if it so happen

(verð; varð, urðum; orðinn, vorðinn), v.

1) to happen, come to pass;

ætluðu allir, at þeir myndi tala um mál sitt, en þat varð ekki, but it came not to pass, it was not so;

þá varð óp mikit at lögbergi, then there arose a great shout at the Lawhill;

2) verða e-m, to happen to, befall one (slikt verðr opt ungum mönnum);

þat varð Skarphéðni, at stökk í sundr skóþvengr hans, it happened to S. that his shoe-string snapped asunder;

sjaldan verðr víti vörum, the wary man will seldom make a slip;

e-m verðr þörf e-s, one comes to be in need of;

3) to happen to be, occur;

í lœk þann, er þar verðr, in the brook that happens to be there;

varð fyrir þeim fjörðr, they came on a fjord;

verða á leið e-s, to be on one’s path, happen to one;

4) verða brottu, to leave, absent oneself (þeir sá þann sinn kost líkastan at verða á brottu);

verða úti, to go away (verð úti ok drag ongan spott at oss);

to perish in a storm from cold (sumir urðu úti);

þeim þótti honum seint heim verða, they thought that he was long in coming home;

5) with acc. to lose;

kváðust okkr hafa orðit bæði, said that they had lost us both;

6) followed by a noun, a., pp., adv., as predicate, to become;

þá verðr þat þinn bani, it will be thy death;

verða glaðr, hryggr, reiðr, to become glad, sad, angry;

verða dauðr to die (áðr Haraldr inn hárfagri yrði dauðr) with participles;

ok varð ekki eptir honum gengit, he was not pursued;

verða þeir ekki fundnir, they could not be found;

blóð hans varð ekki stöðvat, the blood could not be staunched;

þeim varð litit til hafs, they happened to look seaward;

impers., e-m verðr bilt, one is amazed;

Kolbeini varð ekki fyrir, K. lost his head, was paralysed;

with adverbs; hann varð vel við skaða sinn, he bore his loss well, like a man;

jarl varð illa við þetta, the earl was vexed by this;

7) with infin., denoting necessity, one must, needs, is forced, obliged to do;

þat verðr hverr at vinna, er ætlat er, every one must do the work that is set before him;

þar er bera verðr til grjót, where stones have to be carried;

verð ek nú flýja, now I must flee;

8) with preps., verða af e-u, to come to pass (var um rœtt, at hann skyldi leita fara, en eigi varð af);

varð ekki af ferðinni, the journey came to nought was given up;

verðr þetta af, at hann tekr við sveinunum, the end was that at last he took the boys;

starf ok kostnaðr varð af þessu, trouble and expenses arose from this;

livat verðr af e-u, what becomes of;

hvat varð af húnum mínum, what has become of my cubs?;

verða at e-u, to become (verða at undri, undrsjónum);

veiztu, hvat þér mun verða at bana, knowest thou what will be the cause of thy death?;

verða at engu, to come to nothing;

verða á, to come on, happen;

þvat sem á yrði síðan, whatever might happen later on;

e-m verðr á, one makes a blunder, mistake (þótti þér ekki á verða fyrir honum, er hann náði eigi fénu?);

verða eptir, to be left (honum varð þar eptir geit ok hafr);

verða fyrir e-u, to meet with (verða fyrir goða reiði);

to forebode (verða fyrir stórfundum);

verða fyrir e-m, to be in one’s way, as a hindrance (því meira sem oss verðr fyrir, því harðara skulu þér niðr koma);

verða í, to happen (tókust nú upp leikar sem ekki hefði í orðit);

verða til e-s, to come forth to do a thing, be ready to;

en sá er nefndr Hermóðr, er til þeirar farar varð, who undertook this journey;

verða við e-m, to respond to (bið ek þik, at þú verðir við mér, þó at engi sé verðleiki til).

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pres. verð, verðr, verð; pret. varð, vart (mod. varðst), varð; pl. urðu; subj. yrði: imperat. verð; part. orðinn; pl. orðnir, spelt phonetically ornir, Niðrst. 6: in later vellums occur freq. the forms vurðu, vyrði, vorðinn, see Introd.; but the old poets use it for alliteration as if it began with a vowel: with neg. suff. verðr-at, Fm. 6; varð-at, Vþm. 38; urðu-a it, Gh. 3; urðu-t. Lex. Poët.: [Ulf. wairþan = γίγνεσθαι, ἔσεσθαι; A. S. weorðan; Old Engl. worth, as in the phrase ‘woe worth the day!’ Germ. werden; Dan. vorde; Swed. varda.]

A. To become, happen, come to pass; sá atburðr varð, at …, Ó. H. 196; varð hitt at lyktum, at …, 191; ef svá verðr, at …, Al. 20; ef svá verðr ( if it so happen), at ek deyja, Eg. 34; fundr þeirra varð á Rogalandi, 32; mörg dæmi hafa orðit í forneskju, Ó. H. 73; varð þar hin snarpasta orrosta. Eg. 297; at því sem nú er orðit, Blas. 46; þá varð ( arose) hlátr mikill, id.; varð óp mikit, Nj.; þat varð um síðir, and so they did at last, 240; er þetta allvel orðit, well done, well happened, 187; þau tíðendi eru hér vorðin, Fms. iv. 309 (orðin, Ó. H. 139, l. c.); þat varð ekki, but it came not to pass, Nj.

2. adding dat. to happen, to befall one; þat varð mér, it befell me, Ísl. ii. (in a verse); varð þeim af in mesta deila, Nj. 189; Eyjólfi varð orðfall, speechlessness befell E., he faltered, 225; þat varð Skarphéðni at stökk í sundr skóþvengr hans, 145; urðu þeim þegar in sömu undr, 21.

3. to blunder, make a slip; þat varð þinni konu, at hón átti mög við mér, Ls. 40; sjaldan verðr viti vörum, Hm. 6; þat verðr mörgum manni at um myrkvan staf villisk, Eg. (in a verse); skalat honum þat verða optarr enn um sinn … ef eigi verðr þeim optarr enn um sinn, Grág. (Kb.) i. 55; e-m verðr Þorf e-s, to come in need of, Hm. 149; ef þeim verðr nökkut er honum hefir fylgt, if anything should befall them, Hom. 65; annat man þér verða (another fate, death, will be thine), enn þú sprongir, Sturl. iii. 225; cp. verða úti, to perish in a storm from cold, Fms. vii. 122; sumir urðu úti, Bs. i. 71; verða til, to perish.

4. to happen to be, to occur, or the like; í læk þann er þar verðr, in the brook that happens to be there, Eg. 163; holt þat er þar verðr, 746; varð þá enn brátt á er þvers varð fyrir þeim, þá kölluðu þeir þverá, 132; varð fyrir þeim fjörðr, they came on a fiord, 130; verða á leið e-s, to be in one’s path, happen to one, Ó. H. 181; taka þat sem á leið hans verðr, Grág. ii. 346; verða á fætr, to fall on one’s, feet, Fb. iii. 301; verða ek á fitjum, Vkv. 27; þeim þótti honum seint heim verða, Fbr. 8 new Ed.: verða brottu, to leave, absent oneself; þeir sá þann sinn kost líkastan at verða á brottu, Fms. vii. 204; verð í brottu í stað, begone, Fs. 64: verða úti, id., Nj. 16.

II. followed by a noun, adjective, participle, adverb, as predicate; þá verðr þat þinn bani, Nj. 94; hann varð tveggja manna bani, he became the bane of, i. e. slew, two men, 97; hann mun verða engi jafnaðar-maðr, Ld. 24; ef hann vyrði konungr, Fms. i. 20; verða biskup, prestr …, Bs. i. passim; ok verðr eigi gjöf, ef …, it becomes not a gift, if …, Grág. (Kb.) i. 130; verða þær málalyktir, at …, the end was that …, Nj. 88: verða alls hálft annat hundrat, the whole amount becomes, Rb. 88; honum varð vísa á munni, Fms. xi. 144; varð henni þá ljóð á munni, Fb. i. 525; þat varð henni á munni er hón sá þetta, Sd. 139: hví henni yrði þat at munni, Fms. xi. 149; þá er í meðal verðr, when there is an interval, leisure, Skálda (Thorodd): cp. the mod. phrase, þegar í milli veiðr fyrir honum, of the empty hour; varð Skarpheðinn þar í millum ok gaflhlaðsins, S. was jammed in between, Nj. 203; prob. ellipt. = verða fastr.

2. with adjectives, to become so and so:

α. verða glaðr, feginn, hryggr, to become glad, fain, sad, Fms. i. 21, viii. 19, passim; verða langlífr, to be long-lived, Bs. i. 640; verða gamall, to become old, Nj. 85; verða sjúkr, veykr, to become sick; verða sjónlauss, blindr, to become blind, Eg. 759; verða ungr í annat sinn, Fms. i. 20; verða varr, to become aware (see varr); verða víss, Nj. 268; verða sekr, to become outlawed; verða vátr, to become wet, 15; verða missáttr við e-n, Landn. 150 (and so in endless instances): in the phrase, verða dauðr, to die; dauðr varð inn Húnski, Am. 98; áðr Haraldr inn Hárfagri yrði dauðr, Íb. 6; síðan Njáll var(ð) dauðr, Nj. 238, and a few more instances, very freq. on Runic stones, but now obsolete.

β. with participles; verða búinn, to be ready, Fms. vii. 121; verða þeir ekki fundnir, they could not be found, Gísl. 56; verða staddr við e-t, to be present, Eg. 744; in mod. usage with a notion of futurity, e. g. eg verð búinn á morgun, I shall be ready to-morrow; eg verð farinn um það. I shall be gone then: with neut, part., járn er nýtekit verðr ór afli, just taken out of the furnace, Sks. 209 B; varð ekki eptir honum gengit, he was not pursued, Nj. 270; þeim varð litið til hafs, they happened to look, 125; honum varð litið upp til hlíðarinnar, 112; blóð varð eigi stöðvat, the blood could not be stopped, Fms. i. 46, Nj. 210.

γ. phrases, e-m verðr bilt, to be amazed, Edda 29, Korm. 40, Nj. 169; verða felmt, 105; verða íllt við, hverft við, id.; Kolbeini varð ekki fyrir, K. lost his head, was paralysed, as if stunned, Sturl. iii. 285.

3. with adverbs or adverbial phrases; ef þat bíðr at verða vet, Hm.; ma þetta verða vel þótt hitt yrði ílla, Nj.; verða verr enn til er stýrt, Róm. 321; hann varð vel við skaða sinn, bore it well, like a man, Eg. 76, Nj. 75; faðir hans varð ílla við þetta ( disliked it), ok kvað hann taka stein um megn sér, Fær. 58; jarl varð ílla við þetta, was much vexed by it, Fms. ix. 341; varð hann údrengiliga við sitt líflát, Ld. 234; hvernig varð hann við þá er þér rudduð skipið, Ó. H. 116; hversu Gunnarr varð við, how G. bore it, Nj. 82; verra verðr mér við, enn ek ætla at gott muni af leiða, 109; mér hefir orðit vel við þik í vetr, I have been pleased with thee this winter, Fms. vii. 112; eigi vildi ek svá við verða blóðlátið, fiskbleikr sem þú ert—Ek ætla, segir hinn, at þá myndir verr við verða ok ódrengiligar, 269; þar varð ílla með þeim, things went ill with them, they became enemies, Nj. 39: to behave, varð engum jafnvel til mín sem þessum, Fms. vii. 158; hann lætr sér verða á alla vega sem bezt til Áka, xi. 76; hann lét henni hafa orðit stórmannliga, Hkr. iii. 372.

III. with prepp., verða af; hvat er orðit af e-u, what is come of it? where is it? of a thing lost; segðu mér þat, hvat varð af húnum mínum, Vkv. 30; hvat af motrinum er orðit, Ld. 208; nú hverfr Óspakr á brott svá at eigi vitu menn hvat af honum verðr, Band. 5; varð ekki af atlögu búanda, Ó. H. 184; ekki mun af sættum verða, Fb. i. 126: to come to pass, varð ekki af eptir-för, it came to naught; varð því ekki af ferðinni, Ísl. ii. 247; Símon kvað þá ekki mundu af því verða, S. said that could not be, Fms. vii. 250; ok verðr þetta af, at hann tekr við sveinunum, the end was that at last he took the boys, Fær. 36; eigi mun þér þann veg af verða, Karl. 197:—verða at e-u, to come to; hvat þér mun verða at bana, what will be the cause of thy death, Nj. 85; verða at flugu, Fas. i. 353 (see ‘at’ C. I. α); verða at undri, skömm, honum varð ekki at því kaupi, the bargain came to naught for him, Al. 7; cp. the mod. honum varð ekki að því, it failed for him:—e-m verðr á (cp. á-virðing), to make a blunder, mistake; kölluðu þat mjök hafa vorðit á fyrir föður sínum, at hann tók hann til sín, Fs. 35; þótti þér ekki á verða fyrir honum er hann náði eigi fénu, Nj. 33; Þorkell settisk þá niðr, ok hafði hvárki orðit á fyrir honum áðr né síðan, 185; aldri varð á um höfðingskap hans, 33:—verða eptir, to be left, Rb. 126, Stj. 124, 595; honum varð þar eptir geit ok hafr, Hrafn. 1:—verða fyrir e-u, to be hit, be the object of; fyrir víginu hefir orðit Svartr, S. is the person killed, Nj. 53; verða fyrir öfund, görningum, to be the victim of, Lex. Poët.: e-m verðr lítið fyrir e-u, it costs one small effort (see fyrir):—verða til e-s, to come forth to do a thing, volunteer, or the like; en sá er nefndr Hermóðr er til þeirrar farar varð, Edda 37; til þess hefir engi orðit fyrr en þú, at skora mér á hólm, Ísl. ii. 225; en engi varð til þess, no one volunteered, Nj. 86; einn maðr varð til at spyrja, 82; þá verðr til ok svarar máli konungs sá maðr, er …, Odd. 12; hverr sem til verðr um síðir at koma þeim á réttan veg, Fb. i. 273: fengu þeir ekki samit, því at þeim varð mart til, many things happened, i. e. so as to bring discord, Sturl. ii. 17 C; mundi okkr Einari eigi annat smátt til orðit, Hrafn. 9; eigi varð verri maðr til, there was no worse man, Stj. 482:—verða við, to respond to; bið ek þik at þú verðir við mér þó at engi sé verðleiki til, Barl. 59; at hann beiddi Snorra ásjá, en ef hann yrði eigi við bað hann Gretti fara vestr, Grett. 112 new Ed.; verða við bæn e-s, to grant one’s request, passim.

IV. with infin., denoting necessity, one must, needs, one is forced, obliged to do; þat verðr hverr at vinna er ætlað er, Nj. 10; varð ek þá at selja Hrafni sjálfdæmi, Ísl. ii. 245; eða yrði þeir út at hafa þann ómaga, Grág. (Kb.) ii. 21; þat munu þér þá reyna verða, you must try, Fbr. 23 new Ed.; þar er bera verðr til grjót, where stones have to be carried, Grág. (Kb.) ii. 90; lágu hestarnir í kafi svá at draga varð upp, Eg. 546; en vita verð ek ( I must know) hvar til þetta heyrir, Fms. ii. 146; munu þér því verða annars-staðar á leita, Nj. 223; at hann man verða sækja á ókunn lönd, Fms. viii. 19; ok verðr af því líða yfir þat, it must be passed by, Post.; maðr verðr eptir mann lifa, a saying, Fas. ii. 552; verð ek nú flýja, Ó. H. 188; urðu þeir at taka við Kristni, 105; vér höfum orðit til at hætta lífi ok sálu, hefir margr saklauss orðit at láta, sumir féit ok sumir fjörit, 31, 32; vér munum verða lifa við öðrum veiði-mat, Hým. 16; verða at skiljask við e-n, Skv. 1. 24: the same verb twice, þá varð ek verða hapta, then came I to become a prisoner, Gkv. 1. 9; eg verð að verða eptir, I must stay behind.

B. Peculiar isolated phrases, in some of which ‘verða’ is probably a different word, viz. = varða (q. v.), having been confounded with verða; thus, verða, verðr (= varða, varðar), to be liable, are frequent occurrences as a law phrase in the Grág.; svá fremi verðr beitin, ii. 226; þeim manni verðr fjörbaugs-garðr, er …, 212.

2. the phrase, eigi verðr (= varðar) einn eiðr alla, see eiðr; also ymsar verðr sá er margar ferr, in many warfares there will be some defeats, Eg. 182.

3. to forfeit, lose, prop. of paying a fine or penalty; heit ek á þann félaga er mik lætr eigi slíkt verða, Vápn. 11; æti þik ormar, yrða ek þik, kykvan, that snakes ate thee alive, and that I lost thee, Am. 22; fullhuginu sá er varð dróttinn, the brave man bereft of his master, Sighvat (Ó. H. 236); ek hefi orðinn þann guðföður, er …, I have lost a godfather who …, Hallfred (Js. 210); hér skaltú lífit verða, here shall thou forfeit life, i. e. die, Sturl. iii. (in a verse).

4. the law phrase, verða síns, to suffer a loss; leiglendingr bæti honum allt þat er hann verðr síns fyrir lands-drottni (i. e. verðr missa), whatever he has to lose, whatever damage, Gþl. 362; þræll skal ekki verða síns um, N. G. L. i. 85; allt þat er hann verðr síns í, þá skal hinn bæta honum, Jb. 207 A; hann kvað þá ekki skyldu síns í verða (varða Ed.) um þetta mál, they should lose nothing, Rd. 253: vildi hann (viz. Herode) eigi verða heit sitt (= fyrir verða?), he would not forfeit, break his vow, Hom. 106.

C. Reflex.; at þær ræður skyldi eigi með tjónum verðask, to be lost, forgotten, Sks. 561 B.

2. recipr.; bræðr munu berjask ok at bönum verðask, Vsp. (Hb.); þá er bræðr tveir at bönum urðusk, Ýt. 11.

3. part.; eptir orðna þrimu geira, Ód.; hluti orðna ok úorðna, past and future, MS. 623. 13; kvenna fegrst ok bezt at sér orðin, Nj. 268; þeir vóru svó vorðnir sik (so shapen, Germ. beschaffen), at þeir höfðu …, Stj. 7; þeir eru svá vorðnir sik, at þeir hafa eitt auga í miðju enninu, 68.

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(ber; bar, bárum; borinn), v.

I.

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

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

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

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

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

bera œgishjálm, to inspire fear and awe;

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

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

kýr hafði borit kálf, had calved;

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

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

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

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

borinn e-m, frá e-m (rare), born of;

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

borinn Sigmundi, son of S.;

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

bera e-n ráðum, to overrule one;

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

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

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

verða bráðum borinn, to be taken by surprise;

borinn verkjum, overcome by pains;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

bar hon sköruliga af sér, she bore up bravely;

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

hon berst af lítt, she is much cast down;

bera sik vel upp, to bear well up against;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

bera e-n undan sök, to acquit;

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

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

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

8) to set forth, report, tell;

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

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

bera e-m njósn, to apprise one;

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

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

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

bera saman ráð sín, to consult together;

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

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

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

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

vel viti borinn, endowed with a good understanding;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11) with preps.:

bera af e-m, to surpass;

en þó bar Bolli af, surpassed all the rest;

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

bera eld at, to set fire to;

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

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

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

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

bera e-t um, to wind round;

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

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

bera út barn, to expose a child;

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

láta af berast, to die;

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

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

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

berast vápn á, to attack one another;

berast at or til, to happen;

þat barst at (happened) á einhverju sumri;

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

berast í móti, to happen, occur;

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

berast við, to be prevented;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2) followed by preps.:

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

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

e-t berr fram (hátt), is prominent;

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

e-t berr á milli, comes between;

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

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

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

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

e-t berr undan, goes amiss, fails;

bera saman, to coincide;

bar nöfn þeirra saman, they had the same name;

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

fund várn bar saman, we met;

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

svá bar at einn vetr, it happened one winter;

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

bar honum svá til, it so befell him;

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

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

4) of time, to fall upon;

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

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

5) denoting cause;

e-t berr til, causes a thing;

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

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

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

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

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

e-t berr frá, is surpassing;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

f. she-bear, = birna.

* * *

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.

(verð; varð, urðum; orðinn, vorðinn), v.

1) to happen, come to pass;

ætluðu allir, at þeir myndi tala um mál sitt, en þat varð ekki, but it came not to pass, it was not so;

þá varð óp mikit at lögbergi, then there arose a great shout at the Lawhill;

2) verða e-m, to happen to, befall one (slikt verðr opt ungum mönnum);

þat varð Skarphéðni, at stökk í sundr skóþvengr hans, it happened to S. that his shoe-string snapped asunder;

sjaldan verðr víti vörum, the wary man will seldom make a slip;

e-m verðr þörf e-s, one comes to be in need of;

3) to happen to be, occur;

í lœk þann, er þar verðr, in the brook that happens to be there;

varð fyrir þeim fjörðr, they came on a fjord;

verða á leið e-s, to be on one’s path, happen to one;

4) verða brottu, to leave, absent oneself (þeir sá þann sinn kost líkastan at verða á brottu);

verða úti, to go away (verð úti ok drag ongan spott at oss);

to perish in a storm from cold (sumir urðu úti);

þeim þótti honum seint heim verða, they thought that he was long in coming home;

5) with acc. to lose;

kváðust okkr hafa orðit bæði, said that they had lost us both;

6) followed by a noun, a., pp., adv., as predicate, to become;

þá verðr þat þinn bani, it will be thy death;

verða glaðr, hryggr, reiðr, to become glad, sad, angry;

verða dauðr to die (áðr Haraldr inn hárfagri yrði dauðr) with participles;

ok varð ekki eptir honum gengit, he was not pursued;

verða þeir ekki fundnir, they could not be found;

blóð hans varð ekki stöðvat, the blood could not be staunched;

þeim varð litit til hafs, they happened to look seaward;

impers., e-m verðr bilt, one is amazed;

Kolbeini varð ekki fyrir, K. lost his head, was paralysed;

with adverbs; hann varð vel við skaða sinn, he bore his loss well, like a man;

jarl varð illa við þetta, the earl was vexed by this;

7) with infin., denoting necessity, one must, needs, is forced, obliged to do;

þat verðr hverr at vinna, er ætlat er, every one must do the work that is set before him;

þar er bera verðr til grjót, where stones have to be carried;

verð ek nú flýja, now I must flee;

8) with preps., verða af e-u, to come to pass (var um rœtt, at hann skyldi leita fara, en eigi varð af);

varð ekki af ferðinni, the journey came to nought was given up;

verðr þetta af, at hann tekr við sveinunum, the end was that at last he took the boys;

starf ok kostnaðr varð af þessu, trouble and expenses arose from this;

livat verðr af e-u, what becomes of;

hvat varð af húnum mínum, what has become of my cubs?;

verða at e-u, to become (verða at undri, undrsjónum);

veiztu, hvat þér mun verða at bana, knowest thou what will be the cause of thy death?;

verða at engu, to come to nothing;

verða á, to come on, happen;

þvat sem á yrði síðan, whatever might happen later on;

e-m verðr á, one makes a blunder, mistake (þótti þér ekki á verða fyrir honum, er hann náði eigi fénu?);

verða eptir, to be left (honum varð þar eptir geit ok hafr);

verða fyrir e-u, to meet with (verða fyrir goða reiði);

to forebode (verða fyrir stórfundum);

verða fyrir e-m, to be in one’s way, as a hindrance (því meira sem oss verðr fyrir, því harðara skulu þér niðr koma);

verða í, to happen (tókust nú upp leikar sem ekki hefði í orðit);

verða til e-s, to come forth to do a thing, be ready to;

en sá er nefndr Hermóðr, er til þeirar farar varð, who undertook this journey;

verða við e-m, to respond to (bið ek þik, at þú verðir við mér, þó at engi sé verðleiki til).

* * *

u, f. the ‘ward,’ the bulwarks of a ship which ward off the waves; hrími stokkin verða hrökk, Arnór, (also called varta.)

* * *

(ber; bar, bárum; borinn), v.

I.

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

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

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

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

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

bera œgishjálm, to inspire fear and awe;

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

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

kýr hafði borit kálf, had calved;

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

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

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

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

borinn e-m, frá e-m (rare), born of;

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

borinn Sigmundi, son of S.;

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

bera e-n ráðum, to overrule one;

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

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

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

verða bráðum borinn, to be taken by surprise;

borinn verkjum, overcome by pains;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

bar hon sköruliga af sér, she bore up bravely;

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

hon berst af lítt, she is much cast down;

bera sik vel upp, to bear well up against;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

bera e-n undan sök, to acquit;

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

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

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

8) to set forth, report, tell;

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

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

bera e-m njósn, to apprise one;

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

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

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

bera saman ráð sín, to consult together;

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

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

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

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

vel viti borinn, endowed with a good understanding;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11) with preps.:

bera af e-m, to surpass;

en þó bar Bolli af, surpassed all the rest;

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

bera eld at, to set fire to;

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

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

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

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

bera e-t um, to wind round;

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

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

bera út barn, to expose a child;

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

láta af berast, to die;

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

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

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

berast vápn á, to attack one another;

berast at or til, to happen;

þat barst at (happened) á einhverju sumri;

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

berast í móti, to happen, occur;

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

berast við, to be prevented;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2) followed by preps.:

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

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

e-t berr fram (hátt), is prominent;

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

e-t berr á milli, comes between;

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

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

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

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

e-t berr undan, goes amiss, fails;

bera saman, to coincide;

bar nöfn þeirra saman, they had the same name;

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

fund várn bar saman, we met;

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

svá bar at einn vetr, it happened one winter;

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

bar honum svá til, it so befell him;

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

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

4) of time, to fall upon;

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

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

5) denoting cause;

e-t berr til, causes a thing;

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

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

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

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

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

e-t berr frá, is surpassing;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

f. she-bear, = birna.

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að, [berr, nudus], to make bare, Lat. nudare; hon beraði líkam sinn, Bret. 22: impers., berar hálsinn (acc.), the neck became bare, Bs. i. 624.

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(kann, kunna, kunnat), v.

1) to know, understand (þú kannt margt þat er eigi kunnu aðrir menn);

2) to know (by memory);

ljóð ek þau kann, er kannat þjóðans kona, I know songs, such as no king’s daughter knows;

3) to know a person;

unni honum hverr maðr, er hann (acc.) kunni, every man that knew him loved him;

4) spec. phrases;

kunna hóf at um e-t, kunna hóf sitt, to know the proper mean, to behave with moderation;

uxarnir kunnu þó heim, the oxen found their way home;

kunna enga mannraun to have no experience of men;

kunna e-m þökk, aufusu, to be thankful, obliged to one;

5) kunna sik, to know oneself (sá er svinnr, er sik kann); to behave well (G. kveðst mundu meiða hann, ef hann kynni sik eigi);

6) kunna sér e-t, to understand, have clear knowledge of (something as concerning oneself or touching one’s own interest);

kunna sér margt, to be skilled in many things;

kunna fyrir sér = kunna sér; also ellipt. know how to conduct oneself;

7) with dat. to know;

ek kan skapi Gunnhildar, I know Gunhild’s temper;

8) kunna e-n e-s or um e-t, to blame a person for a thing (eigi hugða ek, at hann mætti mik þessa kunna);

eigi er hann um þat at kunna, he is not to be blamed for it;

9) to be pleased or not with a thing;

Eyjúlfr lézt því nafni mundu vel kunna, E. said he should be well pleased with that name;

10) to be able, with infin.;

þú skalt eigi kunna frá tíðindum at segja, thou shalt not escape to tell the tale;

11) to chance, happen;

hvar sem þik kann at at bera, wheresoever thou may happen to arrive.

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pres. (in pret. form) kann, kannt (kanntú), kann; pl. kunnum, kunnut, kunnu (mod. kunnum, kunnit, kunna); pret. kunni; subj. kynni; imperat. kunn; part. neut. kunnat; the pres. infin. kunnu for kunna is obsolete, whereas a pret. infin. kunnu, potuisse, occurs, Ísldr. 9: with neg. suff. kann-at, Hm. 147; kann-k-a ek, I know not, Skálda (Thorodd) 167, Hallfred; see Gramm. p. xxiii: [Ulf. kunnan = γιγνώσκειν, εἰδέναι; A. S. and Hel. cunnan; O. H. G. kunnan; in these old languages, the two senses of knowing how to do and being able to do are expressed by the same form, and this remains in Dan. kunde, Swed. kunna: in others, a distinction is made: Old Engl. and Scot. ken, know and can; Germ. kennen and können.]

A. To know, understand, of art, skill, knowledge, with acc.; hann þóttisk rísta henni manrúnar, en hann kunni þat eigi, Eg. 587; hann kunni margar tungur, Fms. xi. 326; þú kannt mart þat er eigi kunnu aðrir menn, v. 236; k. seið, Vsp. 25; Hann ræddi, ef hann kynni nafn Guðs it hæsta—Kann ek nökkurt nafn Guðs,—Þykkja mér slíkt eigi prestar er eigi kunna it hæsta nafn Guds—Kanntú nafnit?—Ek veit þann mann er kunna mun, … Nefn þú þá ef þú kannt! … Guð veit at ek vilda gjarna kunna, Bs. i. 421; engi skal sá vera hér með oss er eigi kunni nökkurs-konar list eðr kunnandi, Edda 31; ekki kann ek í skáldskap, Fms. vii. 60; kannt þú nakkvat í lögum?—Kunna þótta ek norðr þar, Nj. 33; at þetta væri at vísu lög þótt fáir kynni, 237; ek kann lítt til laga, 31: of sports, kunna á skíðum, Fms. i. 9; k. við skíð ok boga, Ó. H. 71; k. við buklara, Sturl. ii. 44; kunna á bók, to know by book, know how to read, Mar.

2. to know by memory; kunna menn enn kvæði þeirra, Hkr. (pref.); hví kveðr þú flokka eina, kanntú ok engar drápur?—Eigi kann ek drápurnar færi en flokkana, Fms. vi. 391; ljóð ek þau kann, er kannat þjóðans son, Hm. 147 sqq.; þat kann ek it áttjánda, er ek æva kennig, 164; en Konr ungr kunni rúnar, Rm. 40, 42; kunna betr, id., Vkv. 26; kunna utan-bókar, to know without book, know by heart; hón kunni þær allar (Spurningar) vel, nema Sjötta kapitulann, … Sigríðr kunni allar Úlfars-rímur, Piltr og Stúlka 23.

3. to know a person, a face; synir Heli vóru úsiðugir ok kunnu eigi Guð Dróttinn, Stj. 429; ek kann þann mann, 460; ok unni honum hverr maðr er hann (acc.) kunni, every man that knew him loved him, Hkr. i. 121; kann kvaðsk eigi k. þá ok eigi hirða hverir vóru, Barl. 36; þik kann ek fullgerva, I know thee well enough, Ls. 30; góða menn þá er ek görva kunna, Hbl. 7; kunna ek báða Brodd ok Hörvi, Hdl. 24; hverr er kunni (mik), Helr. 7; hvars menn eðli okkart k., 3: to know, of the character, hann kvað þá k. sik úgörla, er þeir veittu honum átölur, því at ek hefi dregit yðr undan dauða, segir hann, Ld. 282; ek kann hvárn-tveggja ykkarn konungs, Fms. vi. 100.

4. spec. phrases; kunna góða stilling á e-u, hversu góða stilling hann kunni á herstjórninni, how skilful he was in military things, Fms. i. 98; k. hóf at um e-t, to know one’s measure in respect of a thing, to behave with moderation, Finnb. 356; Þorvaldr kvað hana ekki hóf at kunna, Ld. 134; allt kann sá er hófit kann, Gísl. 27; ef Griss kynni hóf sitt, Sd. 139; Klaufi, Klaufi, kunn þú hóf þitt? id.; kunna sér margt, to be skilled in many things; hón var væn kona, ok kunni sér allt vel, Dropl. 7, 35; hann kunni enga leið, he knew no road, Eg. 149; þeir munu eigi k. leiðina, Fs. 105: absol., uxarnir kunnu þó heim, found their way home, Dropl. 8; k. skyn e-s, to know all about …; hann kunni allra skyn í borginni, Fms. vi. 410; Ása ok Álfa ek kann allra skil, Hm. 160; k. önga mannraun, to have no experience of men, Fms. vi. 53; ek kann skap þitt at því, at …, Sturl. i. 30.

II. metaph. usages; kunna e-m þökk, to be thankful, obliged to one, Fms. xi. 29, 32; at hann kynni þess mikla þökk ok aufusu, Eg. 521; veizla er yðr búin, kann ek yðr mikla þökk at þér þiggit, Fms. vi. 277; k. e-m úþökk fyrir e-t, v. 14; k. sér þörf til e-s, to feel the want of a thing; ef bóndi kann þess þörf, if he knows the need of it, Grág. i. 152; at hann leggi fram vöruna svá sem þú kannt þér þörf til, Ld. 70.

2. kunna sik, to know oneself; sá er svinnr er sik kann, he is a wise man who knows himself, a saying, Hrafn. 10: to behave, Grímr kveðsk mundu meiða hann ef hann kynni sik eigi, Eg. 189; ok vita ef þeir kunni sik þá görr meir, Stj. 264; k. sik ílla, to be naughty, Bjarn.

3. kunna sér, kunna munda ek mér þat ( I should know how to do that) ef ek hefða víg vegit, Gísl. 143; gá þess, ok kunn þér (take heed, learn!) at varask annars vígkæni, Sks. 383; er Þorólfr svá viti borinn, at hann mundi k. sér ( have sense enough) at vera eigi fyrir liði yðru, Eg. 134; kunni hann sér þann hagnað at girnask ekki Svía-konungs veldi, Ó. H. 57; en kunnit yðr engi forráð eðr fyrirhyggju þegar er ér komit í nokkurn vanda, 67.

III. denoting feeling, to feel angry or pleased; kunna e-n e-s, to be angry with a person for a thing; þá bað Þórir konung, at hann skyldi eigi fyrirkunna hann þess at hann hafði Egil með sér um vetrinn, Eg. ch. 48; eigi vil ek fyrirkunna þik þessa orða, þvíat þú veizt eigi hvat varask skal, Ó. H. 57; eigi hugða ek at hann mætti mik þessa k., þvíat eigi drap ek son hans, Hrafn. 16; kveðr þeir eigi sik einskis at k., Ísl. ii. 314; kunnit mik eigi þess er ek mun mæla, Fbr. 116; spurði hvers hón kynni arfa-sátuna, Nj. 194, v. l.

2. with prep.; kunna e-n um e-t, id.; eigi er hann um þat at kunna, Fs. 38; eigi munu þér kunna mik um þetta, Fms. i. 175; ekki áttú hann um þat at kunna, vi. 223; ef hertogi vill þik nokkut um þetta kunna, xi. 323; hón kunni hana mjök um áleitni þá, er …, Bs. i. 340.

IV. with dat. to know; þeir er menn kunnu eigi hér máli eða tungu við, Grág. i. 224; ef lögsögumaðr kann þar eigi mönnum fyrir í þá sveit, i. 10 B; kunni hann náliga manns máli, Fas. ii. 443; hann kann eigi lítilmensku várri, Bjarn. 54; kann þjóð kerski minni, Ó. H. (in a verse); ek kann skapi Gunnhildar, I know Gunhilda’s temper, Nj. 5; kann ek glensyrðum yðrum Gautanna, Fas. iii. 80; ek kann ráðum Gunnhildar en kappi Egils, Eg. 257; ek kann skapi Hrafnkels, at hann mun ekki göra oss, ef hann náir þér eigi, Hrafn. 27: eigi kanntú góðgirnd (dat.) föður várs, ef hann hefir honum eigi undan skotið, Fs. 38.

2. to be pleased with a thing or not; munda ek kunna því, at vér hefðim manna-lát mikit, ef …, Eg. 585; Eyjúlfr lézk því nafni mundu vel kunna, E. said be should be well pleased with that name, Glúm. 328; verðr hváru-tveggju at kunna, one must take one or other of the two, Ó. H. 52; vit munum því ílla k. ef þú veitir okkr eigi þat er vit beiðum, Eb. 114; hann kunni því stórílla ok hljóp í brott, Hkr. i. 36; munu synir Njáls ílla k. víginu, Nj. 64; Njáll kunni ílla láti Gunnars, 117; Ingi konungr kunni þessu svá ílla at hann grét sem barn, Fms. vii. 273; andaðisk hann, Guðríðr kona hans kunni því lítt, Fb. i. 543; til þess at hón kunni því betr andláti mínu, id.; ílla munu þeir k. höggum er heiman hafa hlaupit frá kirnu-askinum, Fms. viii. 350.

3. with prep.; kann ek ekki við því at yðr þykki sumt ofjarl en sumt ekki at manni, I do not care for what you call …, Fms. vi. 53; kannka ek mart við veifanar-orði manna, I take no notice of idle rumours, Hallfred; hence the mod. phrase, kunna við e-ð, to be pleased with; eg kann ekki við það, I do not like it; kunna vel, ílla við sik, to feel happy, unhappy in a place or condition; eg kann vel við mig þar, I like the place.

B. To be able, Lat. posse, (in Engl., can, pret. could, has ceased to be used except in the finite moods), with infin.; the senses often run one into the other, but the use of the infinitive shews that the sense can is at least partly implied; þá mælti konungr, ertu skáldit?—Hann sagði, kann ek yrkja, I know I can make verses, Hkr. i. 288; hann kunni görr veðr at sjá en aðrir inenn, Eb. 150; þá hluti er þeir kunna honum til at segja, 112; freista hvat hann kynni segja honum, Hkr. i. 228: hón sagði hann eigi k. at þiggja sóma sinn, Fs. 131; hugsit um hvar þann mann kann fá, where that man can be had, Stj. 460; svá hygginn at hann kunni fyrir sökum ráða, Grág. ii. 75; hvárt kanntú mér höll smíða? 656 B. 8; þeir er mildlega kunnu stýra Guðs hjörð, Hom. 37; kanntú nökkut yrkja? Fms. vi. 361; kunna eigi at mæla, he could not speak, Ld. 30; mikil tíðendi kannþú (= kannt þú) at segja af himnum, Edda 12; þú skalt eigi kunna frá tíðindum at segja, thou shalt not be able to tell the tidings, shall not escape with life, Nj. 8; um þá hluti er ek kann görr at sjá en þér, Ld. 186; ekki kann biskup görr at sjá mann á velli en ek, Fms. ii. 173.

II. to chance, happen; ef Björn faðir þeirra kann fyrr andask, if B. should happen to die first, Dipl. v. 3; hvar sem þik kann at bera, wheresoever thou may happen to arrive, Fms. iv. 176; ef nokkut kann þat til at bera á þinni æfi, Gísl. 25; ef hann kann lengr at dveljask í brottu, D. N. v. 43; ok hón kann af þessum heimi brott at fara, iii. 137.

C. Recipr. to know one another; þeir kunnusk, Mork. 106.

2. part. kunnandi, cunning, knowing, learned, with gen.; veit ek at þú ert margs kunnandi, 655 xix. 3; hón var margs kunnandi, Fs. 73; Gyða var marg-kunnandi á fyrnsku ok fróðleik, 131.

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(kem; kom or kvam, kómum or kvamúm; kominn), v.

1) to come (litlu síðarr kómu Finnar aptr heim);

2) to come, arrive (bréf kómu frá Skúla jarli);

kom svá, at (it came to pass, that) Bárði var heitit meyjunni;

3) with dat. of the object, to make to come, to take, bring, carry, etc.;

hann skyldi koma Þór í Geirröðargarða, he should make Th. come to G.;

hann kom Þórhaddi heilum yfir ána, he brought Th. safe across the river;

koma e-m í hel, to put one to death;

koma e-m til falls, to make one fall;

koma e-m í sætt við e-n, to reconcile one with another;

koma sér vel hjá e-m, to bring oneself into favour with, be agreeable to (þeir kómu sér vel við alla);

koma e-u til leiðar (til vegar), to effect, bring about;

koma orðum við e-n, to speak with a person (hann gørði sik svá reiðan, at ekki mátti orðum við hann koma);

4) with preps.:

koma e-u af sér, to get rid of (allt mun ek til vinna at koma af mér yðvarri reiði);

koma e-u af, to abolish (Þvi hafði eigi orðit af komitmeði öllu);

koma at e-m, to come upon one (kómu þessir at honum fyrir Sjólandi með tveim skipum);

koma at hendi, to happen (mikill vandi er kominn at hendi);

impers., Gunnarr játaði því, en þá er at kom, vildi hann eigi, G. agreed to it, but when it came to the point he would not;

koma at e-u, to come at, regain, recover (koma at hamri);

koma sér at e-u, to bring oneself to (Þ. kom sér ekki at því);

koma á e-t, to come on, hit (höggit kom á lærit);

koma e-u á, to bring about, effect (máttu þeir øngum flutningum á koma);

koma kristni (dat.) á England, to christianize E.;

koma fram, to come forth, appear, emerge (sigldi E. suðr með landi ok kom fram í Danmörk); to be produced, brought forward (nú mun pat fram koma sem ek sagða);

koma e-u fram, to bring about, effect (koma fram hefndum);

koma fyrir e-t, to be an equivalent for (fyrir víg Hjartar skyldi koma víg Kols);

allt mun koma fyrir eitt, it will all come to the same;

koma fyrir ekki, to come to naught, be of no avail;

e-m þykkir fyrir ván komit, at, one thinks it past all hope, that;

koma e-u fyrir, to destroy (hann kom hverjum hesti fyrir);

koma í e-t, to come into, enter;

mál koma í dóm, suits are brought up for judgement;

koma niðr, to come down;

hann reyndi eptir, hvar G. væri niðr kominn, what had become of G.;

kom þar niðr tal hennar, at hon sagði honum, hversu, the end of her talk was, that she told him how koma;

koma hart niðr, to pay dearly for it (ek hafða illa til gört, enda kom ek hart niðr);

koma saman, to come together, gather (er saman kom liðit); to agree;

þat kom saman (or ásamt) með þeim, they agreed on it;

impers., kom þeim vel saman (ásamt), they agreed well;

koma e-u saman, to bring about, effect;

koma saman sættum með e-m, to reconcile them;

koma til e-s, to come to a person or place (jarlinn kom með allan her sinn til Dyflinnar);

koma till ríkis, to come to, or succeed to, the throne;

koma til e-s, to cause: þat kemr til þess, at, the reason is, that; to help, avail: koma til lítils, to come to little, be of small avail (= koma fyrir lítit); to concern: þetta mál kemr ekki til þín, this quarrel is no business of thine; þat er til mín kemr, so far as I am concerned; to mean, signify (Þ. kvezk skilja, hvar orð hans kómu til); to be of value: sverð þat, er til kom mörk gulls, that was worth a ‘mark’ of gold; mikit þykkir til e-s koma, one is much thought of, is thought to be of great importance;

koma til, to be born;

koma e-m undan, to help one to escape;

koma undir e-n, to come unto one;

ef undir oss skal koma kjörit, if we are to choose;

koma e-m undir, to get one down, overcome one;

koma upp, to come up;

tungl kemr upp, the moon rises;

eldr kom upp, fire broke out;

kom þá upp af tali þeirra, at, the end of their talk was, that; to come out, become known (kom þat þá upp, at hann hafði beðit hennar);

koma e-u upp, to open (kerling tekr hörpuna ok vildi upp koma);

hann mátti lengi eigi orði upp koma, it was long before he could utter a word;

koma við e-t, to touch (komit var við hurðina);

þeir kómu við sker, they struck on a reef;

hann kemr við margar sögur, he appears in many sagas; to be added to (koma þær nætr við hinar fyrri);

koma við, to fit, be convenient, suit;

koma e-u við, to employ, make use of (ek mátta eigi boganum við koma); hann kom því við (he brought about), at engi skyldi fara með vápn; urðu þeir at flýja sem því kómu við, all fled that could;

koma sér við, to bring about, effect, be able to do (ek mun veita þér slíkt lið sem ek má mér við koma); to behave (hversu hann kom sér við í þessum málum);

koma yfir, to pass over (hvert kveld, er yfir kom);

5) refl., komast;

f. arrival, = kváma.

* * *

pres. sing. kem, kemr, kemr; an older form komr is used constantly in very old and good vellum MSS., as the Kb. of Sæm.; and even spelt keomr or ceomr (in Eluc., Greg., etc.); reflex. komsk, 2nd pers. kømztu ( pervenis), Sdm. 10: pret. kom, kom-k, I came, Skm. 18: 2nd pers. komt, 17, mod. komst: the pret. plur. varies, kvámu being the oldest form; kvómu, often in the MSS.; kómu, as it is still pronounced in the west of Icel.; the usual and latest form is komu, with a short vowel; the spelling of the MSS. cannot always be ascertained, as the word is usually written k^umu or q^umu: pret. subj. kvæmi and kꝍmi (kæmi): imperat. kom, kom-ðú, proncd, kondu, come thou! pret. infin. kómu ( venisse), Fms. i. 224 (in a verse), Geisli 62:—with suff. neg., pres. kmr-at or kømr-að, Akv. 11, Grág. ii. 141, Gkv. 3. 8; pret. kom-a, kom-að, came not, Ls. 56, Þorf. Karl. (in a verse), Þd. 18; 2nd pers. komtaðu ( non venisti), Am. 99; subj. kømi-a ( non veniret), Gs. 10: reflex., pres. kømsk-at, Grág. ii. 180; pret. komsk-at ( could not come), Am. 3:—a middle form, pres. 1st pers. komum-k (komumsk), Ó. H. 140, 214, Skm. 10, 11; subj. pres. komimk, Ó. H. 85; pret. kømomc, Hbl. 33 (Bugge); part. pass. kominn, see Gramm. p. xix. The preterite forms kvam and kvaminn, used in the Edition of the Sturl. and in a few other mod. Editions without warrant in the MSS., are due to the fact that the Edition of Sturl. was published from a transcript now in the Advocates’ Library in Edinburgh, made by the learned priest Eyjolf á Völlum (died A. D. 1745), who used this spelling: in prehistoric times, before the age of writing, it may be assumed for certain that this verb had a v throughout, as in Gothic: [Ulf. qiman, i. e. qwiman, = ἔρχεσθαι; A. S. cuman; Engl. come; O. H. G. queman; Germ. kommen; Dutch komen; Dan. komme; Swed. komma; Lat. venio, qs. gvenio; the Ormul. spells cumenn, indicating a long root vowel; cp. North. E. coom.]

A. To come; sá þeirra sem fyrr kæmi, Fms. ix. 373; konungr kom norðr til Túnsbergs, 375; kómu Finnar heim, i. 9; þeir mágar kómu ór hjúkólfi, Sturl. ii. 124; kömr hann á konungs fund, Fms. ix. 221; þá vóru þeir norðan komnir, 308; hér er nú komin ær ein kollótt, Sturl. i. 159, passim.

2. to become, arrive; bréf kómu frá Skúla jarli, Fms. ix. 375; ef svá síðarliga kömr skip til hlunns, Sks. 28; en er vár kom, Eg. 167; koma at máli við e-n, to have an interview, talk with one, 467; konungi kom njósn, Fms. vii. 57; þá komu honum þau tíðendi, i. 37; þetta kom allt fyrir Ingimar, vii. 114; kom honum þat (it came to him, he got it) fyrir útan fé, en engum kom fyrr, x. 394; hvat sem á bak kemr, whatsoever may befall, Nj. 193; koma e-m at haldi, or í hald, to avail oneself, 192, Fms. x. 413; koma at gagni, to ‘come in useful,’ be of use, Nj. 264; koma at úvörum, to come at unawares, Ld. 132; koma e-m fyrir úvart, id., Fms. xi. 290; koma á úvart, Nj. 236; koma í þörf = koma í gagn, Fms. vii. 14; hvar kom kapp þitt þá? Bs. i. 18; mál koma í dóm, to be brought up for judgment, Fms. vii. 115; líðr vetrinn, kemr þar ( that time comes) er menn fara til Gulaþings, Eg. 340; var þá svá komit, at allir menn vóru sofa farnir, 376; kom svá ( it came to pass) at Bárði var heitið meyjunni, 26; svá kemr, kemr þar, at, it comes to pass. Fb. i. 174, ii. 48, 68; láta koma, to let come, put; síðan létu þeir koma eld í spánuna, Fms. xi. 34.

3. in greeting; kom heill, welcome! kom heill ok sæll, frændi! Nj. 175: mod. komdu (kondu) sæll! komið þér sælir!

II. with prepp.; koma á, to hit; ef á kömr, Grág. ii. 7:—koma at, to come to, arrive, happen; láttu at því koma, let it be so, Dropl. 24; kom þat mjök optliga at honum, of sickness, Fms. vii. 150; kom at þeim svefnhöfgi, sleep came upon them, Nj. 104; koma at hendi, to happen; mikill vandi er kominn at hendi, 177, Hom. 80; koma at e-u, to come at, regain, recover; koma at hamri, Þkv. 32:—koma fram, to come forth, appear, stund var í milli er þeir sá framstafninn ok inn eptri kom fram, Fms. ii. 304; engin kom önnur vistin fram, Eg. 549; nú eru öll sóknar-gögn fram komin, Nj. 143: to emerge, hann kom fram í Danmörk, Hkr. i. 210, 277, Ísl. ii. 232, Eg. 23, Landn. 134, Orkn. 152: to arrive, sendimenn fóru ok fram kómu, Fms. xi. 27; reifa mál þau fyrst er fyrst eru fram komin, each in its turn, Grág. i. 64: to be fulfilled, happen, því er á þínum dögum mun fram koma, Ld. 132; nú mun þat fram komit sem ek sagða, Eg. 283; kom nú fram spásagan Gests, Ld. 286; öll þessi merki kómu fram ok fylldusk, Stj. 444; aldrei skal maðr arf taka eptir þann mann er hann vegr, eðr ræðr bana fram kominn, whom he has slain, or whose death he has devised with effect, Grág. ii. 113; staðar-prýði flest fram komin, Bs. i. 146; vera langt fram kominn, mod. áfram kominn, to be ‘in extremis,’ at the point of death, 644; er sú frásögn eigi langt fram komin, this story comes from not far off, i. e. it is derived from first, not second hand, Fms. viii. 5:—koma fyrir, to come as payment, tvau hundrað skyldu koma fyrir víg Snorra (of weregild), Sturl. ii. 158; henni kvaðsk aldri hefnt þykkja Kjartans, nema Bolli kæmi fyrir, Ld. 240; allt mun koma fyrir eitt, it will come to the same, Lv. 11, Nj. 91, Fms. i. 208; koma fyrir ekki, to come to naught, be of no avail, Ísl. ii. 215, Fms. vi. 5:—koma í, to enter, come in, a fisherman’s term; koma í drátt, to hook a fish; at í komi með ykkr Þorbrandssonum, that ye and the Th. come to loggerheads, Eb. 80:—koma með, to come with a thing, to bring; kondu með það, fetch it!—koma til, to come to; vera kann at eigi spillisk þótt ek koma til, Eg. 506; nú er rétt lögruðning til ykkar komin, Nj. 236; koma til ríkis, to come to a kingdom, Eg. 268; þeir létu til hans koma um alla héraðs-stjórn, Fs. 44: to befall, kom svá til efnis, it so happened, Mar.; þeim hlutum sem hafinu kunni opt til at koma, Stj. 105, Sks. 323: to mean, signify, en hvar kom þat til er hann sagði, Ó. H. 87; ef þat kom til annars, en þess er hann mælti, id.: to cause, hygg ek at meir komi þar til lítilmennska, Eb. 172; konungr spurði hvat til bæri úgleði hans, hann kvað koma til mislyndi sína, Fms. vi. 355, Fb. ii. 80, Band. 29 new Ed.: to concern, þetta mál er eigi kom síðr til yðvar en vár, Fms. vii. 130; þetta mál kemr ekki til þín, Nj. 227; þat er kemr til Knúts, Fms. v. 24; þat er til mín kemr, so far as I am concerned, iv. 194; hann kvað þetta mál ekki til sín koma, vi. 100; þeir eru orðmargir ok láta hvervetna til sín koma, meddle in all things, 655 xi. 2: to belong to, skulu þeir gjalda hinum slíka jörð sem til þeirra kemr, proportionally, Jb. 195; kemr þat til vár er lögin kunnum, Nj. 149; sú sök er tylptar-kviðr kömr til, Grág. i. 20; tylptar-kviðar á jafnan á þingi at kveðja, þar sem hann kömr til saka, ii. 37; þá er komit til þessa gjalds ( it is due), er menn koma í akkeris-sát, 408: to help, avail, koma til lítils, to come to little, be of small avail, Nj. 149, Fms. vi. 211; at göra litla fésekt, veit ek eigi hvat til annars kemr, I am not aware what else will do, I believe that will meet the case best, Band. 36 new Ed.; koma til, to ‘come to,’ of a person in a swoon, etc.; veit ek eigi til hvers koma mun sú tiltekja Fb. i. 177, Fms. xi. 103; hvar til þessi svör skulu koma, i. 3; það kemr til, it will all come right; kom þar til með kóngum tveim, two kings came to a quarrel, Skíða R. 48: to be of value, importance, authority, þótti allt meira til hans koma, Fas. i. 16; hvart sem til hans kæmi meira eðr minna, Fms. xi. 76; sverð þat er til kom hálf mörk gulls, Ld. 32; svá fémikill at til kómu tuttugu merkr gulls, Fms. xi. 85; mér þykir lítið til hans koma, I think little of him:—koma saman, to come together, live together, marry, K. Á. 134: to agree, þat kom saman með þeim, they agreed on it, Dropl. 9, Gísl. 41; kom þat ásamt með þeim, id., Fb. i. 168; koma vel ásamt, to agree well, Nj. 25:—koma undir e-n, to come unto one, ef undir oss bræðr skal koma kjörit, if we are to choose, Nj. 192; öll lögmæt skil þau er undir mik koma á þessu þingi, 239: to depend on, það er mikit undir komið, at …, be of importance:—koma upp, to come up, break out; kom þá upp grátr fyrir henni, she burst into tears, Fms. ix. 477; er lúðrar kvæði við, ok herblástr kæmi upp, v. 74; er seiðlætin kómu upp, Ld. 152; eldr kom upp, fire came up, Ölk. 35, (hence elds-uppkoma, an upcome of fire, an eruption); ef nokkut kemr síðan sannara upp, Fms. vii. 121: þá kom þat upp at hann hafði beðit hennar, Eg. 587; kom þat upp af tali þeirra, at …, Fms. vii. 282; þat kom upp ( it ended so) at hverr skyldi vera vin annars, i. 58: to turn up, ek ætla mér góðan kost hvárn sem upp kemr, Eg. 715; mun nú hamingjan skipta hverr upp kemr, 418; at sakar görðisk eða upp kæmi, Grág. i. 27; skaut til Guðs sínu máli, ok bað hann láta þat upp koma er hann sæi at bazt gegni, Ó. H. 195, Stj. 385:—koma við, to touch, hit; sé eigi komið við, if it is not touched, Grág. ii. 65; komit var við hurðina, Fas. i. 30; at þeir skyldi koma við torfuna, Ld. 60; hefi ek aldrei svá reitt vápn at manni, at eigi hafi við komit, Nj. 185; hann kemr við margar sögur, he comes up, appears in many Sagas, Ld. 334; koma þeir allir við þessa sögu síðan, Nj. 30; sem ek kom við (as I mentioned, touched upon) í morgin, Fms. ii. 142; er mestr er, ok úskapligast komi við, Ld. 118: to fit, þat kemr lítt við, ‘tis not meet, it won’t do, Lv. 20; mun ek gefa þér tveggja dægra byr þann er bezt kemr við, Fas. iii. 619: koma við, to land, call; þeir vóru komnir við Ísland, Eg. 128; þeir kómu við Hernar, Nj. 4; þeir kómu suðr við Katanes, 127; þeir kómu við sker ( struck on a skerry) ok brutu stýri sín, Fms. ix. 164; hann hafði komit við hval, he had struck against a whale, Sturl. ii. 164; hence in mod. usage, koma við, to call, make a short stay, also on land: to be added to, tekr heldr at grána gamanit ok koma kveðlingar við, i. 21; koma þær nætr við inar fyrri, Rb. 58; þá koma enn ellefu nætr við, 22:—koma yfir, to overcome, pass over; íss er yfir kömr, Hm. 81; hvert kveld er yfir kom, Finnb. 230; hryggleikr kom yfir, 623. 57; at sá dagr myndi ekki yfir koma, Sks. 111.

B. With the dat. of the object, to make to come, put, bring, carry; páfa þess, er Kristni (dat.) kom á England, who Christianised England, Íb. 14; koma mönnum til réttrar trúar, Fms. i. 146; koma orðum við e-n, to speak to a person; görðisk hann styggr svá at fáir menn máttu orðum við hann koma, i. e. that no one could come to words with him, Eg. 3; hann görði sik svá reiðan, at ekki mátti orðum við hann koma, Fms. i. 83, xi. 293; koma vélræðum við e-n, to plan against one, Eg. 49; koma flugu í munn e-m, Nj. 64, 68; þú skalt ekki láta í skorta at koma þeim í (málit) með þér, 271; hann skyldi koma Þór í Geirröðar-garða, make Thor come to G., Edda 60; hann kom Þorhaddi heilum yfir ána, he brought Th. safe across the river, Þorst. Síðu H. 181; koma kaupi, to bring about a bargain, Gþl. 415; koma e-m í hel, to put one to death, Anal. 233; koma e-m til falls, to make one fall, Edda 34; koma e-m í sætt, Fs. 9; mun ek koma þér í sætt við konung, Eg. 227; hann kom sér í mikla kærleika við jarlinn, Nj. 268; koma sér í þjónustu, Fs. 84; koma sér vel, to put oneself in favour, be engaging; ek hefi komit mér vel hjá meyjum, Kormak; þeir komu sér vel við alla, Fas. iii. 529, Fs. 96, Nj. 66; koma sér ílla, to make oneself hated; það kemr sér ílla, it is ill seen, unpleasant; as also, það kemr sér vel, a thing is agreeable, acceptable; koma e-u til leiðar, to effect, make, Nj. 250, Eb. 118; koma e-u til vegar, id., Ld. 320; koma tölu á, to put, count on, count, number, Anal. 217; koma friði, sættum á, to bring peace, agreement about: hann kom þeim á flótta, he put them to flight, Fms. vii. 235; tóku þar allt er þeir kómu höndum á, all they could catch, ix. 473; koma e-m ór eldi, Fb. i. 300; tók hann merkit ok kom því (put it, hid it) í millum klæða sinna, Nj. 274: Gunnarr kom þangat at þeim örunum, 115; allt þat er bitið var ok blóði kom út á, where it was bitten so as to make blood flow, Fms. vii. 187.

II. with prepp.; koma e-u fram, to effect; koma fram ferð, máli, Nj. 102; til lítils þætti þat koma, en enginn kvæmi sínu máli fram þótt til alþingis væri stefnt, 149, Fb. ii. 90; þat skal aldri verða at hann komi þessu fram, Eg. 765; ef ek kem hefndum fram, Ld. 262; koma fram lögum við e-n. Eg. 722:—koma e-u á, to bring about, introduce:—koma e-u af, to abolish; þó fékk hann því ekki af komit, Bs. i. 165; koma e-u af sér, to get rid of, Fs. 96, Eb. 40, 41:—koma e-u fyrir, to arrange; koma e-m fyrir, to get a place for one; hann kom honum fyrir í skóla: to destroy (fyrir-koma), hann kom hverjum hesti fyrir, Glúm. 356:—koma e-u upp, to open; áðr ek kom henni upp, before I could open it, Fms. iii. 74; kerling tekr hörpuna ok vildi upp koma ( open), nú fær hón upp komit hörpunni, Fas. i. 233; hann mátti lengi eigi orði upp koma fyrir harmi, it was long before he could speak, utter a word, Fms. vi. 234; sá svarar er mátti máli upp koma, vii. 288:—koma e-m undir, to overthrow one, get one down; varð at kenna afls-munar áðr hann kæmi honum undir, Eb. 172:—koma e-m undan, to make one escape. Fms. vii. 265, 623. 18:—ek ætla at koma mér útan, I think to go abroad, Nj. 261:—koma e-u við, to bring about, effect, to be able to do; ek mun veita þér slíkt sem ek má mér við koma, as I can, Nj.; þú munt öðru koma við en gabba oss, Anal. 77; hann kom því við ( brought about) at engi skyldi fara með vápn, Fms. vii. 240; ef váttum kvæmi við, in a case where witnesses were at hand, Íb. 12; liðit flýði allt þat er því kom við, all that could fled, Eg. 529; Guðmundr hafði almanna-lof hversu hann kom sér við ( how he behaved) þessum málum, Nj. 251; komi þeir til er því koma við, who can, Gþl. 371; menn skyldi tala hljótt ef því kæmi við, Sturl. iii. 147; ef því kemr við, if it is possible, Gþl. 429; urðu þeir at flýja sem því kómu við, Fb. ii. 187; ekki mun oss þetta duga, at hann komi boganum við, Nj. 96.

C. Reflex. komask, to come to the end, get through, reach, Lat. pervenire; the difference between the active and reflex. is seen from such phrases as, hann kemr ef hann kemst, he will come if he can; or, eg komst ekki á stað, I could not get off; eg komst ekki fyrir íllviðri, I could not come for bad weather; or, to come into a certain state, with the notion of chance, hap, komask í lífs háska, to come into danger of life; komask í skipreika, to be shipwrecked, and the like; Þorfinnr kom öngu hljóði í lúðrinn, ok komsk eigi upp blástrinn, Fms. ix. 30; komask á fætr, to get on one’s legs, Eg. 748; hann komsk við svá búit í ríki sitt, Hkr. i. 76; meina honum vötn eða veðr svá at hann má ekki komask til þess staðar, Grág. i. 496; hann komsk með sundi til lands, Eg. 261; kómusk sauðirnir upp á fjallit fyrir þeim, Nj. 27; ef Gunnarr færi eigi utan ok mætti hann komask, 111; ef maðr byrgir mann inni í húsi, svá at hann má eigi út komask, so that he cannot get out, Grág. ii. 110; en allt fólk flýði með allt lausa-fé er með fékk komisk, with all the property they could carry with them, Fms. i. 153; ek komumk vel annar-staðar út, þótt hér gangi eigi, Nj. 202; komask á milli manna, to get oneself among people, intrude oneself, 168; komsk hann í mestu kærleika við konung, Eg. 12; komask at orði, to come by a word, to express oneself; einsog hann að orði komsk, passim.

II. with prepp.; komast á, to get into use; það komst á:—komask af, to get off, escape, save one’s life; hann bað menn duga svá at af kæmisk skipit, Fms. x. 98; tveir druknuðu, en hinir kómusk af:—komask at e-u, to get at a thing, procure; mörgum manns-öldrum síðarr komsk at bók þeirri Theodosius, Niðrst. 10; Hrani gat komisk at trúnaði margra ríkra manna, Fms. iv. 62; þú hefir at þessum peningum vel komisk, ‘tis money well gotten, i. 256; eigi skaltú ílla at komask, thou shall not get it unfairly, vii. 124:—komast eptir, to enquire into, get information of:—komask fyrir, to prevent, come in another’s way:—koma hjá e-u, to evade, pass by, escape doing:—komast til e-s, to come towards, and metaph. to have time for a thing, ek komst ekki til þess, I have no time; eg komst ekki til að fara:—komask undan, to escape; allt þat lið er undan komsk, Eg. 261; ekki manns barn komsk undan, Fms. xi. 387; komask undan á flótta, Eg. 11:—komask við, to be able; komusk þeir ekki í fyrstu við atlöguna, Fms. vii. 264; ef hann vill refsa údáða-mönnum, ok má þó við komask, N. G. L. i. 123; brenn allt ok bæl, sem þú mátt við komask, Fær. 64; ef ek viðr of kœmimk, Hbl. 33; þá er ek komumk við, Eg. 319; komask við veðri, to get abroad, Rd. 252; hann lét þat ekki við veðri komask, Fms. vii. 165: to be touched (við-kvæmni), hann komsk við mjök ok felldi tár, iii. 57; eða hann komisk við ( repent) ok hverfi aptr at íllsku sinni, Greg. 41; þá komsk mjök við inn válaði, svá at hann matti eigi lengi orði upp koma fyrir harmi, Fms. vi. 234; þá komsk hón við ákaflega mjök, Clem. 32; með við komnu hjarta, with a touched heart, Bs. i. 561, Karl. 166:—komask yfir e-t, to overcome, get hold of; er hann komsk yfir fét, Bárð. 175.

D. Part. kominn, in special phrases; inn komni maðr, a new comer, stranger, Gullþ. 47; at kominn, arrived; hinn aðkomni maðr, a guest; at kominn, just come to, on the brink of; kominn at andláti, at dauða, to be at the last gasp; var at komit, at …, it was on the point of happening, that …, Str. 8; vóru þeir mjök at komnir ( much exhausted) svá magrir vóru þeir, Fas. iii. 571:—heill kominn, hail! Blas. 42; vel kominn, welcome! vertu vel kominn! ver með oss vel kominn, Þiðr. 319, Fs. 158; hann bað þá vera vel komna, passim; so also, það er vel komið, ‘it is welcome,’ i. e. with great pleasure, granting a favour:—placed, ertu maðr sannorðr ok kominn nær frétt, Nj. 175; Pétri var svá nær komit, P. was so closely pursued, Fms. ix. 48; ok nú eigi allfjarri yðr komit, xi. 123; svá vel er sá uppsát komin, at …, ix. 368: situated, hann (the hospital) er kominn á fjall upp, is situated on a fell, Symb. 18; útsker þat er komit af þjóðleið, Eg. 369: metaph., vel, ílla kominn, well placed, in good, bad estate; ek þykjumk hér vel kominn; hann var vel til náms kominn, he was in a good place for learning, Bs. i. 153; þat fé er ílla komit er fólgit er í jörðu, Grett. 39 new Ed.; mér þykkir son minn hvergi betr kominn, methinks my son is nowhere better off, in better hands, Fms. vi. 5; lítt ertú nú kominn, Njarð. 376; þykkjumk ek hér vel kominn með þér, Nj. 258:—kominn af, or frá e-m, come of, descended from, Landn., Eb., passim:—kominn á sik vel, in a good state, accomplished, Orkn. 202; hverjum manni betr á sik kominn, Ld. 110; kominn á sik manna bezt, Ísl. ii. 203: vera á legg kominn, to be grown up, Fms. xi. 186; vera svá aldrs kominn, to be of such an age, Fs. 4, 13, Sturl. iii. 100, Fms. xi. 56; hér er allvel á komit, it suits well enough, Bs. i. 531: hann sagði henni hvar þá var komit, how matters stood, Nj. 271, Fms. ii. 152; hann undi vel við þar sem komit var, as it stood, in statu quo, Nj. 22; Sveinn segir honum sem komit var þessu máli, Fms. ii. 159; at svá komnu, as matters stand, Bs. i. 317; málum várum er komit í únýtt efni, Nj. 164, 190:—vera kominn til e-s, to be entitled to, have due to one; ef hann fengi þat er hann var eigi til kominn, Fms. x. 7; þeir er til einskis eru komnir, ix. 248; fá þeir margir af yðr sæmd mikla er til minna eru komnir, en hann, Eg. 111; þeim til sæmdar er til þess er kominn, Sks. 311, rétt komnir til konungdóms, rétt kominn til Noregs, right heir to the kingdom, to Norway, Fms. ix. 332; lézk Sigvaldi nú kominn til ráða við Astríði, xi. 104: fit for, entitled to, hann þótti vel til kominn at vera konungr yfir Danmörk, i. 65: shapen, þetta mál er svá til komit, vii. 130; sagðisk hann eigi verr til manns kominn en Sturla bróðir hans, Sturl.; eigi þóttusk þeir til minna vera komnir fyrir ættar sakir, entitled to less, Eb. 17.

II. part. pres. komandi, a new comer, stranger, Fbr. 168, Stj. 525: one to come, future generations, verandum ok viðr-komendum, N. G. L. i. 121; allir menn verandi ok eptir-komandi, D. I. i. 3; komendr, pl. guests, comers.

* * *

(er; var, várum or vórum; verit), v.

1) to be, exist; þeir menn vóru, er, there were men who;

2) to be, happen; þat var, at hón fór brott, so it was that she went away; en er váraði, var þar búskortr, there was scarcity in the household; hvat er henni, what is the matter with her! þat var einn dag, at, it happened one day that; kann (má) v., at, it is possible, it may be that;

3) to last; meðan þingit væri, while the Thing lasted;

4) láta e-n v., to leave one alone (lát mik v. ok ger mér ekki illt); bað hann láta v., begged him to leave it undone, not to do it;

5) to dwell, stay; hann bað hana vera í búð sinni, he asked her to stay in his booth; hann var á Höskuldsstöðum um nótt, he passed a night at H.;

6) with infin., hlymr var at heyra, a clattering was to be heard; þar var at sjá, there was to be seen; v. at gera e-t, to be doing a thing; kvað hann v. at telja silfr, said he was counting the money; denoting necessity, a thing about to happen, or to be done; nú er þeim út at ganga öllum, er leyft er, now all those must go out to whom leave is given; er nú eigi Kára at varast, now there is no need to beware of K.; nú er þar til máls at taka, at, now it is to be told that; nú er at segja frá Skamkatli, now we must tell of S.;

7) with a predicate (noun, a., or adv.); v. konungr, Jarl, biskup, to be king, earl, bishop; v. glaðr, sæll, hryggr, ungr, gamall, to be glad, happy, sad, young, old; v. vel, illa til e-s, to be well, ill-disposed towards one; þat er illa, it is sad; vera spakliga í heraði, to behave gently; orð kvað þá Vingi þats án veri, words which he had better not have said;

8) impers., e-m er varmt, heitt, kalt, one is warm, cold;

9) with past participles in passive sense; v. kallaðr, sagðr, tekinn, to be called, said, taken;

10) with preps., v. af e-u, to be off, out of (v. af klæðum); v. at e-u, to be busy at; verkmenn váru at arningu, they were ploughing; to be present (þar varstu at); ek var at ok vafk, I was about weaving; þeir höfðu verit at þrjú sumur, they had been busy at it for three summers; v. eptir, to be left, remain (A. kvazt vilja v. eptir ok hvílast); v. fyrir, to lead ( see fyrir); v. til, to exist; v. um, undir, see um, undir.

1) stay, sojourn; ef hann á sér í vá veru, if he has a corner to stay in;

2) comfort (slíkt er válaðs v.).

* * *

older form vesa, the verb substantive; pres. em, ert, er, pl. erum, eruð, eru: pret. var, vart (mod. varst), var, pl. váru or vóru; a obsolete óru occurs, Sæm. (once), Orkn. 426. l. 11, Nj. 81, Thom. 28, 90, 102, 116, 150, 196, Ísl. ii. 482: pres. subj. sé, sér (Vþm. 4, 7), sé; the older form is sjá, en ek sjá, Clem. 138. l. 14; at ek sjá, … ok sé mér eigi reiðr, 145, Fms. viii. 299, x. 384, xi. 124, Eg. 127; for the forms sják, sjákk, see below: the mod. forms are sé, sért, sér (eg sé, þú sért; s ert and ert make a rhyme in Pass. 34. 5): imperat. ver, vertú; see Gramm. p. xxiii: there also occurs a subj. pres. verir, veri, Sdm. 22, Ls. 54; þatz án veri, Am. 36; skósmiðr þú verir, Hm. 126, but rarely.

A. CHANGES AND FORMS.—Vera is an anomalous verb, which has undergone several changes:

I. by changing s to r; of the older form there occur, the infin. vesa, pres. es, pret. vas, vast (vastu), vas; pres. subj. vesi; imperat. ves, MS. 623. 25. l. 14, 645. 6l. l. 33, 677. 40. l. 38; vestu, 623. 25, Post. (Unger) 129. l. 27, 229. l. 12; vesum, Hom. (Arna-Magn. 237) p. 214. l. 8; pres. indic. 2nd pers. est, Glúm. 372; 3rd pers. es: but no traces remain of the older form in pret. plur. indic. and subj. (váru væri, never vásu væsi). Rhymes in poets and the spelling of the oldest extant poems shew that the s form alone existed in Icel. down to about the end of the 12th century, the time of Snorri Sturluson, when the modern forms crept in probably from Norway, for there the change seems to have taken place a century or so earlier; the old Norse vellums (written in Norway or by Norsemen) are distinguished from the Icel. by their constant use of the r: the phrase ‘at upp vesandi sólu’, in N. G. L. i. 4, being the only instance of the s form in all the Norse vellums. The earliest instances extant of a rhyme to the r form are, the Ht. of Rögnvald, earl of the Orkneys; he was a native of Norway, born about A. D. 1100, and the poem was composed about A. D. 1145; another instance is ‘vara, fara’ in Fms. vii. 185, in a poem about A. D. 1140, written by an Icelander who had lived in Norway the greater part of his life, the rhyme is therefore a Norwegianism. The first instance in an Icel. poem is in the Ht. of Snorri, A. D. 1222. Instances from poets, Hallfred, Sighvat, Arnórr, and coeval poets; vesa, vísi; sás með Sygna ræsi; þági vas sem þessum; vask til Róms í háska; vastu, kosta; vas fyrir Mikkjals- messu; nú es um verk þau er vísi; bráskat þat dægr háski: from A. D. 1100–1150, Geisli, Pd., etc., svás, ræsir; esat, risnu; vasa, tysvar; vestu. freistni; vestu, traustla: on the other hand, in the poem of earl Rögvald, vera, skera; gera, vera; var, skar (twice): from later Icel. poems it is sufficient to note, erðu, fyrðum; ertú, h jarta; verðú, f orðast, Leiðarv. etc. This may sometimes serve as a test, e. g. var ek nær viðr-eign þ eirra, Grett., and skap-kers saman vera, Gísl., are impossible in the mouth of poets of the early Saga time; the verses of both these Sagas are a later composition.

2. as to the spelling of the MSS.,—the oldest (the Arna-Magn. 677, the Eluc. 674, the Íb. etc.) use the s throughout: vellums of the next period, about A. D. 1200 (e. g. Arna-Magn. 623 and 645), use the later form sparingly, even the second hand in the Reykholts máldagi gives ‘es,’ not ‘er.’ Again, in the vellums of the middle of the 13th century, such as the Cod. Reg. of the Sæm., the Grág., and the Mork., the mod. spelling has entirely got the better of the old, and an ‘es’ only creeps in, as if unawares, from an older copy. Of the poetical literature, the Pd. alone has been preserved in a copy old enough to retain the s; all the rest have the modernised spelling, even in the rhymed syllables quoted above; such too is the case with the Cod. Reg. of the Sæm. Edda; but had that vellum been but fifty or sixty years older, the forms vesa, es, vas, etc. would now be the established spelling in Editions of these poems.

3. on Danish and Swedish Runic stones, the 3rd pers. pret. sing. is a word of frequent occurrence; the best Danish monuments have vas, e. g. ias vas farinn vestr, Thorsen 93 and 101 (on a stone of the reign of Sweyn, died A. D. 1014). In Sweden the great majority present the later form: the so-called Ingvar stones are chronologically certain, being of the middle of the 11th century (Ingvar died A. D. 1039); there we read, ‘vas’ (twice), ‘varinn’ (once), ‘var’ (thrice, being twice spelt with ᛦ, once with ᚱ): this shews that about this time in Sweden the later or more modern form had begun to be used, but that the old was still remembered.

II. suffixed personal pronoun or suffixed negation; em’k (tautologically ek em’k = I-am-I), emk, Ad. 1, Vþm. 8, Fms. xi. 91; ek emk, Mork. 89. l. 13, 104. l. 23, Clem. 136. l. 20, 138. l. 13; vask, I was, 133. l. 25, Mork. 89. l. 16; vark, Post. 225, v. l. 15; ek vark, Ls. 35; vestu, be thou, Clem. 129. l. 27; es þú, art thou, l. 30, 130. l. 11; sjá’k ( may I be), ek sják, Mork. 134; at sják, 189. l. 29; ek sják, Hbl. 9, Hkv. 1. 20; at ek gjarn sják, Stor.; with double kk, þó at ek sjákk, Mork. 89.

2. a medial form, erumk, erumz, or apocopated erum, Stor. 1, Ad. 16, Hkv. 1. 25, Korm. ch. 5. 2, Ls. 35, Bragi (see senna); leið erum-k fjöll, Edda (in a verse); várumk, were to me, Am. 78.

3. suff. neg. eru-mk-a, it is not to me, Stor. 17, Eg. (in a verse); emkat-ek, am I not I, i. e. I am not, Hbl. 34, Skm. 18, Ó. H. 192 (in a verse): er-at, es-at, or er-a, es-a, is not, passim; eru-ð, are not, Skv. 1. 42; ert-attu, thou art not, Vtkv.; vart-attu, thou wast not, Gs., Eg. (in a verse); veri-a, be not, Mork. 37. l. 8.

4. sá’s = sá es, that is, Hallfred (Fs. 95); svá’s = svá es, so is, Fms. vii. (in a verse).

III. the plur. eru when suffixed to words ending in r drops the initial e, and is suffixed; this spelling, which agrees with mod. Icel. pronunciation, was afterwards disused; þeir-ro, they are, Gm. 34; margir-ro, many are, Hkv. 2. 11; Æsir-ro, the Ases are, Vsp. 49; skildir-ro, shields are, 44; torogætir-ro, rare are, Korm. (in a verse); hverjar-ro, which are, Vþm. 48; langir-ro, long are, Gg.; tveir-ro, þrír-ro, fjórir-ro, two, three, four are, Edda 108; báðir-ro, both are, Mork. 169; hér-ro, here are, 234; þér-ro, ye are, MS. 686 B. 1; hryggvir-ro, id.; hver-ro, who are, Mork. 96; úvar-ro, wroth are, Gm. 53; værrom, vérrom, we are, Edda i. 526, Fms. x. 421; hverrtu [cp. North. E. wh’art’ou, lad] (hverrtú karl, who art thou, carle?), Frissb. 256. l. 8; ir-rot, ye are, Ó. H. 151.

IV. the pres. 1st pers. em [Engl. am] has changed into er (eg er, þú ert, hann er), making the 1st and 3rd pers. uniform; this new form appears in vellums about the end of the 13th century, but the word being usually abbreviated (ē = em, eͬ = er), it is often hard to distinguish. In the Icel. N. T. and in hymns the old ‘em’ still remains in solemn language, em eg, Matth. xxvii. 24; eigi em eg, John xviii. 17; eg em hann, 5, 8, xi. 25, xv. 1, 5, Matth. xiv. 27; em eg eigi postuli, em eg eigi frjáls, 1 Cor. ix. 1; em eg orðinn, 20, 22, and passim.

B. USAGE.—To be:

I. to be, exist; þær sakir skal fyrst dæma, ef þær eru, if such there are, Grág. (Kb.) i. 73; eigi vóru hans jafningjar, Eg. 1; Rachel grét sonu sína, … þvi at þeir eru eigi, Hom. 49; þeir menn vóru, er þess gátu, there were men who, Nj. 90.

2. to be, happen; þat var, at hón for brott, Nj. 51; él eitt mun vera, 198; þess sem vera vill, that which is to be, 186; ok er (is) Vagn þá fimtán vetra gamall, er þetta er, when this came to pass, Fms. xi. 97; at þessi orrosta hafi verit á öðrum degi viku, iii. 11; í þann tið var úfriðr Kristnum mönnum, Ver. 43; hvat er henni, what is the matter with her? Fms. ii. 290; hvat er þér, Atli? er þér hryggt í hug, Gkv. 3.

3. to last; meðan þingit væri, Nj. 12; hirðit eigi at óttask píslir þeirra—þvíat stund eina eru, 623. 32; meðan líf hans var, Bret. 100; þykkir eigi vera mega svá búit, Fms. xi. 62: to remain, leave alone, láttu það vera, let that be, Flóv.

4. to be, dwell, stay, sojourn; vask til Róms, I was at Rome, Sighvat; hann bað hana vera í búð sinni, Nj. 12; Gunnarr var á Höskuld-stöðum um nótt, passed a night there, 34, N. G. L. i. 347: so the phrase, biðja að lofa sér að vera, to ask for night-quarters, of a stranger or traveller; lofa honum að vera, to take a stranger in; honum var boðit at vera, Vápn. 23; hefi ek hér verit síðan, Nj. 45; Hallkell var þar með Otkatli, 73; þeir vildu eigi vesa hér við heiðna menn, Íb. 4; vera samvistum við e-n, Grág. ii. 80; vera við e-t, to be present at, Hom. 129: vera at, to be present; vark at þar, Glúm.: vera brottu, to be away, absent, Nj. 113; meðan ek em í brautu, 52: sagðisk eigi vita hvar þau væri, were to be found, Dipl. ii. 20; hvar ertu? slá ein var um þvert skipit, Nj. 44; hygg ek at þar hafi verit Bolli, Ld. 274; er þér hér nú minja-griprinn, Nj. 203: as with the notion of ‘towards’ a place, an irregular construction, vartú á land upp, Fas. ii. 174; meðan þeir vóru til Danmerkr, Fms. x. 104; Ribbungar höfðu ekki verit út í landit, ix. 359; verit eigi til orrostu, vii. 263, v. l.; vera á fund hans, Eg. 26.

5. with prepp.; vera at, to be busy at (see ‘at’ A. II, p. 26, col. 2): vera fyrir, to lead (see fyrir): vera til, to exist (see til IV); eiga fjölskyldi, vandræði, um at vera, to be in straits (see um C. VII); e-m er mikit, lítið, ekki um e-t (see um C. I. 3); vera við (see við B. VIII).

II. with a predicate:

1. with a noun, to be so and so; vera bróðir, systir, faðir, sonr, dóttir … e-s, vera konungr, jarl, biskup …, passim; hvers son ertú?—Ek emk Kattarson, Mork. 104; ek skal þer Mörðr vera, Nj. 15: followed by a gen. ellípt., er þat ekki karla, that is not men’s (affair), 75; er þat ekki margra, ‘that is not for many,’ few are equal to that (cp. Lat. ‘non cuivis homini,’ etc.), 48.

2. with adjectives, to be so and so, of a state or condition; vera kunnigr, Fms. x. 370; vera glaðr, sæll, hryggr, dauðr, lifandi, … ungr, gamall, to be glad …, young, old, passim; þó at ek sjákk ótignari, Mork. 89; nema ek dauðr sják, Hbl. 9; þótt ek sják einn, Mork. 134; vera kominn, to be come: so too with adverbs, vera vel, ílla … til e-s, er við e-n, to be, behave well, ill … to one, passim; or also, þat er ílla, it is sad, Nj. 70, 71; ílla er þá, fyrr væri ílla, 75, 260; drengr góðr, þar sem vel skyldi vera, when it was to be, i. e. when she wished, 147; vera spakliga í heraði, to behave gently, Sturl. iii. 143; at þú frændr þína vammalaust verir, to behave blamelessly, Sdm. 22; orð kvað hann þats án veri, words which he had better not have said, Am. 36.

3. impers., e-t er skylt, it is incumbent, Grág.; e-m er varmt, heitt, kalt, one is warm, cold, Nj. 95; er auðit, q. v.

4. with participles, in a passive sense; vera kallaðr, vera sagðr, tekinn, elskaðr, etc., to be called, said, taken, loved.

5. with infin.; hlymr var at heyra, was to hear, i. e. to be heard, Am.; þar var at sjá, there was to be seen, passim.

6. ellipt., dropping a noun or the like, denoting futurity, necessity, a thing at hand, about to happen, or to be done; ok er hér at þiggja, Hrafn, þann greiða sem þú vill, and it is now for thee, Rafn, to partake of what food thou wilt, Ísl. ii. 262; nú er þeim út at ganga öllum, er leyft er, now it is for them to go out, Nj. 200; nú er at verja sik, 83; er nú eigi Kára at varask, now there is no need to beware of K., 259; nú er at segja frá, now is to be told, 75, 259; er nú ekki fyrr frá at segja en þeir koma …, 21; er ekki um hans ferðir at tala fyrr en …, 215.

III. irregular usages:

1. ellipse of the infin. vera; ek skal þér Hrútr, I will [be] Hrútr to thee, Nj. 15; Gunnarr segir sér þat alvöru, G. says it [ is to be] his earnestness, 49; vil ek þá lauss máls þessa, 76; bað hann alla metta at miðri nótt, he begged all eating [ to be over] at midnight, Fms. ix. 353; þá þótti hverjum gott þar sem sat, Nj. 50; at skamt skyli okkar í meðal, 114; mun þín skömm lengi uppi, mun hans vörn uppi meðan landit er bygt, 116, 117: or also ‘var,’ ‘er’ may be understood, hann hafði hjálm á höfði, og gyrðr sverði, 70; sá ek glöggt hvat títt var,—barn at aldri, en vegit slíka hetju, a bairn in age, and to have slain such a champion! Glúm. 382: the dropping of the infin. vera is esp. freq. after the reflex. forms kveðsk, segjask, látask, þykkjask, virðask, sýnask when followed by a part. pret. or by an adjective, as also after the verbs munu, skulu,—thus, hann sagðisk kominn, he said he was come; hann lezt búinn, he made as if he was ready; hann þóttisk staddr, he thought that he was …; skal þat á þínu umdæmi, Fms. xi. 89; þess eins er mér þykkir betr, … til hvers þykkjast þessir menn færir, Hrafn. 17; mun þat harðla lítið, 21; at fátt muni manna á fótum, 20; þú virðisk okkr vaskr maðr, 23; þessi hestr sýnisk mér eigi betri en aðrir, id.

2. an irregularity, occurring now and then, is the use of the sing. ‘er’ for plur. eru; mannföll þessi er sögð, Gullþ. 71; nú er fram komin sóknar-gögn, Nj. 242.

IV. recipr., erusk, vórusk; viðr-gefendr ok endr-gefendr erosk lengst vinir, Hm. 40; þeir er í nánd erusk, those who are neighbours, 655 xxi. 3; þótt þau sésk eigi hjóna, though they be not man and wife, K. Þ. K. 158; ok városk góðir vinir, were good friends, Fms. xi. 39, 89; ok várusk þeir fóstbræðr, 55.

V. as to the poët. medial form, erumk, várumk (see ek C), the following instances are from the poems of Egil: grimmt várumk hlið, the breach was cruel to me, Stor.; erumk-a leitt, it is not to me, Eg. (in a verse); erumka þokkt þjóða sinni, see sinni II; mærðar-efni erumk auð-skæf, Ad.; mjök erum(k) tregt tungu at hræra, it is hard for me to move the tongue, Stor. 1; (hence one might correct the end verse of that poem into nú ‘erumk’ torvelt, for the modernised nú ‘er mér’ torvelt); blautr erumk bergi-fótar borr, Eg. (at the end); to which add, þat erumk sennt, it is told us, Bragi; lyst várumk þess, I had a longing to, Am. 74; ván erumk, ‘a hope is to me,’ I hope, Fagrsk. 122; the phrase, títt erumk, ‘tis ready to me, Eb. (in a verse).

VI. part., allir menn verandi ok eptir komandi, Dipl. i. 3; æ-verandi, everlasting, Hom. 107; hjá-verandi, being present, Vm. 47; nær-verandis, present; engi nær-verandis maðr, öllum lýð nær-verandis, Th. 77; klerkar ok nær-verandi leikmenn, Mar.; at upp-vesandi sólu, at sunrise, N. G. L. i. 4; verandi eigi úminnigr, being not unmindful, Fms. v. 230.

* * *

(fell; féll, féllum; fallinn), v.

1) to fall;

eigi fellr tré við fyrsta högg, a tree falls not with the first stroke;

falla af baki, to fall from horse back;

falla á kné, to fall on one’s knees;

falla áfram (á bak aptr), to fall forwards (backwards);

falla flatr, to fall prostrate;

falla til jarðar, to fall to the ground;

refl., láta fallast (= sik falla), to let oneself fall (þá lét Loki falla í kné Skaða);

2) to drop down dead, be killed, fall (in battle);

3) to die of plague (féllu fátœkir menn um alit land);

4) to flow, run (of water, stream, tide);

særinn fell út frá landi, ebbed;

féll sjór fyrir hellismunnann, the sea rose higher than the cave-mouth;

síðan féll sjór at, the tide rose;

þeir sá þá ós mikinn falla í sjóinn, fall into the sea;

á fél (a river flowed) við skála Ásólfs;

var skipit svá hlaðit, at inn féll um söxin, that the sea rushed in at the prow;

5) of clothes, hair, to fall, hang down;

hárit féll á herðar honum aptr, the hair fell back on his shoulders;

létu kvennváðir um kné falla, they let women’s dress fall about hi s knees;

6) to fall, calm down (of the wind);

féll veðrit (the storm fell) ok gerði logn;

7) to fail, be foiled;

sá eiðr fellr honum til útlegðar, if he fails in taking the oath, he shall be liable to outlawry;

falla á verkum sínum, to have been caught red-handed, to be justly slain;

falla or fallast at máli, sókn, to fail in one’s suit;

falla frá máli, to give it up;

fallinn at frændum, bereft of kinsmen;

dœmi ek fyrir dráp hans fallnar yðrar eignir, I sentence your estates to be forfieited for his slaughter;

refl., ef gerðarmenn láta fallast, if the umpires fail to do their duty;

þá fallust öllum Ásum orðtök ok svá hendr, then voice and hands alike failed the Gods;

féllust þeim allar kvéðjur, their greetings died on their lips;

vill sá eigi falust láta andsvör, he will not fail or falter in replying;

8) to fall out happen;

mér féll svá gæfusamliga (it befell me so quickly), at;

stundum kann svá at falla, at, sometimes it may so happen that;

9) to be had or produced (þat járn fellr í firði þeim; þar fellr hveiti ok vín);

10) with adv., e-m fellr e-t þungt, létt, a thing falls heavily, lightly upon one (þetta mun ðr þungt falla);

féll þá keisaranum þyngra bardaginn, the battle turned against the emperor;

e-m fellr e-t nær, it falls nigh to one, touches one nearly;

henni féll meinit svá nær, at, the illness fell on her so sore, that;

mér fellr eigi firr en honum, it touches me no less than him;

hörmuliga fellr oss nú, at, it falls out sadly for us, that;

11) to please, suit;

kvað sér, þat vel falla til attekta, said that it suited him well for drawing revenue from;

honum féll vel í eyru lofsorð konungs, the king’s praise was pleasant in his ears;

jarli féllst þat vel í eyru, the earl was well pleased to hear it;

mun mér illa falla, ef, it will displease me, if;

féll vel á með þeim, they were on good terms;

refl., honum féllst þat vel í skap, it suited his mind well, he was pleased with it;

féllst hvárt öðru vel í geð, they loved each other;

12) with preps. and advs.,

falla af, to fall, abate (féll af vindr, byrr);

falla á e-n, to befall one;

þær féllu lyktir í, at, the end was, that;

falla í e-t, to fall into;

falla í brot, to fall in a fit;

falla í óvit, to faint, swoon;

falla í villu, to fall into heresy;

falla í vald e-s, to fall into one’s power;

féll veðrit í logn, the storm calmed down;

falla niðr, to fall, drop;

mitt kvæði mun skjótt niðr falla, my poem will soon be forgotten;

féll svá niðr þeirra tal, their conversation dropped, they left off talking;

falla saman, to fill in with, agree;

þó at eigi félli alit saman með þeim, though they, did not agree in everything;

falla til, to occur, happen, fall out;

ef auðna fellr til, if luck will have it so;

litlu síðar féll til fagrt leiði, fair wind came on;

öll þingviti, er til falla, all the fines that may fall in, be due;

nema þörf falli til, unless need be;

sem sakir falla til, as the case falls;

falla undir e-n, to fall to one’s lot (of inheritance, obligation);

arfr fellr undir e-n, devolves upon one;

falla út, to recede, of the tide (þá er út féll sjórinn);

falla við árar, to fall to at the oars.

* * *

pret. féll, 2nd pers. féllt, mod. féllst, pl. féllu; pres. fell, pl. föllum; part. fallinn; reflex. féllsk, fallisk, etc., with the neg. suffix fellr-at, féll-at, féllsk-at, Am. 6, vide Lex. Poët. [Common to all Teut. languages except Goth. (Ulf. renders πίπτειν by drjûsan); A. S. feallan; Engl. fall; Germ. fallen; Dan. falde; Swed. falla.]

A. to fall; as in Engl. so in Icel. falla is the general word, used in the broadest sense; in the N. T. it is therefore used much in the same passages as in the Engl. V., e. g. Matth. v. 14, vii. 25, 27, x. 29, xii. 11, xiii. 4, xxi. 44, Luke xiv. 5, John xii. 24, Rom. xi. 11, xiv. 4, 1 Cor. x. 12, 1 Tim. vi. 9, Rev. viii. 10: blómstrið fellr, James i. 11: again, the verbs hrynja and hrapa denote ruin or sudden fall, detta a light fall, hrasa stumbling; thus in the N. T. hrynja is used, Luke xxiii. 30, Rev. vi. 16; hrapa, Luke x. 18, xi. 17, xiii. 4, Matth. xxiv. 29; hrasa, Luke x. 30; detta, xvi. 21: the proverb, eigi fellr tré við hit fyrsta högg, a tree falls not by the first stroke, Nj. 163, 224; hann féll fall mikit, Bs. i. 343; hón féll geigvænliga, id.; falla af baki, to fall from horseback, 344; f. áfram, to fall forwards, Nj. 165; f. á bak aptr, to fall on the back, 9; f. um háls e-m, to fall on one’s neck, Luke xv. 20; f. til jarðar, to fall to the ground, fall prostrate, Fms. vii. 13, Pass. 5. 4: to fall on one’s face, Stj. 422. Ruth ii. 10; f. fram, to fall down, Matth. iv. 9; f. dauðr ofan, to fall down dead, Fær. 31; ok jafnsnart féll á hann dimma og myrkr, Acts xiii. 11; hlutr fellr, the lot fell (vide hlut-fall), i. 26.

2. to fall dead, fall in battle, Lat. cadere, Nj. 31, Eg. 7, 495, Dropl. 25, 36, Hm. 159, Fms. i. 8, 11, 24, 38, 95, 173, 177, 178, ii. 318, 324, 329, iii. 5, iv. 14, v. 55, 59, 78, 85, vi. 406–421, vii–xi, passim.

3. of cattle, to die of plague or famine, Ann. 1341.

4. medic., falla í brot, to fall in a fit, Bs. i. 335; f. í óvit, to swoon, Nj. 210: the phrase, f. frá, to fall, die (frá-fall, death), Grág. i. 139, 401, Fms. iv. 230, vii. 275; f. í svefn, to fall asleep, Acts xx. 9.

II. to flow, run, of water, stream, tide, etc.: of the tide, særinn féll út frá landi, ebbed, Clem. 47; féll þar sær fyrir hellismunnann, the sea rose higher than the cave’s mouth, Orkn. 428; síðan féll sjór at, the tide rose, Ld. 58; ok þá er út féll sjórinn, Þorf. Karl. 420; sjórinn féll svá skjótt á land, at skipin vóru öll á floti, Fms. iv. 65: also used of snow, rain, dew, Vsp. 19; snjó-fall, a fall of snow: of the ashes of a volcano, cp. ösku-fall, s. v. aska: of a breaker, to dash, menn undruðusk er boði féll í logni, þar sem engi maðr vissi ván til at fyrri hefði fallit, Orkn. 164: of a river, nema þar falli á sú er eigi gengr fé yfir, Grág. ii. 256; vötn þau er ór jöklum höfðu fallit, Eg. 133; á féll ( flowed) við skála Ásólfs, Landn. 50, A. A. 285; þeir sá þá ós (fors, Hb.) mikinn falla í sjóinn, Landn. 29, v. l., cp. Fms. i. 236; Markar-fljót féll í millum höfuð-ísa, Nj. 142; á fellr austan, Vsp. 42; falla forsar, 58; læk er féll meðal landa þeirra, Landn. 145: of sea water, sjár kolblár fellr at þeim, the ship took in water, Ld. 118, Mar. 98; svá at inn féll um söxin, that the tea rushed in at the stern, Sturl. iii. 66.

2. to stream, of hair; hárit silki-bleikt er féll ( streamed) á herðar honum aptr, Fms. vii. 155.

β. of clothes, drapery, Edda (Ht. 2) 121.

III. to fall, of the wind; féll veðrit ok görði logn, the wind fell, Eg. 372; þá féll byrrinn, Eb. 8; ok fellr veðrit er þeir koma út at eyjum, Ld. 116; hón kvaðsk mundu ráða at veðrit félli eigi, Gullþ. 30; í því bili fellr andviðrit, Fbr. 67; þá féll af byrrinn, Fms. vi. 17.

2. falla niðr, to fall, drop; mitt kvæði mun skjótt niðr f., my poem will soon be forgotten, Fms. vi. 198; mun þat (in the poem) aldri niðr f. meðan Norðrlönd eru bygð, 372; féll svá þeirra tal, their speech dropped, they left off talking, Fas. iii. 579; as a law term, to let a thing drop, lát niðr f., Fs. 182; féllu hálfar bætr niðr fyrir sakastaði þá er hann þótti á eiga, Nj. 166, 250, Band. 18; þat eitt fellr niðr, Grág. i. 398, Fms. vii. 137; falla í verði, to fall in price, etc.

IV. to fail, be foiled, a law term; sá (viz. eiðr) fellr honum til útlegðar, i. e. if he fails in taking the oath he shall be liable to outlawry, N. G. L. i. 84 (eið-fall); en ef eiðr fellr, þá fari hann útlægr, K. Á. 214; fellr aldri sekt handa á milli, the fine is never cancelled, N. G. L. i. 345; f. á verkum sínum, to have been caught red-handed, to be justly slain, Eg. 736; vera fallinn at sókn, to fail in one’s suit, N. G. L. i. 166; hence metaph. fallin at frændum, failing, bereft of friends, Hðm. 5; fallinn frá minu máli, having given my case up, Sks. 554, 747; því dæmi ek fyrir dráp hans fallnar eignir ykkar, I sentence your estates to lie forfeited for his slaughter, Fs. 122; f. í konungs garð, to forfeit to the king’s treasury. Fms. iv. 227; reflex., ef honum fellsk þessor brigð, if his right of reclamation fails, Gþl. 300; ef menn fallask at því, if men fail in that, N. G. L. ii. 345; ef gerð fellsk, if the reparation comes to naught, id.; ef gerðar-menn láta fallask, if they fail to do their duty, id., cp. i. 133, 415; to fail, falter, in the phrase, e-m fallask hendr, the hands fail one; bliknaði hann ok féllusk honum hendr, Ó. H. 70; þá féllusk öllum Ásum orðtök ok svá hendr, their voice and hands alike failed them, Edda 37; en bóndum féllusk hendr, því á þeir höfðu þá engan foringja, Fms. vi. 281; féllusk þeim allar kveðjur er fyrir vóru, their greeting faltered, i. e. the greeting died on their lips, Nj. 140; vill sá eigi fallask fáta andsvör, he would not fail or falter in replying, Hkr. i. 260; féllskat saðr sviðri, her judgment did not fail, Am. 6.

V. metaph., falla í villu, to fall into heresy, Ver. 47; f. í hórdóm, to fall into whoredom, Sks. 588; f. í vald e-s. to fall into one’s power, Ld. 166; f. í fullsælu, to drop ( come suddenly) into great wealth, Band. 31; f. í fullting við e-n, to fall a-helping one, to take one’s part, Grág. i. 24; lyktir falla á e-t, to come to a close, issue, Fms. ix. 292. xi. 326; f. á, to fall on, of misfortune, vide á-fall.

2. falla undir e-n, to full to one’s lot, of inheritance, obligation; arfr fellr undir e-n. devolves upon one, Gþl. 215; f. frjáls á jörð to be free born, N. G. L. i. 32; f. ánanðigr á jörð, to be born a bondsman, Grág. ii. 192.

3. falla við árar, to fall to at the oars, Fms. xi. 73, 103; Þorgeirr féll þá svá fast á árar (pulled, so bard), at af gengu báðir háirnir, Grett. 125 A; f. fram við árar, id., Fas. ii. 495 (in a verse).

VI. to fall out, befall; ef auðna fellr til, if it so falls out by luck, Fms. iv. 148; ef auðna vildi til f. með þeim, xi. 267; litlu siðar fellr til fagrt leiði, a fair wind befell them, 426; alla hluti þá er til kunni f., Nj. 224; öll þingvíti er til f., all the fines that may fall in, be due, Gþl. 21; nema þörf falli til, unless a mishap befalls him, i. e. unless he be in a strait, 76; mér féll svá gæfusamliga, it befell me so luckily, Barl. 114; verðuliga er fallit á mik þetta tilfelli, this accident has justly befallen me, 115; sem sakir f. til, as the case falls, Eg. 89.

2. to fall, be produced; þat (the iron) fellr í firði þeim er Ger heitir, Fas. iii. 240; þar fellr hveiti ok vín, 360.

VII. impers. in the phrases, e-m fellr e-t þungt, létt, etc., a thing falls lightly, heavily upon, esp. of feeling; þetta mun yðr þungt f., it will fall heavily on you, Band. 18; felir þá keisaranum þyngra bardaginn, the battle fell out ill to ( turned against) the emperor, Fms. xi. 32; at oss mundi þungt f. þessi mál, Nj. 191.

2. the phrases, e-m fellr e-t nær, it falls nigh to one, touches one nearly; svá fellr mér þetta nær um trega, Nj. 170; sjá einn var svá hlutr, at Njáli féll svá nær, at hana mátti aldri óklökvandi um tala, this one thing touched Njal so nearly, that he could never speak of it without tears, 171; mér fellr eigi firr en honum, it touches me no less than him, Blas. 41; henni féll meinit svá, nær, at …, the illness fell on her so sore, that …, Bs. i. 178; féll henni nær allt saman, she was much vexed by it all (of illness), 351; e-t fellr bágliga, hörmuliga etc. fyrir e-m, things fall out sadly for one. Vígl. 30, El. 15.

B. Metaph. to fall in with, agree, fit, suit, Germ. gefallen:

I. to please, suit; kvað sér þat vel falla til aftekta, said that it suited him well for drawing taxes from, Fb. ii. 122: en allt þat, er hann heyrði frá himnaguði, féll honum harla vel, pleased him very well, Fms. i. 133; honum féll vel í eyru lofsorð konungs, the king’s praise suited his ears well, tickled, pleased his fancy, Bret. 16: reflex., þat lof fellsk honum í eyru, 4; jarli fellsk þat vel í eyru, the earl was well pleased to hear it, Bjarn. 7.

β. falla saman, to fall in with, comply, agree; en þó at eigi félli allt saman með þeim, though they did not agree in all, Bs. i. 723.

γ. féllsk vel á með þeim, they loved one another, Fas. i. 49; féll vel á með þeim Styrkári, i. e. he and S. were on good terms, Fms. iii. 120.

δ. honum féllsk þat vel í skap, it suited his mind well, pleased him, Fas. i. 364; féllsk hvárt öðru vel í geð, they agreed well, liked one another well, Band. 9; fallask á e-t, to like a thing; brátt kvartar að mér fellst ei á, Bb. 3. 23.

2. to beseem, befit; heldr fellr þeim ( it befits them), at sýna öðrum með góðvilja, Str. 2.

3. falla at e-u, to apply to, refer to; þetta eitt orð er at fellr eiðstafnum, Band. MS. 15 (Ed. 18 wrongly eiðrinn instead of eiðnum).

4. the phrase ‘falla við’ in Luke vi. 36 (bótin af því hinu nýja fellr eigi við hið gamla) means to agree with; hence also viðfeldinn, agreeable:—but in the two passages to be cited falla við seems to be intended for falda við, to enfold; hvergi nema þar sem falli við akr eða eng, unless field or meadow be increased or improved, N. G. L. ii. 116; ekki má falla (qs. falda) við hamingju-leysi mitt, ‘tis impossible to add a fold to my bad luck, it cannot be worse than it is, Al. 110.

II. part. fallinn; svá f., such-like, so framed; eitt lítið dýr er svá fallið, at …, a small animal is so framed, that …, Stj. 77; hví man hinn sami maðr svá fallinn, how can the same man be so framed? Fms. xi. 429:—in law phrases, such-like, as follows, svá fallinn vitnisburð, testimony as follows, Vm. 47; svo fallinn órskurð, dóm, etc., a decision, sentence … as follows, a standing phrase; þá leið fallinn, such, such-like (Germ. beschaffen), Stj. 154.

2. fallinn vel, illa, etc., well, ill-disposed; hann var vænn maðr ok vel fallinn, Fms. xi. 422; þau vóru tröll bæði ok at öllu illa fallin, Bárð. 165; fitted, worthy, bezt til konungs fallinn, Fms. i. 58; ok er hann bezt til þess f. af þessum þremr, vi. 386; at hann væri betr til fallinn at deyja fyrir þá sök en faðir hans, that he more deserved to die than his father did, x. 3; Ólafr er betr til yfirmanns f. enn mínir synir, Ld. 84; margir eru betr til fallnir fararinnar, Ísl. ii. 327; Hallgerðr kvað hann sér vel fallinn til verkstjóra, Nj. 57; sá er til þess er f., Sks. 299; ‘worthy,’ 1 Cor. vi. 2.

3. neut. fit; ok hætti þá er honum þótti fallit, when he thought fit, Fms. vi. 364; slík reip sem f. þykir, as seems needful, Sks. 420; væri þat vel fallit, at …, it would do well, to …, Fms. ii. 115; þat mun nú vel fallit, that will be right, that will do well, Nj. 145; kallaði vel til fallit, said it was quite right, Fms. xi. 321.

4. of a thing, with dat. suited to one; eigi þyki mér þér sú ferð vel fallin, i. e. this journey will not do for thee, will not do thee good, Fms. vi. 200; cp. ó-fallit, unfit.

* * *

(-pta, -ptr), v.

1) to divide;

s. e-u í tvá staði, to divide into two parts;

s. e-u með sér, to divide between themselves (sumum mönnum skiptu þeir með sér til ánauðar);

2) to share, deal out (nornir skipta geysiújafnt);

enda skipti guð með oss, and so may God judge between us;

3) to shift, change (s. litum, nafni, skapi);

4) þat skiptir engu (litlu, miklu), it is of no (little, great) importance, it makes no (little, great) difference;

mik skiptir engu, it is of no moment to me, does not concern me;

s. máli, to be of importance (þótti henni allmiklu máli s., at þér tœkist stórmannliga);

eiga máli at s. um e-t, to have a right to deal with, be concerned about, a thing;

þat mun tveimr s., it will turn out in one of two ways;

sér Pálnatoki, at mun tveimr um s., that it will turn out one way or the other;

þat skipti mörgum hundruðum, it was a matter of (it amounted to) many hundreds;

sitr Ólafr nú at búi sínu, svá at vetrum skipti, for several years;

5) absol. to come about, happen;

ef því er at s., if it comes to that;

því er at s. þó, it will however turn out so;

6) with preps., s. sér af e-u, to take part in, concern oneself with a thing (Glúmr skipti sér ekki af um búsýslu);

s. e-u fyrir e-t, to exchange a thing for another;

undarliga skiptit ér til, ye do strangely with things;

impers., skiptir e-n veg til, it turns out, comes to pass (þannig skipti til sem úlíkligra mundi þykkja);

s. um e-u, to change;

s. um trúnaði sínum, to go over to the other side;

s. um e-t, to change (s. um bústað, lánardróttna, nafn);

s. um, to come to a crisis, turn one way or other (skjótt mun um s.);

s. e-u við e-n, to exchange with one another (s. höggum við e-n);

s. orðum við e-n, to bandy words with one;

s. ríki við e-n, to share the kingdom with (sá hann engan annan sinn kost en s. ríki við Harald);

7) refl., skiptast, to divide themselves, disperse (skiptust þeir, snøru sumir norðr); to change (þá skiptust tungur á Englandi, er Vilhjálmr bastarðr vann England);

recipr., skiptast e-u við, to make an exchange;

s. gjöfum (höggum) við, to exchange presents (blows);

s. við um róðr, to row by turns.

* * *

t, [A. S. scyftan; Engl. shift; Dan. skifte]:—to make a division of a thing, with dat. of the thing; to part, share, divide; skipta e-u í hluti, Eluc. 8; s. hrepp í fjórðunga, Grág. i. 443; s. liði í sveitir, Fms. ix. 511, x. 268; skipta þeir nú félagi sínu, Ld. 192; s. arfi, Eg. 197; s. með sér úmögum, Grág. i. 237 sqq.; sumum mönnum skiptu þeir með sér til ánauðar, Fms. i. 77; tóku þeir at herfangi allt fólk ok skiptu milli skipanna, vii. 195; s. vatni með mönnum, Grág. ii. 290; s. landi með okkr, 254; konungr skipti landi með sonum sínum, Fms. i. 6: s. e-u við e-n, to share it with another, Eg. 333, Fms. vii. 176; s. sundr, to part asunder, divide; ef sundr er skipt lögunum, þá mun sundr skipt friðinum, Nj. 164: to share, nornir skipta geysi-újafnt, Edda 11; enda skipti Guð með okkr, Nj. 165; látum s. Guð giptu, Fms. viii. (in a verse).

2. so in the phrases, vil ek mér engu af skipta, I will take no share for myself, will take no part in, Bs. i. 7, Band. 9 new Ed.; skipta sér lítið af e-u, Hom. (St.), Fas. iii. 529; s. mér engu af við þik, to leave thee alone, Fms. ii. 162; Þorgils bað hann sér ekki s. af við hana, heed her not, vii. 219; Glúmr skipti sér ekki af um búsýslu, Glúm. 335; þat er hann skipti sér af um mál manna, when he took part in men’s affairs, Ld. 98.

3. acc., skipta bækr í kapítala, Skálda 174; jörðin var í brott skipt, Stj. 26; s. föng sin, Hom. 151; s. fé sitt, 152: this usage is due to the influence of Latin, and is rare in classical writings, old or mod., cp. Grág. i. 84; s. sitt líf í betra efni, Mar.

II. to shift, change, also with dat.; skipta litum, to change colour, Rb. 354; s. göngu sinni, 100; s. nafni, Fms. xi. 416; s. skapi, Nj. 217; s. skaplyndi, Fms. vii. 113; s. um trúnaði sínum, to turn to the other side, x. 125: rarely with acc., skipta í ýmis kvikendi (cp. skiptingr), Barl. 25.

2. skipta e-u, to be of importance to a matter, to change or alter it; eigi skiptir þat arfi, it does not change the inheritance, Grág. i. 183; eiga máli at s. um e-t, to be concerned about a thing, Nj. 87, 240; þótti henni allmiklu máli s., it concerned her much, Ó. H. 31, 97; þat skiptir engu, it does not matter, Fms. vi. 14; þykki mér þat miklu s., Eg. 714; kveðsk ok engu máli þykkja s., it did not matter to him, Ísl. ii. 350; mik skiptir öngu, Nj. 33; ek ætla mik öngu s. hverr þú ert, Fms. x. 295; eigi þykki mér s. (‘tis indifferent to me) í hverjum flokki ek em, Ó. H. 204; þik mun litlu s. um mína liðsemd, thou wilt get but little good from my help, Eg. 722; ef máli skiptir, if it be of importance, Skálda 162; hitt skiptir hana enn meira, it is of more moment for her, Ld. 136; þik mun þat eigi (engu?) skipta, 72; hvat mun þik þat s., dæmðr ertú nú til dauða, Fs. 96; eigi mun þat nú s., Nj. 134; til alls er jarli þótti skipta, Fms. xi. 128; þat skiptir hverr byðr, it makes all the difference, i. 181; þá skipti hversu gott væri mitt yfir-bragð, ef mikit er, Fb. i. 391; þat mun tveimr skipta, one of the two, of two extremes, Ld. 34, Fms. vii. 95; sér Pálnatóki, at mun tveimr um skipta, it must turn one way or the other, of the decisive moment, xi. 96; um þenna mann mun stórum s., Ó. H. 140; eigi skiptir þat (þá at) högum til, ‘tis not as it should be, Fb. 1. 331, Fs. 79: þat skipti mörgum hundraðum, it is a matter of many hundreds, amounts to several hundreds, Eb. 328, Bs. ii. 56; sitr Ólafr nú at búi sínu svá at vetrum skipti, for several years, Ld. 110; matlausir svá at mörgum dægrum skipti, Fms. ii. 97, Bs. i. 339, Fb. i. 431; það skiptir tugum, etc.

3. þannig skipti til (it so turned out, it came to pass) sem úlikligra mundi þykkja, Fms. vii. 161: skipta til = skipa til, to arrange, dispose, Bjarn. 6l; skipta um, to come to a crisis, turn one way or other, Glúm. 369; skjótt mun um skipta, Ó. H. 209; láta þann verða fund okkarn, at um skipti með oss, 94.

III. to exchange; skipta e-u við e-n, to exchange with another; s. höggum við e-n, Ó. H. 214; s. orðum við e-n, Nj. 62; skipta jörðum í aðrar, to exchange them with others, Gþl. 60, Barl. 4, 75, 106; vildi Sveinn skipta hornum við nafna sinn, Orkn. 246; s. orðum við e-n, s. til, undarliga skipti ér til, ye make strange shifts with things, turn them up and down, Ó. H. 67; s. um e-t, to exchange; s. um bústaði, lánar-drottna, namn, Nj. 29, 57, Fms. xi. 426, Rb. 300; hann skipti þar um er honum þótti þurfa, Nj. 122 (um-skipti).

IV. absol. to change, come about, happen; ef þeir eigu nokkuru at s., Sks. 252 B; ef því er at skipta, if that is to happen, if it comes to that, Eg. 426; þótt því sé at s., Nj. 168, Fms. vi. 416, Ó. H. 33; þvi er at skipta þó, it will however turn out so, Fær. 32.

B. Reflex. to divide themselves, disperse; skiptusk þeir, snöru sumir norðr, Fms. v. 44; skiptask til landa, Hom. 129.

2. to turn oneself, change; náliga mátti kalla at hann skiptisk í allan annan mann, Sturl. i. 125 C; líkamir várir skiptask til meiri dýrðar, Eluc. 43; nema fleira hafi skipzk (= skipask) um hagi þína, Fas. i. 72; þar skiptisk stórum sólar-gangr, varies much, Sks. 200 B; þá skiptusk tungur ( changed) á Englandi, er Vilhjalmr bastarðr vann England, Ísl. ii. 221; þá er tungur skiptusk, Rb. 340.

II. recipr., skiptask e-u við, to make an exchange; skiptask gjöfum við, to exchange presents, Eg. 250, Njarð. 362, Fms. xi. 224; skiptask orðum, málum við, Ld. 38, Fms. vii. 138; s. höggum við, Eg. 221; skiptask við um róðr, to row by turns, 362: mod., skiptask á um e-t, id.; skiptask drottins-dagar á stöfum, to change alternately, Rb. 488; skiptask til vöku, to take turns in watching, Stj. 394.

III. pass., skiptast manna á milli, Sks. 442.

I) prep.

A. with dative.

I. Of motion;

1) towards, against;

Otkell laut at Skamkatli, bowed down to S.;

hann sneri egginni at Ásgrími, turned the edge against A.;

2) close atup to;

Brynjólfr gengr alit at honum, quite up to him;

þeir kómust aldri at honum, they could never get near him, to close quarters with him;

3) to, at;

koma at landi, to come to land;

ganga at dómi, to go into court;

4) along (= eptir);

ganga at stræti, to walk along the street;

dreki er niðr fór at ánni (went down the river) fyrir strauminum;

refr dró hörpu at ísi, on the ice;

5) denoting hostility;

renna (sœkja) at e-m, to rush at, assault;

gerði þá at þeim þoku mikla, they were overtaken by a thick fog;

6) around;

vefja motri at höfði sér, to wrap a veil round one’s head;

bera grjót at e-m, to heap stones upon the body;

7) denoting business, engagement;

ríða at hrossum, at sauðum, to go looking after horses, watching sheep;

fara at landskuldum, to go collecting rents.

II. Of position, &c.;

1) denoting presence at, near, by, upon;

at kirkju, at church;

at dómi, in court;

at lögbergi, at the hill of laws;

2) denoting participation in;

vera at veizlu, brullaupi, to be at a banquet, wedding;

vera at vígi, to be an accessory in man-slaying;

3) ellipt., vera at, to be about, to be busy at;

kvalararnir, er at vóru at pína hann, who were tormenting him;

var þar at kona nökkur at binda (was there busy dressing) sár manna;

4) with proper names of places (farms);

konungr at Danmörku ok Noregi, king of;

biskup at Hólum, bishop of Holar;

at Helgafelli, at Bergþórshváli;

5) used ellipt. with a genitive, at (a person’s) house;

at hans (at his house) gisti fjölmenni mikit;

at Marðar, at Mara’s home;

at hins beilaga Ólafs konungs, at St. Olave’s church;

at Ránar, at Ran’s (abode).

III. Of time;

1) at, in;

at upphafi, at first, in the beginning;

at skilnaði, at parting, when they parted;

at páskum, at Easter;

at kveldi, at eventide;

at þinglausnum, at the close of the Assembly;

at fjöru, at the ebb;

at flœðum, at the floodtide;

2) adding ‘komanda’ or ‘er kemr’;

at ári komanda, next year;

at vári, er kemr, next spring;

generally with ‘komanda’ understood;

at sumri, hausti, vetri, vári, next summer, &c.;

3) used with an absolute dative and present or past part.;

at sér lifanda, duing his lifetime;

at öllum ásjándum, in the sight of all;

at áheyranda höfðingjanum, in the hearing of the chief;

at upprennandi sólu, at sunrise;

at liðnum sex vikum, after six weeks are past;

at honum önduðum, after his death;

4) denoting uninterrupted succession, after;

hverr at öðrum, annarr at öðrum, one after another;

skildu menn at þessu, thereupon, after this;

at því (thereafter) kómu aðrar meyjar.

IV. fig. and in various uses;

1) to, into, with the notion of destruction or change;

brenna (borgina) at ösku, to burn to ashes;

verða at ormi, to become a snake;

2) for, as;

gefa e-t at gjöf, as a present;

eiga e-n at vin, to have one as friend;

3) by;

taka sverð at hjöltum, by the hilt;

draga út björninn at hlustunum, by the ears;

kjósa at afli, álitum, by strength, appearrance;

4) as regards as to;

auðigr at fé, wealthy in goods;

vænn (fagr) at áliti, fair of face;

5) as a law term, on the grounds of, by reason of;

ryðja ( to challenge) dóm at mægðum, kvið at frændsemi;

6) as a paraphrase of a genitive;

faðir, móðir at barni (= barns, of a child);

aðili at sök = aðili sakar;

7) with adjectives denoting colour, size, age, of;

hvítr, svartr, rauðr at lit, while, black, red of colour;

mikill, lítill at stœrð, vexti, tall, small of stature;

tvítugr at aldri, twenty years of age;

kýr at fyrsta, öðrum kálfi, a cow that has calved once, twice;

8) determining the source from which anything comes, of, from;

Ari nam ok marga frœði at Þuríði (from her);

þiggja, kaupa, geta, leigja e-t at e-m, to receive, buy, obtain, borrow a thing from one;

hafa veg (virðing) styrk at e-m, to derive honour, power, from one;

9) according, to, after (heygðr at fornum sið);

at ráði allra vitrustu manna, by the advice of;

at landslögum, by the law of the land;

at vánum, as was to be expected;

at leyfi e-s, by one’s leave;

10) in adverbial phrases;

gróa (vera grœddr) at heilu, to be quite healed;

bíta af allt gras at snøggu, quite bare;

at fullu, fully;

at vísu, surely;

at frjálsu, freely;

at eilífu, for ever and ever;

at röngu, at réttu, wrongly, rightly;

at líku, at sömu, equally, all the same;

at mun, at ráði, at marki, to a great extent.

B. with acc., after, upon (= eptir);

sonr á at taka arf at föður sinn, to take the inheritance after his father;

eiga féránsdóm at e-n, to hold a court of execution upon a person;

at þat (= eptir þat), after that, thereafter;

connected with a past part. or a., at Gamla fallinn, after the fall of Gamli;

at Hrungni dauðan, upon the death of Hrungnir.

1) as the simple mark of the infinitive, to;

at ganga, at ríða, at hlaupa, to walk, to ride, to run;

2) in an objective sense;

hann bauð þeim at fara, sitja, he bade (ordered) them to go, sit;

gefa e-m at eta, at drekka, to give one to eat, to drink;

3) denoting design or purpose, in order to (hann gekk í borg at kaupa silfr).

1) demonstrative particle before a comparative, the, all the, so much the;

hón grét at meir, she wept the more;

þykkir oss at líkara, all the more likely;

þú ert maðr at verri (so much the worse), er þú hefir þetta mælt;

2) rel. pron., who, which, that (= er);

þeir allir, at þau tíðindi heyrðu, all those who heard;

sem þeim er títt, at ( as is the custom of those who) kaupferðir reka.

conj., that;

1) introducing a subjective or objective clause;

þat var einhverju sinni, at Höskuldr hafði vinaboð, it happened once that H.;

vilda ek, at þú réðist austr í fjörðu, I should like you to go;

2) relative to svá, denoting proportion, degree;

svá mikill lagamaðr, at, so great a lawyer, that;

3) with subj., denoting end or purpose, in order that (skáru þeir fyrir þá (viz. hestana) melinn, at þeir dœi eigi af sulti);

4) since, because, as (= því at);

5) connected with þó, því, svá;

þó at (with subj.), though, although;

því at, because, for;

svá at, so that;

6) temp., þá at (= þá er), when;

þegar at (= þegar er), as soon as;

þar til at (= þar til er), until, till;

áðr at (= á. en), before;

7) used superfluously after an int. pron. or adv.;

Ólafr spurði, hvern styrk at hann mundi fá honum, what help he was likely to give him;

in a relative sense; með fullkomnum ávexti, hverr at (which) þekkr ok þægiligr mun verða.

negative verbal suffix, = ata; var-at, was not.

n. an incited conflict or fight ( see etja);

odda at, Yggs at, battle.

* * *

and að, prep., often used ellipt. dropping the case and even merely as an adverb, [Lat. ad; Ulf. at = πρός and παρά, A. S. ät; Engl. at; Hel. ad = apud; O. H. G. az; lost in mod. Germ., and rare in Swed. and Dan.; in more freq. use in Engl. than any other kindred language, Icel. only excepted]:—the mod. pronunciation and spelling is að (aþ); this form is very old, and is found in Icel. vellum MSS. of the 12th century, e. g. aþ, 623. 60; yet in earlier times it was sounded with a tenuis, as we may infer from rhymes, e. g. jöfurr hyggi at | hve ek yrkja fat, Egill: Sighvat also makes it rhyme with a t. The verse by Thorodd—þar vastu at er fjáðr klæðið þvat (Skálda 162)—is hardly intelligible unless we accept the spelling with an aspirate (að), and say that þvað is = þvá = þváði, lavabat; it may be that by the time of Thorodd and Ari the pure old pronunciation was lost, or is ‘þvat’ simply the A. S. þvât, secuit? The Icelanders still, however, keep the tenuis in compounds before a vowel, or before h, v, or the liquids l, r, thus—atyrða, atorka, athöfn, athugi, athvarf, athlægi; atvinna, atvik; atlaga, atlíðanði ( slope), atriði, atreið, atróðr: but aðdjúpr, aðfinsla (critic), aðferð, aðkoma, aðsókn, aðsúgr (crowding), aðgæzla. In some words the pronunciation is irregular, e. g. atkvæði not aðkv-; atburðr, but aðbúnaðr; aðhjúkran not athjúkran; atgörvi not aðgörfi. At, to, towards; into; against; along, by; in regard to; after.

Mostly with dat.; rarely with acc.; and sometimes ellipt.—by dropping the words ‘home,’ ‘house,’ or the like—with gen.

WITH DAT.

A. LOC.

I. WITH MOTION; gener. the motion to the borders, limits of an object, and thus opp. to frá:

1. towards, against, with or without the notion of arrival, esp. connected with verbs denoting motion (verba movendi et eundi), e. g. fara, ganga, koma, lúta, snúa, rétta at…; Otkell laut at Skamkatli, O. louted (i. e. bowed down) towards S., Nj. 77, Fms. xi. 102; sendimaðrinn sneri ( turned) hjöltum sverðsins at konungi, towards the king, i. 15; hann sneri egginni at Ásgrími, turned the edge towards A., Nj. 220; rétta e-t at e-m, to reach, hand over, Ld. 132; ganga at, to step towards, Ísl. ii. 259.

2. denoting proximity, close up to, up to; Brynjólfr gengr … allt at honum, B. goes quite up to him, Nj. 58; Gunnarr kom þangat at þeim örunum, G. reached them even there with his arrows, 115; þeir kómust aldri at honum, they could never get near him, to close quarters, id.; reið maðr at þeim (up to them), 274; þeir höfðu rakit sporin allt at ( right up to) gammanum, Fms. i. 9; komu þeir at sjó fram, came down to the sea, Bárð. 180.

3. without reference to the space traversed, to or at; koma at landi, to land, Ld. 38, Fms. viii. 358; ríða at dyrum, Boll. 344; hlaupa at e-m, to run up to, run at, Fms. vii. 218, viii. 358; af sjáfarganginum er hann gekk at landinu, of the surf dashing against the shore, xi. 6; vísa ólmum hundi at manni, to set a fierce hound at a man, Grág. ii. 118; leggja e-n at velli, to lay low, Eg. 426, Nj. 117; hníga at jörðu, at grasi, at moldu, to bite the dust, to die, Njarð. 378; ganga at dómi, a law term, to go into court, of a plaintiff, defendant, or bystander, Nj. 87 (freq.)

4. denoting a motion along, into, upon; ganga at stræti, to walk along the street, Korm. 228, Fms. vii. 39; at ísi, on the ice, Skálda 198, Fms. vii. 19, 246, viii. 168, Eb. 112 new Ed. (á is perh. wrong); máttu menn ganga bar yfir at skipum einum, of ships alone used as a bridge, Fas. i. 378; at höfðum, at nám, to trample on the slain on the battle-field, Lex. Poët.; at ám, along the rivers; at merkiósum, at the river’s mouth, Grág. ii. 355; at endilöngu baki, all along its back, Sks. 100.

5. denoting hostility, to rush at, assault; renna at, hlaupa at, ganga, fara, ríða, sækja, at e-m, (v. those words), whence the nouns atrenna, athlaup, atgangr, atför, atreið, atsókn, etc.

β. metaph., kom at þeim svefnhöfgi, deep sleep fell on them, Nj. 104. Esp. of weather, in the impers. phrase, hríð, veðr, vind, storm görir at e-m, to be overtaken by a snow storm, gale, or the like; görði þá at þeim þoku mikla, they were overtaken by a thick fog, Bárð. 171.

6. denoting around, of clothing or the like; bregða skikkju at höfði sér, to wrap his cloak over his head, Ld. 62; vefja motri at höfði sér, to wrap a snood round her head, 188; sauma at, to stick, cling close, as though sewn on; sauma at höndum sér, of tight gloves, Bs. i. 453; kyrtill svá þröngr sem saumaðr væri at honum, as though it were stitched to him, Nj. 214; vafit at vándum dreglum, tight laced with sorry tags, id.; hosa strengd fast at beini, of tight hose, Eg. 602; hann sveipar at sér iðrunum ok skyrtunni, he gathers up the entrails close to him and the skirt too, Gísl. 71; laz at síðu, a lace on the side, to keep the clothes tight, Eg. 602.

β. of burying; bera grjót at einum, to heap stones upon the body, Eg. 719; var gör at þeim dys or grjóti, Ld. 152; gora kistu at líki, to make a coffin for a body, Eb. 264, Landn. 56, Ld. 142.

γ. of summoning troops or followers; stefna at sér mönnum, to summon men to him, Nj. 104; stefna at sér liði, Eg. 270; kippa mönnum at sér, to gather men in haste, Ld. 64.

7. denoting a business, engagement; ríða at hrossum, at sauðum, to go looking after after horses, watching sheep, Glúm. 362, Nj. 75; fara at fé, to go to seek for sheep, Ld. 240; fara at heyi, to go a-haymaking, Dropl. 10; at veiðum, a-hunting; at fuglum, a-fowling; at dýrum, a-sbooting; at fiski, a-fishing; at veiðiskap, Landn. 154, Orkn. 416 (in a verse), Nj. 25; fara at landskuldum, to go a-collecling rents, Eg. 516; at Finnkaupum, a-marketing with Finns, 41; at féföngum, a-plundering, Fms. vii. 78; ganga at beina, to wait on guests, Nj. 50; starfa at matseld, to serve at table, Eb. 266; hitta e-n at nauðsynjum, on matters of business; at máli, to speak with one, etc., Fms. xi. 101; rekast at e-m, to pursue one, ix. 404; ganga at liði sér, to go suing for help, Grág. ii. 384.

β. of festivals; snúa, fá at blóti, veizlu, brullaupi, to prepare for a sacrificial banquet, wedding, or the like, hence at-fangadagr, Eb. 6, Ld. 70; koma at hendi, to happen, befall; ganga at sínu, to come by one’s own, to take it, Ld. 208; Egill drakk hvert full er at honum kom, drained every horn that came to him, Eg. 210; komast at keyptu, to purchase dearly, Húv. 46.

8. denoting imaginary motion, esp. of places, cp. Lat. spectare, vergere ad…, to look or lie towards; horfði botninn at höfðanum, the bight of the bay looked toward the headland, Fms. i. 340, Landn. 35; also, skeiðgata liggr at læknum, leads to the brook, Ísl. ii. 339; á þann arminn er vissi at sjánum, on that wing which looked toward the sea, Fms. viii. 115; sár þau er horft höfðu at Knúti konungi, xi. 309.

β. even connected with verbs denoting motion; Gilsáreyrr gengr austan at Fljótinu, G. extends, projects to F. from the east, Hrafh. 25; hjá sundi því, er at gengr þingstöðinni, Fms. xi. 85.

II. WITHOUT MOTION; denoting presence at, near, by, at the side of, in, upon; connected with verbs like sitja, standa, vera…; at kirkju, at church, Fms. vii. 251, K. f). K. 16, Ld. 328, Ísl. ii. 270, Sks. 36; vera at skála, at húsi, to be in, at home, Landn. 154; at landi, Fms. i. 82; at skipi, on shipboard, Grág. i. 209, 215; at oldri, at a banquet, inter pocula; at áti, at dinner, at a feast, inter edendum, ii. 169, 170; at samförum ok samvistum, at public meetings, id.; at dómi, in a court; standa (to take one’s stand) norðan, sunnan, austan, vestan at dómi, freq. in the proceedings at trials in lawsuits, Nj.; at þingi, present at the parliament, Grág. i. 142; at lögbergi, o n the hill of laws, 17, Nj.; at baki e-m, at the back of.

2. denoting presence, partaking in; sitja at mat, to sit at meat, Fms. i. 241; vera at veizlu, brullaupi, to be at a banquet, nuptials, Nj. 51, Ld. 70: a law term, vera at vígi, to be an accessory in manslaying, Nj. 89, 100; vera at e-u simply means to be about, be busy in, Fms. iv. 237; standa at máli, to stand by one in a case, Grág. ii. 165, Nj. 214; vera at fóstri, to be fostered, Fms. i. 2; sitja at hégóma, to listen to nonsense, Ld. 322; vera at smíð, to be at one’s work, Þórð. 62: now absol., vera at, to go on with, be busy at.

3. the law term vinna eið at e-u has a double meaning:

α. vinna eið at bók, at baugi, to make an oath upon the book by laying the band upon it, Landn. 258, Grág., Nj.; cp. Vkv. 31, Gkv. 3. 3, Hkv. 2. 29, etc.: ‘við’ is now used in this sense.

β. to confirm a fact (or the like) by an oath, to swear to, Grág. i. 9, 327.

γ. the law phrase, nefna vátta at e-u, of summoning witnesses to a deed, fact, or the like; nefna vátta at benjum, to produce evidence, witnesses as to the wounds, Nj., Grág.; at görð, Eg. 738; at svörum, Grág. i. 19: this summoning of witnesses served in old lawsuits the same purpose as modern pleadings and depositions; every step in a suit to be lawful must be followed by such a summoning or declaration.

4. used ellipt., vera at, to be about, to be busy at; kvalararnir er at vóru at pína hann, who were tormenting him; þar varstu at, you were there present, Skálda 162; at várum þar, Gísl. (in a verse): as a law term ‘vera at’ means to be guilty, Glúm. 388; vartattu at þar, Eg. (in a verse); hence the ambiguity of Glum’s oath, vask at þar, I was there present: var þar at kona nokkur ( was there busy) at binda sár manna, Fms. v. 91; hann var at ok smíðaði skot, Rd. 313; voru Varbelgir at ( about) at taka af, þau lög …, Fms. ix. 512; ek var at ok vafk, I was about weaving, xi. 49; þeir höfðu verit at þrjú sumur, they had been busy at it for three summers, x. 186 (now very freq.); koma at, come in, to arrive unexpectedly; Gunnarr kom at í því, G. came in at that moment; hvaðan komtú nú at, whence did you come? Nj. 68, Fms. iii. 200.

5. denoting the kingdom or residence of a king or princely person; konungr at Danmörk ok Noregi, king of…, Fms. i. 119, xi. 281; konungr, jarl, at öllum Noregi, king, earl, over all N., íb. 3, 13, Landn. 25; konungr at Dyflinni, king of Dublin, 25; but í or yfir England!, Eg. 263: cp. the phrase, sitja at landi, to reside, of a king when at home, Hkr. i. 34; at Joini, Fms. xi. 74: used of a bishop; biskup at Hólum, bishop of Hólar, Íb. 18, 19; but biskup í Skálaholti, 19: at Rómi, at Rome, Fbr. 198.

6. in denoting a man’s abode (vide p. 5, col. 1, l. 27), the prep. ‘at’ is used where the local name implies the notion of by the side of, and is therefore esp. applied to words denoting a river, brook, rock, mountain, grove, or the like, and in some other instances, by, at, e. g. at Hofi (a temple), Landn. 198; at Borg ( a castle), 57; at Helgafelli (a mountain), Eb. constantly so; at Mosfelli, Landn. 190; at Hálsi (a hill), Fms. xi. 22; at Bjargi, Grett. 90; Hálsum, Landn. 143; at Á ( river), 296, 268; at Bægisá, 212; Giljá, 332; Myrká, 211; Vatnsá, id.; þverá, Glúm. 323; at Fossi (a ‘force’ or waterfall), Landn. 73; at Lækjamoti (waters-meeting), 332; at Hlíðarenda ( end of the lithe or hill), at Bergþórshváli, Nj.; at Lundi (a grove), at Melum (sandhill), Landn. 70: the prep. ‘á’ is now used in most of these cases, e. g. á Á, á Hofi, Helgafelli, Felli, Hálsi, etc.

β. particularly, and without any regard to etymology, used of the abode of kings or princes, to reside at; at Uppsölum, at Haugi, Alreksstöðum, at Hlöðum, Landn., Fms.

γ. konungr lét kalla at stofudyrum, the king made a call at the hall door, Eg. 88; þeir kölluðu at herberginu, they called at the inn, Fms. ix. 475.

7. used ellipt. with a gen., esp. if connected with such words as gista, to be a guest, lodge, dine, sup (of festivals or the like) at one’s home; at Marðar, Nj. 4; at hans, 74; þingfesti at þess bóanda, Grág. i. 152; at sín, at one’s own home, Eg. 371, K. Þ. K. 62; hafa náttstað at Freyju, at the abode of goddess Freyja, Eg. 603; at Ránar, at Ran’s, i. e. at Ran’s house, of drowned men who belong to the queen of the sea, Ran, Eb. 274; at hins heilaga Ólafs konungs, at St. Olave’s church, Fms. vi. 63: cp. ad Veneris, εις Κίμωνος.

B. TEMP.

I. at, denoting a point or period of time; at upphafi, at first, in the beginning, Ld. 104; at lyktum, at síðustu, at lokum, at last; at lesti, at last, Lex. Poët., more freq. á lesti; at skilnaði, at parting, at last, Band. 3; at fornu, in times of yore, formerly, Eg. 267, D. I. i. 635; at sinni, as yet, at present; at nýju, anew, of present time; at eilífu, for ever and ever; at skömmu, soon, shortly, Ísl. ii. 272, v. l.

II. of the very moment when anything happens, the beginning of a term; denoting the seasons of the year, months, weeks, the hours of the day; at Jólum, at Yule, Nj. 46; at Pálmadegi, on Palm Sunday, 273; at Páskum, at Easter; at Ólafsvöku, on St. Olave’s eve, 29th of July, Fms.; at vetri, at the beginning of the winter, on the day when winter sets in, Grág. 1. 151; at sumarmálum, at vetrnáttum; at Tvímánaði, when the Double month (August) begins, Ld. 256, Grág. i. 152; at kveldi, at eventide, Eg. 3; at því meli, at that time; at eindaga, at the term, 395; at eykð, at 4 o’clock p. m., 198; at öndverðri æfi Abra hams, Ver. II; at sinni, now at once, Fms. vi. 71; at öðruhverju, every now and then.

β. where the point of time is marked by some event; at þingi, at the meeting of parliament (18th to the 24th of June), Ld. 182; at féránsdómi, at the court of execution, Grág. i. 132, 133; at þinglausnum, at the close of the parliament (beginning of July), 140; at festarmálum, eðr at eiginorði, at betrothal or nuptials, 174; at skilnaði, when they parted, Nj. 106 (above); at öllum minnum, at the general drinking of the toasts, Eg. 253; at fjöru, at the ebb; at flæðum, at flood tide, Fms. viii. 306, Orkn. 428; at hrörum, at an inquest, Grág. i. 50 (cp. ii. 141, 389); at sökum, at prosecutions, 30; at sinni, now, as yet, v. that word.

III. ellipt., or adding ‘komanda’ or ‘er kemr,’ of the future time:

1. ellipt., komanda or the like being understood, with reference to the seasons of the year; at sumri, at vetri, at hausti, at vári, next summer, winter…, Ísl. ii. 242; at miðju sumri, at ári, at Midsummer, next year, Fas. i. 516; at miðjum vetri, Fms. iv. 237,

2. adding ‘komanda’ or ‘er kemr;’ at ári komanda, Bárð. 177; at vári er kemr, Dipl. iii. 6.

IV. used with an absolute dat. and with a pres. part.:

1. with pres. part.; at morni komanda, on the coming morrow, Fms. i. 263; at sér lifanda, in vivo, in his life time, Grág. ii. 202; at þeim sofundum, illis dormientibus, Hkr. i. 234; at öllum ásjándum, in the sight of all, Fms. x. 329; at úvitanda konungi, illo nesciente, without his knowledge, 227; at áheyranda höfðingjanum, in the chief’s bearing, 235.

2. of past time with a past part. (Lat. abl. absol.); at hræjum fundnum, on the bodies being found, Grág. ii. 87; at háðum dómum ok föstu þingi, during the session, the courts being set, i. 484; at liðnum sex vikum, after six weeks past, Band. 13; at svá búnu, so goru, svá komnu, svá mæltu (Lat. quibus rebus gestis, dictis, quo facto, dicto, etc.), v. those words; at úreyndu, without trial, without put ting one to the test, Ld. 76; at honum önduðum, illo mortuo.

3. ellipt. without ‘at;’ en þessum hlutum fram komnum, when all this has been done, Eb. 132.

V. in some phrases with a slight temp, notion; at görðum gildum, the fences being strong, Gþl. 387; at vörmu spori, at once, whilst the trail is warm; at úvörum, unawares, suddenly, Nj. 95, Ld. 132; at þessu, at this cost, on that condition, Eb. 38, Nj. 55; at illum leiki, to have a narrow escape, now við illan leik, Fms. ix. 473; at því, that granted, Grág. ii. 33: at því, at pessu, thereafter, thereupon, Nj. 76.

2. denoting succession, without interruption, one after another; hverr at öðrum, annarr maðr at öðrum, aðrir at öðrum; eina konu at annarri, Eg. 91, Fms. ii. 236, vi. 25, Bs. i. 22, 625. 80, H. E. i. 522.

C. METAPH. and in various cases:

I. denoting a transformation or change into, to, with the notion of destruction; brenna at ösku, at köldum kolum, to burn to ashes, to be quite destroyed, Fms. i. 105, Edda 3, Sturl. ii. 51: with the notion of transformation or transfiguration, in such phrases as, verða at e-u, göra e-t at e-u, to turn it into:

α. by a spell; verða at ormi, to become a snake, Fms. xi. 158; at flugdrekum, Gullþ. 7; urðu þau bönd at járni, Edda 40.

β. by a natural process it can often be translated by an acc. or by as; göra e-n at urðarmanni, to make him an outlaw, Eg. 728; græða e-n at orkumlamanni, to heal him so as to maim him for life, of bad treatment by a leech, Eb. 244: in the law terms, sár görist at ben, a wound turning into a ben, proving to be mortal, Grág., Nj.; verða at ljúgvætti, to prove to be a false evidence, Grág. i. 44; verða at sætt, to turn into reconciliation, Fms. i. 13; göra e-t at reiði málum, to take offence at, Fs. 20; at nýjum tíðindum, to tell as news, Nj. 14; verða fátt at orðum, to be sparing of words, 18; kveðr (svá) at orði, to speak, utter, 10; verða at þrifnaði, to geton well, Fms. vii. 196: at liði, at skaða, to be a help or hurt to one; at bana, to cause one’s death, Nj. 223, Eg. 21, Grág. ii. 29: at undrum, at hlátri, to become a wonder, a laughing-stock, 623. 35, Eg. 553.

II. denoting capacity, where it may be translated merely by as or for; gefa at Jólagjöf, to give for a Christmas-box, Eg. 516; at gjöf, for a present; at erfð, at láni, launum, as an inheritance, a loan; at kaupum ok sökum, for buying and selling, Ísl. ii. 223, Grág. i. 423; at solum, ii. 204; at herfangi, as spoil or plunder; at sakbótum, at niðgjöldum, as a compensation, weregeld, i. 339, ii. 171, Hkr. ii. 168; taka at gíslingu, to take as an hostage, Edda 15; eiga e-n at vin, at óvin, to have one as friend or foe, illt er at eiga þræl at eingavin, ‘tis ill to have a thrall for one’s bosom friend (a proverb), Nj. 77; fæða, eiga, at sonum (syni), to beget a son, Edda 8, Bs. i. 60 (but eiga at dóttur cannot be said); hafa möttul at yfirhöfn, Fms. vii. 201; verða nökkut at manni (mönnum), to turn out to be a worthy man; verða ekki at manni, to turn out a worthless person, xi. 79, 268.

2. in such phrases as, verða at orðum, to come towards, Nj. 26; var þat at erindum, Eg. 148; hafa at veizlum, to draw veizlur ( dues) from, Fms. iv. 275, Eg. 647; gora e-t at álitum, to take it into consideration, Nj. 3.

III. denoting belonging to, fitting, of parts of the whole or the like; vóru at honum (viz. the sword) hjölt gullbúin, the sword was ornamented with a hilt of gold, Ld. 330; umgörð at ( belonging to) sverði, Fs. 97 (Hs.) in a verse; en ef mór er eigi at landinu, if there be no turf moor belonging to the land, Grág. ii. 338; svá at eigi brotnaði nokkuð at Orminum, so that no harm happened to the ship Worm, Fms. x. 356; hvatki er meiðir at skipinu eðr at reiðinu eðr at viðum, damage done t o …, Grág. ii. 403; lesta ( to injure) hús at lásum, við eðr torfi, 110; ef land hefir batnað at húsum, if the land has been bettered as to its buildings, 210; cp. the phrase, göra at e-u, to repair: hamlaðr at höndum eðr fótum, maimed as to hands or feet, Eg. 14; heill at höndum en hrumr at fótum, sound in band, palsied in foot, Fms. vii. 12; lykill at skrá, a key belonging, fitting, to the latch; hurð at húsi; a key ‘gengr at’ ( fits) skrá; and many other phrases. 2. denoting the part by which a thing is held or to which it belongs, by; fá, taka at…, to grasp by …; þú tókt við sverði hans at hjöltunum, you took it by the bill, Fms. i. 15; draga út björninn at hlustum, to pull out the bear by the ears, Fas. ii. 237; at fótum, by the feet, Fms. viii. 363; mæla ( to measure) at hrygg ok at jaðri, by the edge or middle of the stuff, Grág. i. 498; kasta e-m at höfði, head foremost, Nj. 84; kjósa e-n at fótum, by the feet alone, Edda 46; hefja frændsemi at bræðrum, eða at systkynum, to reckon kinship by the brother’s or the sister’s side, Grág. i. 28; kjósa at afli, at álitum, by strength, sight, Gs. 8, belongs rather to the following.

IV. in respect of, as regards, in regard to, as to; auðigr at fé, wealthy of goods, Nj. 16, 30, 51; beztir hestar at reið, the best racehorses, 186; spekingr at viti, a man of great intellect, Ld. 124; vænn (fagr) at áliti, fair of face, Nj. 30, Bs. i. 61; kvenna vænst at ásjónu ok vits munum, of surpassing beauty and intellect, Ld. 122; fullkominn at hyggju, 18; um fram aðra menn at vinsældum ok harðfengi, of surpassing popularity and hardihood, Eb. 30.

2. a law term, of challenging jurors, judges, or the like, on account of, by reason of; ryðja ( to challenge) at mægðum, guðsifjum, frændsemi, hrörum …; at leiðarlengd, on account of distance, Grág. i. 30, 50, Nj. (freq.)

3. in arithm. denoting proportion; at helmingi, þriðjungi, fjórðungi, tíunda hluta, cp. Lat. ex asse, quadrante, for the half, third… part; máttr skal at magni (a proverb), might and main go together, Hkr. ii. 236; þú munt vera at því mikill fræðimaðr á kvæði, in the same proportion, as great, Fms. vi. 391, iii. 41; at e-s hluta, at… leiti, for one’s part, in turn, as far as one is con cerned, Grág. i. 322, Eg. 309, Fms. iii. 26 (freq.): at öðrum kosti, in the other case, otherwise (freq.) More gener., at öllu, öngu, in all (no) respects; at sumu, einhverju, nokkru, partly; at flestu, mestu, chiefly.

4. as a paraphrase of a genitive; faðir, móðir at barni (= barns); aðili at sök (= sakar a.); morðingi at barni (= barns), faðerni at barni (barns); illvirki at fé manna (cp. Lat. felo de se), niðrfall at sökum (saka), land gangr at fiskum (fiska), Fms. iv. 274, Grág. i. 277, 416, N. G. L. i. 340, K. Þ. K. 112, Nj. 21.

5. the phrase ‘at sér,’ of himself or in himself, either ellipt. or by adding the participle görr, and with the adverbs vel, ilia, or the like; denoting breeding, bearing, endowments, character …; væn kona, kurteis ok vel at sér, an accomplished, well-bred, gifted lady, Nj. I; vitr maðr ok vel at sér, a wise man and thoroughly good in feeling and bearing, 5; þú ert maðr vaskr ok vel at þér, 49; gerr at sér, accomplished, 51; bezt at sér görr, the finest, best bred man, 39, Ld. 124; en þó er hann svá vel at sér, so generous, Nj. 77; þeir höfðingjar er svá vóru vel at sér, so noble-minded, 198, Fms. i. 160: the phrase ‘at sér’ is now only used of knowledge, thus maðr vel að sér means clever, a man of great knowledge; illa að sér, a blockhead.

6. denoting relations to colour, size, value, age, and the like; hvitr, svartr, grár, rauðr … at lit, white, swarthy, gray, red … of colour, Bjarn. 55, 28, Ísl. ii. 213, etc.; mikill, lítill, at stærð, vexti, tall, small of size, etc.; ungr, gamall, barn, at aldri, young, old, a child of age; tvítugr, þrítugr … at aldri, twenty, thirty … years of age (freq.): of animals; kyr at fyrsta, öðrum … kálfi, a cow having calved once, twice…, Jb. 346: value, amount, currency of money, kaupa e-t at mörk, at a mark, N. G. L. 1. 352; ok er eyririnn at mörk, amounts to a mark, of the value of money, Grág. i. 392; verðr þá at hálfri murk vaðmála eyrir, amounts to a half a mark, 500.

β. metaph. of value, connected with verbs denoting to esteem, hold; meta, hafa, halda at miklu, litlu, vettugi, engu, or the like, to hold in high or low esteem, to care or not to care for (freq.): geta e-s at góðu, illu, öngu, to mention one favourably, unfavourably, indifferently … (freq.), prop. in connection with. In many cases it may be translated by in; ekki er mark at draumum, there is no meaning in dreams, no heed is to be paid to dreams, Sturl. ii. 217; bragð er at þá barnið finnr, it goes too far, when even a child takes offence (a proverb): hvat er at því, what does it mean? Nj. 11; hvert þat skip er vöxtr er at, any ship of mark, i. e. however small, Fms. xi. 20.

V. denoting the source of a thing:

1. source of infor mation, to learn, perceive, get information from; Ari nam ok marga fræði at Þuríði, learnt as her pupil, at her hands, as St. Paul at the feet of Gamaliel, (just as the Scotch say to speer or ask at a person); Ari nam at Þorgeiri afraðskoll, Hkr. (pref.); nema kunnáttu at e-m, used of a pupil, Fms. i. 8; nema fræði at e-m, xi. 396.

2. of receiving, acquiring, buying, from; þiggja e-t at e-m, to receive a thing at his hands, Nj. 51; líf, to be pardoned, Fms. x. 173; kaupa land at e-m, to buy it from, Landn. 72, Íb. II, (now af is more freq. in this sense); geta e-t at e-m, to obtain, procure at one’s hands, impetrare; þeirra manna er þeir megu þat geta at, who are willing to do that, Grág. i. I; heimta e-t at e-m (now af), to call in, demand (a debt, money), 279; fala e-t at e-m (now af), to chaffer for or cheapen anything, Nj. 73; sækja e-t at e-m, to ask, seek for; sækja heilræði ok traust at e-m, 98; leiga e-t at e-m (now af), to borrow, Grág. ii. 334; eiga e-t (fé, skuld) at e-m, to be owed money by any one, i. 399: metaph. to deserve of one, Nj. 113; eiga mikit at e-m, to have much to do with, 138; hafa veg, virðing, styrk, at, to derive honour, power from, Fms. vi. 71, Eg. 44, Bárð. 174; gagn, to be of use, Ld. 216; mein, tálma, mischief, disadvantage, 158, 216, cp. Eg. 546; ótta, awe, Nj. 68.

VI. denoting conformity, according to, Lat. secundum, ex, after; at fornum sið, Fms. i. 112; at sögn Ara prests, as Ari relates, on his authority, 55; at ráði allra vitrustu manna, at the advice of, Ísl. ii. 259, Ld. 62; at lögum, at landslögum, by the law of the land, Grág., Nj.; at líkindum, in all likelihood, Ld. 272; at sköpum, in due course (poet.); at hinum sama hætti, in the very same manner, Grág. i. 90; at vánum, as was to be expected, Nj. 255; at leyfi e-s, by one’s leave, Eg. 35; úlofi, Grág. ii. 215; at ósk, vilja e-s, as one likes…; at mun, id. (poet.); at sólu, happily (following the course of the sun), Bs. i. 70, 137; at því sem …, as to infer from …, Nj. 124: ‘fara, láta, ganga at’ denotes to yield, agree to, to comply with, give in, Ld. 168, Eg. 18, Fms. x. 368.

VII. in phrases nearly or quite adverbial; gróa, vera græddr, at heilu, to be quite healed, Bárð. 167, Eb. 148; bíta at snöggu, to bite it bare, Fms. xi. 6; at þurru, till it becomes dry, Eb. 276; at endilöngu, all along, Fas. ii; vinnast at litlu, to avail little, 655 x. 14; at fullu, fully, Nj. 257, Hkr. i. 171; at vísu, of a surety, surely, Ld. 40; at frjálsu, freely, 308; at líku, at sömu, equally, all the same, Hom. 80, Nj. 267; at röngu, wrongly, 686 B. 2; at hófi, temperately, Lex. Poët.; at mun, at ráði, at marki, to a great extent; at hringum, utterly, all round, (rare), Fms. x. 389; at einu, yet, Orkn. 358; svá at einu, því at einu, allt at einu, yet, however, nevertheless.