fifteen in each place, Eg. 577; í einhverjum stað, in some place, somewhere, Sks. 94; í einum stað í England, somewhere in England, Fms. x. 392; ek hefi í einum stað á stofnat, Nj. 3; í öllum stöðum, in all places, altogether, Grág. ii. 178; í öllum stöðum þeim, er…, in every case, where …, i. 153.

2. skipta í tvá, fjóra, sextán … staði, to divide into two, four, sixteen … parts, 656 C. 16; skiptask í tvá staði, Fb. ii. 437:—fara af stað (mod. á stað), to go away, leave, Gþl. 177; hafa sik af stað, to absent oneself, Fb. i. 565; bíða e-s ór stað, to wait in one’s place, wait till one is attacked, Fms. iv. 268, viii. 48, 318, 355; ráða e-u til staðar, to settle, ii. 78, Ld. 178; gefa e-u stað, or gefa staðar, to stop, halt, Edda (pref.) 3, 40, Fms. vi. 384 (gefa A. V. 3), viii. 400; nema stað or staðar, to stop, Nj. 18, 54, 132, Dropl, 29, Fms. i. 167, 206, Fas. ii. 535, Ld. 104, Bs. i. 144, Edda 40 (nema A. 5); leita staðar, to seek a place (privy), Hm. 113. Hkr. i. 16, Fær. 197 (leita I): to seek an outlet, Fas. ii. 528; ganga at staðar, cacare, N. G. L. i. 127.

3. adverbially, í stað, on the spot, at once, presently, Dropl. 9, Fas. ii. 508, Stj. 263, 505, Fms. iv. 249; rétt í stað, just now, Flóv. 7; í marga staði, in many respects, Fms. vii. 221; í engan stað, noways, i. 80; í alla staði, in every respect, Nj. 213, 224, 237, Fms. vi. 59, xi. 58; í staðinn. instead, Grág. i. 61, Fms. i. 24, Nj. 73, Fb. i. 285; í annan stað, on the other hand, secondly. Fms. vi. 191, Nj. 210, 216:—gen. as adverb, alls staðar, everywhere; annars s., elsewhere; einhvers-staðar, nökkurs-s., somewhere; marg-staðar, fás staðar, in many places, in few places; né eins staðar, nowhere; sums-staðar, somewhere; see allr, annarr, einn, nekkverr, margr, sumr.

4. metaph. a goal, aim; hvern stað á sættar-umleitan þessi, Fms. ix. 51; ef þann stað tæki vizka þeirra, H. E. i. 249; vil ek vita hvern stað eiga skal málit, I wish to know the final answer, Ísl. ii. 216: hann spyrr hvern skal eiga hans mál, Eb. 132; koma í einn stað niðr, to turn out the same way, Fb. ii. 168.

II. spec. usages, a stop, pause, hesitation; þeim varð staðr á um andsvörin. Fms. ix. 461; nú drepr ór hljóð, ok verðr honum staðr á, ok mælti þó vánu bráðara, xi. 115.

2. elasticity, of steel or the like; ok dregr ór allan staðinn ór honum, it (the bow) lost all its elasticity, 623. 19; var þá ór sverðinu allr staðrinn, Sd. 118, 132; staðr í sverði, Kormak, freq. in mod. usage:—strength of mind, courage, þann úhreinan anda er hann átti eigi stað við at sjá, Sturl. iii. 246; mun hann ekki eiga stað við sjónum haus, he will not be able to stand his looks, Fms. iv. 242; ef þú þykkisk mega göra stað í hestinn ( make the horse firm), þá far til, Bs. i. 633.

3. a mark, print; sýndi hann oss á sínum limum járna stað ok banda, Hom. 121; sá þar öngan stað (no marks, traces were seen) þeirra tíðenda er þar hofðu orðit, Fb. i. 283.

III. a church-establishment (church, see, convent); höfuð-kirkja á staðinum, Fms. ix. 369; staðrinn í Skálaholti, s. á Hólum, or Hóla-staðr, á staðnum á Hólum, Bs. i. passim; staðr í Lundi, Ann. 1234; klaustr eða aðrir stórir staðir, Fms. xi. 202; Brandr er setti stað ( a benefice) at Húsa-felli, Ld. 332; staðr í Viðey ( a convent), D. I. i. 512 stað hér at Helgafelli, 282: a town, staðr í Lybiku, Fms. x. 48; s. í Óðinsvé, xi. 267; þann inn dýrliga stað (Konunga-hella), vii. 187; stað eða borg, K. Á. 222: staðar-ábúð, staðar-bót, staðar-spjöll; staðar-bú, a rectory; staðar-eign, church-possession; staðar-fé, church-property; staðar-forráð, administration of church-establishments; staðar-jörð, a glebe; staðar-prestr, a parish-priest; staðar-setning, an establishment, Sturl. i. 113, 143, iii. 229, Vm. 6, Ám. 28, Dipl. iii. 4, v. 18, Bs. i. 546; staða-mál, the church contest, the name given to the struggle between clergy and laity about the ownership and administration of the churches and glebes (staða-forráð), which took place in Icel. at the end of the 13th century, and was partly settled by the agreement of A. D. 1296, Bs., Arna S., Ann. passim; staða-menn, the lay proprietors of the church estates, Arna S.; staða-gjafir, the yielding up of staðir, Ann.

2. ‘staðr’ was hence (but always in sing.) added to several local names where such an establishment had been erected, e. g. Staðr, Staðar-fell, Staðar-hraun, Staðar-hóll, as also Mel-staðr, Reyni-staðr, the old names in the heathen age of these places being Fell, Hraun, Hóll, Melr, see Sturl., Band., Bjarn.

3. again, the plur. - staðir is freq. in local names of the heathen age; Grani bjó at Grana-stöðum, Grímarr á Grímars-stöðum, Höskulds-staðir, Alreks-staðir …, Landn., Fms. passim, see also map of lcel.

adj. restive, of a horse; hross skjart eða statt, Gþl. 504; verða staðr at, to stop, start, from surprise, Korm. 76; þá varð þeim staðara at höggva, Fms. ix. 225.

* * *

a negative suffix to verbs, not;

era útmakligt, at it is not unmeet that.

* * *

á, prep., often used elliptically, or even adverbially, [Goth. ana; Engl. on; Germ. an. In the Scandinavian idioms the liquid n is absorbed. In English the same has been supposed to happen in adverbial phrases, e. g. ‘along, away, abroad, afoot, again, agate, ahead, aloft, alone, askew, aside, astray, awry,’ etc. It is indeed true that the Ormulum in its northern dialect freq. uses o, even in common phrases, such as ‘o boke, o land, o life, o slæpe, o strande, o write, o naht, o loft,’ etc., v. the glossary; and we may compare on foot and afoot, on sleep (Engl. Vers. of Bible) and asleep; A. S. a-butan and on-butan (about); agen and ongean (again, against); on bæc, aback; on life, alive; on middan, amid. But it is more than likely that in the expressions quoted above, as well as in numberless others, as well in old as in modern English, the English a- as well as the o- of the Ormulum and the modern Scottish and north of England o- are in reality remains of this very á pronounced au or ow, which was brought by the Scandinavian settlers into the north of England. In the struggle for supremacy between the English dialects after the Conquest, the Scandinavian form á or a won the day in many cases to the exclusion of the Anglo-Saxon on. Some of these adverbs have representatives only in the Scandinavian tongues, not in Anglo-Saxon; see below, with dat. B. II, C. VII; with acc. C. I. and VI. The prep. á denotes the surface or outside; í and ór the inside; at, til, and frá, nearness measured to or from an object: á thus answers to the Gr. επί; the Lat. in includes á and i together.]

With dat. and acc.: in the first case with the notion of remaining on a place, answering to Lat. in with abl.; in the last with the notion of motion to the place, = Lat. in with acc.

WITH DAT.

A. Loc.

I. generally on, upon; á gólfi, on the floor, Nj. 2; á hendi, on the hand (of a ring), 48, 225; á palli, 50; á steini, 108; á vegg, 115; á sjá ok á landi, on sea and land. In some instances the distinction between d and i is loose and wavering, but in most cases common sense and usage decide; thus ‘á bók’ merely denotes the letters, the penmanship, ‘í’ the contents of a book; mod. usage, however, prefers ‘í,’ lesa í bók, but stafr á bók. Old writers on the other hand; á bókum Enskum, in English books, Landn. 24, but í Aldafars bók, 23 (in the book De Mensurâ Temporum, by Bede), cp. Grág. i. 76, where á is a false reading instead of at; á bréfi, the contents of a letter: of clothing or arms, mítr á höfði, sverð á hlið, mitre on head, sword on side, Fms. i. 266, viii. 404; hafa lykil á sér, on one’s person, 655 xxvii. 22; möttull á tyglum, a mantle hanging on (i. e. fastened by) laces, Fms. vii. 201: á þingi means to be present at a meeting; í þingi, to abide within a jurisdiction; á himni, á jörðu, on (Engl. in) heaven and earth, e. g. in the Lord’s Prayer, but í helviti, in hell; á Gimli, Edda (of a heavenly abode); á báti, á skipi denote crew and cargo, ‘í’ the timber or materials of which a ship is built, Eg. 385; vera í stafni á skipi, 177: á skógi, to be abroad in a wood (of a hunter, robber, deer); but to be situated (a house), at work (to fell timber), í skógi, 573, Fs. 5, Fms. iii. 122, viii. 31, xi. 1, Glúm. 330, Landn. 173; á mörkinni, Fms. i. 8, but í mörk, of a farm; á firðinum means lying in a firth, of ships or islands (on the surface of the water), þær eyjar liggja á Breiðafirði, Ld. 36; but í firði, living in a district named Firth; á landi, Nj. 98, Fms. xi. 386.

II. á is commonly used in connection with the pr. names or countries terminating in ‘land,’ Engl. in, á Englandi, Írlandi, Skotlandi, Bretlandi, Saxlandi, Vindlandi, Vínlandi, Grænalandi, Íslandi, Hálogalandi, Rogalandi, Jótlandi, Frakklandi, Hjaltlandi, Jamtalandi, Hvítramannalandi, Norðrlöndum, etc., vide Landn. and the index to Fms. xii. In old writers í is here very rare, in modern authors more frequent; taste and the context in many instances decide. An Icelander would now say, speaking of the queen or king, ‘á Englandi,’ ruling over, but to live ‘í Englandi,’ or ‘á Englandi;’ the rule in the last case not being quite fixed.

2. in connection with other names of countries: á Mæri, Vörs, Ögðum, Fjölum, all districts of Norway, v. Landn.; á Mýrum (in Icel.), á Finnmörk, Landn., á Fjóni (a Danish island); but í Danmörk, Svíþjóð (á Svíþjóðu is poët., Gs. 13).

3. before Icel. farms denoting open and elevated slopes and spaces (not too high, because then ‘at’ must be used), such as ‘staðr, völlr, ból, hjalli, bakki, heimr, eyri,’ etc.; á Veggjum, Landn. 69; á Hólmlátri, id.: those ending in ‘-staðr,’ á Geirmundarstöðum, Þórisstöðum, Jarðlangsstöðum…, Landn.: ‘-völlr,’ á Möðruvöllum: á Fitjum (the farm) í Storð (the island), í Fenhring (the island) á Aski (the farm), Landn., Eg.: ‘-nes’ sometimes takes á, sometimes í (in mod. usage always ‘í’), á Nesi, Eb. 14, or í Krossnesi, 30; in the last case the notion of island, νησος, prevails: so also, ‘fjörðr,’ as, þeir börðust á Vigrafirði (of a fight o n the ice), Landn. 101, but orusta í Hafrsfirði, 122: with ‘-bær,’ á is used in the sense of a farm or estate, hón sa á e-m bæ mikit hús ok fagrt, Edda 22; ‘í bæ’ means within doors, of the buildings: with ‘Bær’ as pr. name Landn. uses ‘í,’ 71, 160, 257, 309, 332.

4. denoting on or just above; of the sun, when the time is fixed by regarding the sun in connection with points in the horizon, a standing phrase in Icel.; sól á gjáhamri, when the sun is on the crag of the Rift, Grág. i. 26, cp. Glúm. 387; so, brú á á, a bridge on a river, Fms. viii. 179, Hrafn. 20; taka hús á e-m, to surprise one, to take the house over his head, Fms. i. 11.

III. á is sometimes used in old writers where we should now expect an acc., esp. in the phrase, leggja sverði (or the like) á e-m, or á e-m miðjum, to stab, Eg. 216, Gísl. 106, Band. 14; þá stakk Starkaðr sprotanum á konungi, then Starkad stabbed the king with the wand, Fas. iii. 34; bíta á kampi (vör), to bite the lips, as a token of pain or emotion, Nj. 209, 68; taka á e-u, to touch a thing, lay hold of it, v. taka; fá á e-u, id. (poët.); leggja hendr á (better at) síðum, in wrestling, Fms. x. 331; koma á úvart á e-m, to come on one unawares, ix. 407 (rare).

B. TEMP. of a particular point or period of time, at, on, in:

I. gener. denoting during, in the course of; á nótt, degi, nætrþeli …, Bs. i. 139; or spec. adding a pron. or an adject., á næsta sumri, the next summer; á því ári, þingi, misseri, hausti, vári, sumri …, during, in that year …, Bs. i. 679, etc.; á þrem sumrum, in the course of three summers, Grág. i. 218; á þrem várum, Fms. ii. 114; á hálfs mánaðar fresti, within half a month’s delay, Nj. 99; á tvítugs, sextugs … aldri, á barns, gamals aldri, etc., at the age of …, v. aldr: á dögum e-s, in the days of, in his reign or time, Landn. 24, Hrafn. 3, Fms. ix. 229.

II. used of a fixed recurrent period or season; á várum, sumrum, haustum, vetrum, á kveldum, every spring, summer …, in the evenings, Eg. 711, Fms. i. 23, 25, vi. 394, Landn. 292: with the numeral adverbs, cp. Lat. ter in anno, um sinn á mánuði, ári, once a month, once a year, where the Engl. a is not the article but the preposition, Grág. i. 89.

III. of duration; á degi, during a whole day, Fms. v. 48; á sjau nóttum, Bárð. 166; á því meli, during that time, in the meantime, Grág. i. 259.

IV. connected with the seasons (á vetri, sumri, vári, hausti), ‘á’ denotes the next preceding season, the last winter, summer, autumn, Eb. 40, 238, Ld. 206: in such instances ‘á’ denotes the past, ‘at’ the future, ‘í’ the present; thus í vetri in old writers means this winter; á vetri, last winter; at vetri, next winter, Eb. 68 (in a verse), etc.

C. In various other relations, more or less metaphorically, on, upon, in, to, with, towards, against:

I. denoting object, in respect of, against, almost periphrastically; dvelja á náðum e-s, under one’s protection, Fms. i. 74; hafa metnað á e-u, to be proud of, to take pride in a thing, 127.

2. denoting a personal relation, in; bæta e-t á e-m, to make amends, i. e. to one personally; misgöra e-t á e-m, to inflict wrong on one; hafa elsku (hatr) á e-m, to bear love ( hatred) to one, Fms. ix. 242; hefna sín á e-m, to take revenge on one’s person, on anyone; rjúfa sætt á e-m, to break truce on the person of any one, to offend against his person, Nj. 103; hafa sár á sér, 101; sjá á e-m, to read on or in one’s face; sér hann á hverjum manni hvárt til þín er vel eðr illa, 106; var þat brátt auðséð á hennar högum, at …, it could soon be seen in all her doings, that …, Ld. 22.

3. also generally to shew signs of a thing; sýna fáleika á sér, to shew marks of displeasure, Nj. 14, Fs. 14; taka vel, illa, lítt, á e-u, to take a thing well, ill, or indifferently, id.; finna á sér, to feel in oneself; fann lítt á honum, hvárt …, it could hardly be seen in his face, whether …, Eb. 42; líkindi eru á, it is likely, Ld. 172; göra kost á e-u, to give a choice, chance of it, 178; eiga vald á e-u, to have power over …, Nj. 10.

II. denoting encumbrance, duty, liability; er fimtardómsmál á þeim, to be subject to …, Nj. 231; the phrase, hafa e-t á hendi, or vera á hendi e-m, on one’s hands, of work or duty to be done; eindagi á fé, term, pay day, Grág. i. 140; ómagi (skylda, afvinna) á fé, of a burden or encumbrance, D. I. and Grág. in several passages.

III. with a personal pronoun, sér, mér, honum …, denoting personal appearance, temper, character, look, or the like; vera þungr, léttr … á sér, to be heavy or light, either bodily or mentally; þungr á sér, corpulent, Sturl. i. 112; kátr ok léttr á sér, of a gay and light temper, Fms. x. 152; þat bragð hafði hann á sér, he looked as if, … the expression of his face was as though …, Ld., cp. the mod. phrase, hafa á sér svip, bragð, æði, sið, of one’s manner or personal appearance, to bear oneself as, or the like; skjótr (seinn) á fæti, speedy ( slow) of foot, Nj. 258.

IV. as a periphrasis of the possessive pronoun connected with the limbs or parts of the body. In common Icel. such phrases as my hands, eyes, head … are hardly ever used, but höfuð, eyru, hár, nef, munnr, hendr, fætr … á mér; so ‘í’ is used of the internal parts, e. g. hjarta, bein … í mér; the eyes are regarded as inside the body, augun í honum: also without the possessive pronoun, or as a periphrasis for a genitive, brjóstið á e-m, one’s breast, Nj. 95, Edda 15; súrnar í augum, it smarts in my eyes, my eyes smart, Nj. 202; kviðinn á sér, its belly, 655 xxx. 5, Fms. vi. 350; hendr á henni, her hands, Gísl. (in a verse); í vörunum á honum, on his lips, Band. 14; ristin á honum, his step, Fms. viii. 141; harðr í tungu, sharp of tongue, Hallfred (Fs. 114); kalt (heitt) á fingrum, höndum, fótum …, cold ( warm) in the fingers, hands, feet …, i. e. with cold fingers, etc.; cp. also the phrase, verða vísa (orð) á munni, of extemporising verses or speeches, freq. in the Sagas; fastr á fótum, fast by the leg, of a bondsman, Nj. 27: of the whole body, díla fundu þeir á honum, 209. The pers. pron. is used only in solemn style (poetry, hymns, the Bible), and perhaps only when influenced by foreign languages, e. g. mitt hjarta hví svo hryggist þú, as a translation of ‘warumb betrübst du dich mein Herz?’ the famous hymn by Hans Sachs; instead of the popular hjartað í mér, Sl. 43, 44: hjartað mitt is only used as a term of endearment, as by a husband to his wife, parents to their child, or the like, in a metaphorical sense; the heart proper is ‘í mér,’ not ‘mitt.’