if thou couldst get no food save by overgorging upon corpses

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(spring; sprakk, sprungum; sprunginn), v.

1) to spring, bound;

2) to spirt out, issue forth (sprakk blóð bæði af nösum hennar ok munni);

3) to burst, split, break (hornit sprakk í sundr í miðju); sprotinn kom í andlitit ok sprakk fyrir, the switch came on his face, and the skin was broken;

4) to die from over-exertion, grief, etc.; s. af harmi, to break one’s heart; ef þú hefðir eigi mat, nema á hræum spryngir, if thou couldst get no food save by overgorging upon corpses.

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pres. spring; part. sprakk (Early Dan. sprank), sprakkt (sprakst), sprakk, pl. sprungu; subj. spryngi; imperat. spring; part. sprunginn: [common to all Teut. languages]:—prop. to spring, leap, bound; this sense, however, is obsolete in the Icel. and only found in poets; hefðir egi mat nema á hræjum spryngir, unless thou springest on carrion, as a beast of prey, Hkv. 2. 31.

II. to burst, split; steinar springa, Blas. 47; horuit sprakk í miðju, Eg. 212; kýlinu því er ek hugða fyrir löngu mynði s., Fms. vii. 121; sprakk fótrinn í nátt, of a boil, Hrafn. 15; eggið sprakk, the egg burst; rak hann niðr annat knó á arinhellu svá at sprakk mjök, Bs. i. 680; sprotinn kom á andlitið ok sprakk fyrir, struck him in the face so that the skin was grazed, Nj. 16; kom hamarinn í höfuð Þorvarði ok sprakk mjök fyrir en haussinn rifnaði, Sturl. ii. 38; ok springr fyrir undir, svá var höggit mikit, Fms. xi. 133; bold hans bólgnaði ok sprungu á sár, Mar.

2. to die from over-exertion, grief, or the like, Bs. i. 631; sumir sprungu með öllu ok dó úsárir, Fms. vi. 421; ok vóru þá sprungnir báðir, Eb. 178; eykirnir sprungu, Fms. x. 203, Gísl. 15, Karl. 310; annat mun þér verða enn þú springir af torfkasti, Sturl. iii. 225; Grímr var sprunginn af róðrinum, Fas. ii. 355; s. af harmi, Sæm. 158, Gkv. 1. 2; at hón hafi sprungit af stríði, Ld. 230; sprakk hón af harmi ok dó, Edda 38.