it went so far that

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

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

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

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

5) embroidered figure (hekla saumuð öll brögðum).

* * *

n. [cp. bregða].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(gen. gangs), m.

1) walking (vera á gangi); motion, activity of any kind (þá var hvert járn á gangi);

2) pace, pacing (temja hesta við gang ok hlaup);

3) course (gangr himintungla);

4) prevailing, being in vogue;

hafa mikinn gang, to be much in vogue;

heldr er vaxandi gangr at þeim, they (viz. the dreams) were rather on the increase;

svá mikill gangr var orðinn at eldinum, the fire had got to such a height.

* * *

m. [A. S. gong; Scot. gang = a walk, journey; Dan. gang; Swed. gång; cp. Germ. gehen]:—a going, walking, Sks. 370; vera á gangi, to be walking to and fro, Grett. 153: metaph., röng eru mál á gangi, bad reports are going about, Bs. i. (in a verse); vápn á gangi, weapons clashing (vide II. 2. below), Grág. ii. 8; þá var hvert járn á gangi, Fb. i. 212:—gefit mér gang, give me way, passage, let me go, Fms. xi. 275, 347:—pace, a horseman’s term, engan (hest) hafa þeir slíkan séð bæði sakir gangs ok vaxtar, Róm. 422: Icel. say, það er enginn g. í honum, he has no pacing or ambling in him; or gang-lauss, adj. not pacing:—grazing, úti-g., útigangs-hestr, opp. to a stall-fed horse:—course, of the sun, stars, moon, gangr himin-tungla, Edda (pref.), hence sólar-g., the course of the sun above the horizon = day; stuttr, lítill, langr sólar-g., a short, long day:—course, of money.

II. metaph.,

1. a going onward, prevailing, being in vogue; hafa mikinn gang, to be much in vogue, Al. 87; heldr er vaxandi g. at þeim, they were rather on the increase, Gísl. 66; þótti þeim hann hafa ofmikinn gang ( favour) af konungi, Fms. ii. 54; með-g., good luck; mót-g., adversity; upp-g., thrift; á-gangr, inroad; yfir-g., tyranny.

2. rapid or furious going; þá var svá mikill gangr at um aptr-göngur Þórólfs, at …, the huntings of Th. (a ghost) went so far, that …, Eb. 314; ok nú görisk svá mikill g. at, Gísl. 151; svá görðisk mikill g. at þessu, Eb. 174; svá mikill g. var orðinn at eldinum, the fire had got to such a height, Bs. i. 445; elds-g., fire; vápna-g., a clash of weapons; vatna-g., a rush, flood of water; öldu-g., sjáfar-g., high waves; brim-g., furious surf; skriðu-g., desolation from earth-slips; berserks-g., berserker fury:—trampling, horns g. ok hófs, Grág. ii. 122.

3. law term, a process; laga-g., Skálda 201, rare in old writers, but freq. in mod., Dan. rettergang.

4. medic. a discharge, esp. from the stomach; vall-gangr, excrement; þarfa-g., urine; þeir vóru sumir er drukku gang sinn, Al. 168; niðr-g., diarrhoea; upp-g., expectoration:—a privy, ganga til gangs, Grág. ii. 119; þeir skyldu hafa búðar-tópt Skútu fyrir gang, Rd. 305; nú er hundr bundinn í gangi, Grág. l. c.

III. collective, a gang, as in Engl.; drauga-g., a gang of ghosts; músa-g., a gang of mice; gaura-g., a gang of roughs; trolla-g., a gang of trolls ( giants); þjófa-g., a gang of thieves.—Vide göng, n. pl. a lobby.

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.

VIII. connected with comparatives of adverbs and adjectives, and strengthening the sense, as in Engl. ‘the,’ so much the more, all the more; ‘at’ heldr tveimr, at ek munda gjarna veita yðr öllum, where it may be translated by so much the more to two, as I would willingly grant it to all of you; hon grét at meir, she grat (wept) the more, Eg. 483; þykir oss at líkara, all the more likely, Fms. viii. 6; þess at harðari, all the harder, Sturl. iii. 202 C; svá at hinn sé bana at nær, Grág. ii. 117; at auðnara, at hólpnara, the more happy, Al. 19, Grett. 116 B; þess at meiri, Fms. v. 64; auvirðismaðr at meiri, Sturl. ii. 139; maðr at vaskari, id.; at feigri, any the more fey, Km. 22; maðr at verri, all the worse, Nj. 168; ok er ‘at’ firr…, at ek vil miklu heldr, cp. Lat. tantum abest… ut, Eg. 60.

β. following after a negation; eigi at síðr, no less, Nj. 160, Ld. 146; eigi… at meiri maðr, any better, Eg. 425, 489; erat héra at borgnara, any the better off for that, Fms. vii. 116; eigi at minni, no less for that, Edda (pref.) 146; eigi at minna, Ld. 216, Fms. ix. 50; ekki at verri drengr, not a bit worse for that, Ld. 42; er mér ekki son minn at bættari, þótt…, 216; at eigi vissi at nær, any more, Fas. iii. 74.

IX. following many words:

1. verbs, esp. those denoting, a. to ask, enquire, attend, seek, e. g. spyrja at, to speer (ask) for; leita at, to seek for; gæta, geyma at, to pay attention to; huga, hyggja at; hence atspurn, to enquire, aðgæzla, athugi, attention, etc.

β. verbs denoting laughter, play, joy, game, cp. the Engl. to play at …, to laugh at …; hlæja, brosa at e-u, to laugh, smile at it; leika (sér) at e-u, to play at; þykja gaman at, to enjoy; hæða, göra gys at …, to make sport at …

γ. verbs denoting assistance, help; standa, veita, vinna, hjálpa at; hence atstoð, atvinna, atverk:—mode, proceeding; fara at, to proceed, hence atför and atferli:—compliance; láta, fara at e-u, v. above:— fault; e-t er at e-u, there is some fault in it, Fms. x. 418; skorta at e-u, to fall short of, xi. 98:—care, attendance; hjúkra at, hlýja at, v. these words:—gathering, collecting; draga, reiða, flytja, fá at, congerere:—engagement, arrival, etc.; sækja at, to attack; ganga at, vera at, to be about; koma at, ellipt. to arrive: göra at, to repair: lesta at, to impair (v. above); finna at, to criticise (mod.); telja at, id.: bera at, to happen; kveða at e-m, to address one, 625. 15, (kveða at (ellipt.) now means to pronounce, and of a child to utter (read) whole syllables); falla at, of the flood-tide (ellipt.): metaph. of pains or straits surrounding one; þreyngja, herða at, to press hard: of frost and cold, with regard to the seasons; frjósa at, kólna at, to get really cold (SI. 44), as it were from the cold stiffening all things: also of the seasons themselves; hausta, vetra að, when the season really sets in; esp. the cold seasons, ‘sumra at’ cannot be used, yet we may say ‘vára að’ when the spring sets in, and the air gets mild.

δ. in numberless other cases which may partly be seen below.

2. connected ellipt. with adverbs denoting motion from a place; norðan, austan, sunnan, vestan at, those from the north, east…; utan at, innan at, from the outside or inside.

3. with adjectives (but rarely), e. g. kærr, elskr, virkr (affectionate), vandr (zealous), at e-m; v. these words.

WITH ACC.

TEMP.: Lat. post, after, upon, esp. freq. in poetry, but rare in prose writers, who use eptir; nema reisi niðr at nið (= maðr eptir mann), in succession, of erecting a monument, Hm. 71; in prose, at þat. posthac, deinde, Fms. x. 323, cp. Rm., where it occurs several times, 2, 6, 9, 14, 18, 24, 28, 30, 35; sonr á at taka arf at föður sinn, has to take the inheritance after his father, Grág. i. 170 new Ed.; eiga féránsdóm at e-n, Grág. i. 89; at Gamla fallinn, after the death of G., Fms. x. 382; in Edda (Gl.) 113 ought to be restored, grét ok at Oð, gulli Freyja, she grat (wept) tears of gold for her lost husband Od. It is doubtful if it is ever used in a purely loc. sense; at land, Grág. (Sb.)ii. 211, is probably corrupt; at hönd = á hönd, Grág. (Sb.) i. 135; at mót = at móti, v. this word.

☞ In compounds (v. below) at- or að- answers in turn to Lat. ad- or in- or con-; atdráttr e. g. denotes collecting; atkoma is adventus: it may also answer to Lat. ob-, in atburðr = accidence, but might also be compared with Lat. occurrere.

and að, the mark of the infinitive [cp. Goth. du; A. S. and Engl. to; Germ. zu]. Except in the case of a few verbs ‘at’ is always placed immediately before the infinitive, so as to be almost an inseparable part of the verb.

I. it is used either,

1. as, a simple mark of the infinitive, only denoting an action and independent of the subject, e. g. at ganga, at hlaupa, at vita, to go, to run, to know; or,

2. in an objective sense when following such verbs as bjóða segja…, to invite, command …; hann bauð þeim at ganga, at sitja, be bade, ordered them to go, sit, or the like; or as gefa and fá; gefa e-m at drekka, at eta, to give one to drink or to eat, etc. etc.

β. with the additional notion of intention, esp. when following verba cogitandi; hann ætlaði, hafði í hyggju at fara, he had it in his mind to go (where ‘to go’ is the real object to ætlaði and hafði í hyggju).

3. answering to the Gr. ινα, denoting intention, design, in order to; hann gékk í borg at kaupa silfr, in order to buy, Nj. 280; hann sendi riddara sína með þeim at varðveita þær, 623. 45: in order to make the phrase more plain, ‘svá’ and ‘til’ are frequently added, esp. in mod. writers, ‘svá at’ and contr. ‘svát’ (the last however is rare), ‘til at’ and ‘til þess at,’ etc.

II. in the earlier times the infin., as in Greek and Lat., had no such mark; and some verbs remain that cannot be followed by ‘at;’ these verbs are almost the same in Icel. as in Engl.:

α. the auxiliary verbs vil, mun ( μέλλω), skal; as in Engl. to is never used after the auxiliaries shall, will, must; ek vil ganga, I will go; ek mun fara, (as in North. E.) I mun go; ek skal göra þat, I shall do that, etc.

β. the verbs kunna, mega, as in Engl. I can or may do, I dare say; svá hygginn at hann kunni fyrir sökum ráða, Grág. ii. 75; í öllu er prýða má góðan höfðingja, Nj. 90; vera má, it may be; vera kann þat, id.: kunnu, however, takes ‘at’ whenever it means to know, and esp. in common language in phrases such as, það kann að vera, but vera kann þat, v. above.

γ. lata, biðja, as in Engl. to let, to bid; hann lét (bað) þá fara, he let (bade) them go.

δ. þykkja, þykjast, to seem; hann þykir vera, he is thought to be: reflex., hann þykist vera, sibi videtur: impers., mér þykir vera, mibi videtur, in all cases without ‘at.’ So also freq. the verbs hugsa, hyggja, ætla, halda, to think, when denoting merely the act of thinking; but if there be any notion of intention or purpose, they assume the ‘at;’ thus hann ætlaði, hugði, þá vera góða menn, he thought them to be, acc. c. inf.; but ætlaði at fara, meant to go, etc.

ε. the verbs denoting to see, bear; sjá, líta, horfa á … ( videre); heyra, audire, as in Engl. I saw them come, I heard him tell, ek sá þá koma, ek heyrði hann tala.

ζ. sometimes after the verbs eiga and ganga; hann gékk steikja, be went to roast, Vkv. 9; eiga, esp. when a mere periphrasis instead of skal, móður sína á maðr fyrst fram færa (better at færa), Grág. i. 232; á þann kvið einskis meta, 59; but at meta, id. l. 24; ráða, nema, göra …, freq. in poetry, when they are used as simple auxiliary verbs, e. g. nam hann sér Högna hvetja at rúnum, Skv. 3. 43.

η. hljóta and verða, when used in the sense of must (as in Engl. he must go), and when placed after the infin.of another verb; hér muntu vera hljóta, Nj. 129; but hljóta at vera: fara hlýtr þú, Fms. 1. 159; but þú hlýtr at fara: verða vita, ii. 146; but verða at vita: hann man verða sækja, þó verðr (= skal) maðr eptir mann lifa, Fms. viii. 19, Fas. ii. 552, are exceptional cases.

θ. in poetry, verbs with the verbal neg. suffix ‘-at,’ freq. for the case of euphony, take no mark of the infinitive, where it would be indispensable with the simple verb, vide Lex. Poët. Exceptional cases; hvárt sem hann vill ‘at’ verja þá sök, eða, whatever he chooses, either, Grág. i. 64; fyrr viljum vér enga kórónu at bera, en nokkut ófrelsi á oss at taka, we would rather bear no crown than …, Fms. x. 12; the context is peculiar, and the ‘at’ purposely added. It may be left out ellipt.; e. g. þá er guð gefr oss finnast (= at finnast), Dipl. ii. 14; gef honum drekka (= at drekka), Pr. 470; but mostly in unclassical writers, in deeds, or the like, written nastily and in an abrupt style.

and að, conj. [Goth. þatei = οτι; A. S. þät; Engl. that; Germ, dass; the Ormul. and Scot. at, see the quotations sub voce in Jamieson; in all South-Teutonic idioms with an initial dental: the Scandinavian idioms form an exception, having all dropped this consonant; Swed. åt, Dan. at]. In Icel. the Bible translation (of the 16th century) was chiefly based upon that of Luther; the hymns and the great bulk of theol. translations of that time were also derived from Germany; therefore the germanised form það frequently appears in the Bible, and was often employed by theol. authors in sermons since the time of the Reformation. Jón Vidalin, the greatest modern Icel. preacher, who died in 1720, in spite of his thoroughly classical style, abounds in the use of this form; but it never took root in the language, and has never passed into the spoken dialect. After a relative or demonstr. pronoun, it freq. in mod. writers assumes the form eð, hver eð, hverir eð, hvað eð, þar eð. Before the prep. þú (tu), þ changes into t, and is spelt in a single word attú, which is freq. in some MS.;—now, however, pronounced aððú, aððeir, aððið …, = að þú…, with the soft Engl. th sound. It gener. answers to Lat. ut, or to the relat. pron. qui.

I. that, relative to svá, to denote proportion, degree, so…, that, Lat. tam, tantus, tot…, ut; svá mikill lagamaðr, at…, so great a lawyer, that…, Nj. 1; hárið svá mikit, at þat…, 2; svá kom um síðir því máli, at Sigvaldi, it came so far, that…, Fms. xi. 95, Edda 33. Rarely and unclass., ellipt. without svá; Bæringr var til seinn eptir honum, at hann … (= svá at), Bær. 15; hlífði honum, at hann sakaði ekki, Fas. iii. 441.

II. it is used,

1. with indic, in a narrative sense, answering partly to Gr. οτι, Lat. quod, ut, in such phrases as, it came to pass, happened that …; þat var einhverju sinni, at Höskuldr hafði vinaboð, Nj. 2; þat var á palmdrottinsdag, at Ólafr konungr gékk út um stræti, Fms. ii. 244.

2. with subj. answering to Lat. acc. with infin., to mark the relation of an object to the chief verb, e. g. vilda ek at þú réðist, I wished that you would, Nj. 57.

β. or in an oblique sentence, answering to ita ut…; ef svá kann verða at þeir láti…, if it may be so that they might…, Fms. xi. 94.

γ. with a subj. denoting design, answering to ϊνα or Lat. ut with subj., in order that; at öll veraldar bygðin viti, ut sciat totus orbis, Stj.; þeir skáru fyrir þá melinn, at þeir dæi eigi af sulti, ut ne fame perirent, Nj. 265; fyrsti hlutr bókarinnar er Kristindómsbálkr, at menn skili, in order that men may understand, Gþl. p. viii.

III. used in connection with conjunctions,

1. esp. þó, því, svá; þó at freq. contr. þótt; svát is rare and obsolete.

α. þóat, þótt (North. E. ‘thof’), followed by a subjunctive, though, although, Lat. etsi, quamquam (very freq.); þóat nokkurum mönnum sýnist þetta með freku sett… þá viljum vér, Fms. vi. 21: phrases as, gef þú mér þó at úverðugri, etsi indignae (dat.), Stj. MS. col. 315, are unclass., and influenced by the Latin: sometimes ellipt. without ‘þó,’ eigi mundi hón þá meir hvata göngu sinni, at (= þóat) hon hraeddist bana sinn, Edda 7, Nj. 64: ‘þó’ and ‘at’ separated, svarar hann þó rétt, at hann svari svá, Grág. i. 23; þó er rétt at nýta, at hann sé fyrr skorinn, answering to Engl. yet—though, Lat. attamen —etsi, K. Þ. K.

β. því at, because, Lat. nam, quia, with indic.; því at allir vóru gerfiligir synir hans, Ld. 68; því at af íþróttum verðr maðr fróðr, Sks. 16: separated, því þegi ek, at ek undrumst, Fms. iii. 201; því er þessa getið, at þat þótti, it i s mentioned because …, Ld. 68.

γ. svá at, so that, Lat. ut, ita ut; grátrinn kom upp, svá at eingi mátti öðrum segja, Edda 37: separated, so … that, svá úsvúst at …, so bad weather, that, Bs. i. 339, etc.

2. it is freq. used superfluously, esp. after relatives; hver at = hverr, quis; því at = því, igitur; hverr at þekkr ok þægiligr mun verða, Fms. v. 159; hvern stvrk at hann mundi fá, 44; ek undrumst hvé mikil ógnarraust at liggr í þér, iii. 201; því at ek mátti eigi þar vera elligar, því at þar var kristni vel haldin, Fas. i. 340.

IV. as a relat. conj.:

1. temp, when, Lat. quum; jafnan er ( est) mér þá verra er ( quum) ek fer á braut þaðan, en þá at ( quum) ek kem, Grett. 150 A; þar til at vér vitum, till we know, Fms. v. 52; þá at ek lýsta (= þá er), when, Nj. 233.

2. since, because; ek færi yðr (hann), at þér eruð í einum hrepp allir, because of your being all of the same Rape, Grág. i. 260; eigi er kynlegt at ( though) Skarphéðinn sé hraustr, at þat er mælt at…, because (since) it is a saying that…, Nj. 64.

V. in mod. writers it is also freq. superfluously joined to the conjunctions, ef að = ef, si, (Lv. 45 is from a paper MS.), meðan að = meðan, dum; nema að, nisi; fyrst að = fyrst, quoniam; eptir að, síðan að, postquam; hvárt að = hvárt, Lat. an. In the law we find passages such as, þá er um er dæmt eina sök, at þá eigu þeir aptr at ganga í dóminn, Grág. i. 79; ef þing ber á hina helgu viku, at þat á eigi fyrir þeim málum at standa, 106; þat er ok, at þeir skulu reifa mál manna, 64; at þeir skulu með váttorð þá sök sækja, 65: in all these cases ‘at’ is either superfluous or, which is more likely, of an ellipt. nature, ‘the law decrees’ or ‘it is decreed’ being understood. The passages Sks. 551, 552, 568, 718 B, at lokit (= at ek hefi lokit), at hugleitt (= at ek hefi h.), at sent (= at ek hefi sent) are quite exceptional.

and að, an indecl. relat. pronoun [Ulf. þatei = ος, ος αν, οστις, οσπερ, οιος, etc.; Engl. that, Ormul. at], with the initial letter dropped, as in the conj. at, (cp. also the Old Engl. at, which is both a conj. and a pronoun, e. g. Barbour vi. 24 in Jamieson: ‘I drede that his gret wassalage, | And his travail may bring till end, | That at men quhilc full litil wend.’ | ‘His mestyr speryt quhat tithings a t he saw.’—Wyntoun v. 3. 89.) In Icel. ‘er’ (the relat. pronoun) and ‘at’ are used indifferently, so that where one MS. reads ‘er,’ another reads ‘at,’ and vice versâ; this may easily be seen by looking at the MSS.; yet as a rule ‘er’ is much more freq. used. In mod. writers ‘at’ is freq. turned into ‘eð,’ esp. as a superfluous particle after the relative pron. hverr (hver eð, hvað eð, hverir eð, etc.), or the demonstr. sá (sá eð, þeir eð, hinir eð, etc.):—who, which, that, enn bezta grip at ( which) hafði til Íslands komið, Ld. 202; en engi mun sá at ( cui) minnisamara mun vera, 242; sem blótnaut at ( quae) stærst verða, Fms. iii. 214; þau tiðendi, at mér þætti verri, Nj. 64, etc. etc.

n. collision (poët.); odda at, crossing of spears, crash of spears, Höfuðl. 8.

β. a fight or bait of wild animals, esp. of horses, v. hesta-at and etja.

the negative verbal suffix, v. -a.

contracted framarla, adv. ‘forwardly,’ in front; þá má hverr vera svá framarla sem hann vill (of ranks in battle), Fms. viii. 403, v. l.; lagði konungr framarla skip sitt, Eg. 33; þeir kómu svá f. í landit, went so far, Fms. xi. 360: Icel. say, framarliga í dalnum, nesinu, far off in the dale, etc., where old writers would prefer í framanverðum dalnum, nesi: f. á sjötta hundraði, high up in the sixth hundred, Sturl. iii. 84.

2. metaph. fully, highly, much; treysta f., to trust fully, Fms. v. 236, vi. 151; svá framarla, so far, to that point, x. 7, Hom. 40; svá f. sem, so far as, 87; sjá f. við e-u, to be fully ware of, Sks. 358; hann man f. á horfa um kvánfangit, he will look high, i. e. make great pretensions, Ld. 88.

(prop. dat. pl. from drjúgr), adv.

1) much, to a great extent, greatly;

fóru drjúgum dag þann fram, they went far that day;

vegr Gunnar drjúgum menn, G. slew men in great numbers;

2) almost, nearly (drjúgum dauðr af kulda);

drjúgum allr, almost all;

enginn drjúgum, scarcely anybody.

* * *

(fer; fór, fórum; farinn), v.

1) to move, pass along, go;

gekk hann hvargi sem hann fór, he walked wherever he went;

fara heim (heiman), to go home (from home);

fara á fund e-s to visit one;

fjöld ek fór, I travelled much;

hann sagði, hversu orð fóru með þeim, what words passed between them;

absol., to go begging (ómagar, er þar eigu at fara í því þingi);

2) with ‘ferð, leið’ or the like added in acc., gen., or dat.;

fara leiðar sinnar, to go one’s way, proceed on one’s journey (= fara ferðar sinnar or ferða sinna, fara ferð sina, fara för sina, förum sínum);

fara þessa ferð, to make this journey;

fara fullum dagleiðum, to travel a full days journeys;

fara stefnuför, to go a-summoning;

fara bónorðsför, to go a-wooing;

fara sigrför, to go on the path of victory, to triumph;

fara góða för, to make a lucky journey;

fig., fara ósigr, to be defeated;

fara mikinn skaða, to suffer great damage;

fara hneykju, skömm, to incur disgrace;

fara erendleysu, to fail in one’s errand;

with the road in acc. (fara fjöll ok dala);

3) fara búðum, bygðum, vistum, to move, change one’s abode;

fara eldi ok arni, to move one’s hearth and fire;

4) fara einn saman, to go alone;

fara eigi ein saman, to go with child (= fara með barni);

5) with infin.;

fara sofa, to go to sleep (allir menn vóru sofa farnir);

fara vega, to go to fight;

fara leita, to go seeking (var leita farit);

6) with an a., etc.;

fara villr, to go astray;

fara haltr, to walk lame;

fara vanstiltr, to go out of one’s mind;

fara duldr e-s, to be unaware of;

fara andvígr e-m, to give battle;

fara leyniliga (leynt), to be kept secret;

eigi má þetta svá fara, this cannot go on in that way;

fjarri ferr þat, far from it, by no means;

fór þat fjarri, at ek vilda, I was far from desiring it;

7) to turn out, end;

fór þat sem líkligt var, it turned out as was likely (viz. ended ill);

svá fór, at, the end was, that;

ef svá ferr sem ek get til, if it turns out as I guess;

á sómu leið fór um aðra sendimenn, it went the same way with the other messengers;

8) to fare well, ill;

biðja e-n vel fara, to bid one farewell;

9) to suit, fit, esp. of clothes, hair (ekki þykkir mér kyrtill þinn fara betr en stakkr minn; hárit fór vel);

impers., fór illa á hestinum, it sat ill on the horse;

10) impers., e-m ferr vel, illa, one behaves or acts well, ill;

honum hafa öll málin verst farit, he has behaved worst in the whole matter;

e-m ferr vinveittliga, one behaves in a friendly way;

11) fara e-t höndum, to touch with the hands, esp. of a healing touch, = fara höndum um e-t (bið hann fara höndum meinit);

fara land herskildi, brandi, to visit a land with ‘warshield’, with fire, to ravage or devastate it (gekk síðan á land upp með liði sínu ok fór alit herskildi);

12) to overtake (Án hrísmagi var þeirra skjótastr ok gat farit sveininn);

tunglit ferr sólina, the moon overtakes the sun;

áðr hana Fenrir fari, before F. overtakes her;

13) to ill-treat, treat cruelly;

menn sá ek þá, er mjök höfðu hungri farit hörund, that had chastened their flesh with much fasting;

14) to put an end to, destroy;

fara sér (sjálfr), to kill oneself;

fara lífi (fjörvi) e-s, to deprive one of life;

þú hefir sigr vegit ok Fáfni (dat.) um farit, killed F.;

15) to forfeit (fara löndum ok lausafé);

16) refl., farast;

17) with preps. and advs.:

fara af klæðum, to take off one’s clothes;

fara at e-m, to make an attack upon, to assault (eigi mundi í annat sinn vænna at fara at jarlinum);

fara at e-u, to mind, pay heed to;

ekki fer ek at, þótt þú hafir svelt þik til fjár (it does not matter to me, I do not care, though);

to deal with a thing, proceed in a certain way;

svá skal at sókn fara, thus is the pleading to be proceeded with;

fara at lögum, úlögum, to proceed lawfully, unlawfully;

fara mjúkliga at, to proceed gently;

hér skulu við fara at með ráðum, act with, deliberation;

impers. with dat., to do, behave;

illa hefir mér at farit, I have done my business badly; to go in pusuit (search) of (víkingar nökkurir þeir sem fóru at féföngum);

fara at fuglaveiðum, to go a-fowling;

fara at fé, to tend sheep;

fara á e-n, to come upon one;

sigu saman augu, þá er dauðinn fór á, when death seized him;

fara á hæl or hæli, to step back, retreat;

fara eptir e-m, to follow one;

fara eptir e-u, to go for, go to fetch (Snorri goði fór eptir líkinu; fara eptir vatni); to accommodate oneself to, conform to (engi vildi eptir öðrum fara);

þau orð er eptir fara, the following words;

fara fram, to go on, take place;

ef eigi ferr gjald fram, if no payment takes place;

veizlan ferr vel fram, the feast went on well;

spyrr, hvat þar fœri fram, he asked, what was going on there;

fara fram ráðum e-s, to follow one’s advice;

allt mun þat sínu fram fara, it will take its own course;

kváðu þat engu gegna ok fóru sínu fram, took their own way;

segir honum, hversu þeir fóru fram, how they acted;

fara e-t fram, to do., perform a thing;

spyrr hann, hvat nú sé fram faranda, what is to be done;

fara fyrir e-t, to pass for, be taken for (fari sá fyrir níðing, er);

fara hjá sér, to be beside oneself;

fara í e-t, to go into (fara í tunnu);

fara í sæng, rekkju, to go to bed;

fara í sess sinn, sæti sitt, to take one’s seat;

fara í klæði, to put on clothes, dress;

fara í vápn, brynju, to put on armour;

fara í lag, to go right or straight again (þá fóru brýnn hans í lag);

fara í vöxt, to increase;

fara í þurð, to wane;

fara í hernað, víking, to go a-freebooting;

nú ferr í úvænt efni, now matters look hopeless;

to happen, occur (alit þat, er í hafði farit um nóttina);

fara með e-t, to wield handle, manage;

fór Hroptr með Gungni, H. wielded (the spear) Gungnir;

fara með goðorð, to hold a goðorð;

fara með sök, to manage a lawsuit;

to practice, deal in;

fara með rán, to deal in robbery;

fara með spott ok háð, to go scoffing and mocking;

fara með galdra ok fjölkyngi, to practice sorcery;

to deal with, treat, handle (þú munt bezt ok hógligast með hann fara);

fara af hljóði með e-t, to keep matters secret;

fara með e-m, to go with one, follow one (ek skal með yðr fara með allan minn styrk);

fara með e-u, to do (so and so) with a thing, to deal with, manage;

hvernig þeir skyldu fara með vápnum sínum, what they were to do with their weapons;

sá maðr, er með arfinum ferr, who manages the inheritance;

fara með málum sínum, to manage one’s case;

fara vel með sínum háttum, to bear oneself well;

undarliga fara munkar þessir með sér, these monks behave strangely;

fara með barni, to go with child;

impers., ferr með þeim heldr fáliga, they are on indifferent terms;

fara ór landi, to leave the country;

fara ór klæðum, fötum, to take off one’s clothes, undress;

fara saman, to go together; to shake, shudder;

fór en forna fold öll saman, shivered all through;

to concur, agree (hversu má þat saman f);

fara til svefns, to go to sleep (= fara at sofa);

fara um e-t, to travel over (fara um fjall);

fara höndum um e-n, to stroke or touch one with the hands (hann fór höndum um þá, er sjúkir vóru);

fara mörgum orðum um e-t, to dilate upon a subject;

fara myrkt um e-t, to keep a matter dark;

fara undan, to excuse oneself (from doing a thing), to decline, refuse (hvat berr til, at þú ferr undan at gera mér veizluna);

borð fara upp, the tables are removed;

fara út, to go from Norway to Iceland; to come to a close, run out (fóru svá út þessir fimm vetr);

fara útan, to go abroad (from Iceland);

fara við e-n, to treat one, deal with one in a certain way;

margs á, ek minnast, hve við mik fóruð, I have many things to remember of your dealings with me;

fara yfir e-t, to go through;

nú er yfir farit um landnám, now an account of the settlements has been given;

skjótt yfir at fara, to be brief.

* * *

pret. fóra, 2nd pers. fórt, mod. fórst, pl. fóru; pres. ferr, 2nd pers. ferr, in mod. pronunciation ferð; pret. subj. færa; imperat. far and farðu (= far þú); sup. farit; part. farinn; with the suffixed neg. fór-a, Am. 45; farið-a ( depart not), Hkr. i. 115 MS. (in a verse). [In the Icel. scarcely any other verb is in so freq. use as fara, as it denotes any motion; not so in other Teut. idioms; in Ulf. faran is only used once, viz. Luke x. 7; Goth. farjan means to sail, and this seems to be the original sense of fara (vide far); A. S. faran; the Germ. fahren and Engl. fare are used in a limited sense; in the Engl. Bible this word never occurs (Cruden); Swed. fara; Dan. fare.]

A. NEUT. to go, fare, travel, in the widest sense; gékk hann hvargi sem hann fór, he walked wherever he went, Hkr. i. 100; né ek flý þó ek ferr, I fly not though I fare, Edda (in a verse); létt er lauss at fara (a proverb), Sl. 37: the saying, verðr hverr með sjálfum sér lengst at fara, Gísl. 25; cp. ‘dass von sich selbst der Mensch nicht scheiden kann’ (Göthe’s Tasso), or the Lat. ‘patriae quis exul se quoque fugit?’ usually in the sense to go, to depart, heill þú farir, heill þú aptr komir, Vþm. 4; but also to come, far þú hingat til mín, come here, Nj. 2.

2. to travel, go forth or through, pass, or the like; þú skalt fara í Kirkjubæ, Nj. 74; fara ór landi, to fare forth from one’s country, Fms. v. 24; kjóll ferr austan, Vsp. 51; Surtr ferr sunnan, 52; snjór var mikill, ok íllt at fara, and ill to pass, Fms. ix. 491; fóru þeir út eptir ánni, Eg. 81; siðan fór Egill fram með skóginum, 531; þeim sem hann vildi at færi … Njáll hét at fara, Nj. 49; fara munu vér, Eg. 579; Egill fór til þess er hann kom til Álfs. 577, Fms. xi. 122; fara þeir nú af melinum á sléttuna. Eg. 747; fara heiman, to fare forth from one’s home, K. Þ. K. 6; alls mik fara tíðir, Vþm. 1; fjölð ek fór, far I fared, i. e. travelled far, 3: the phrase, fara utan, to fare outwards, go abroad (from Iceland), passim; fara vestr um haf, to fare westward over the sea, i. e. to the British Isles, Hkr. i. 101; fara á fund e-s, to visit one, Ld. 62; fara at heimboði, to go to a feast, id.; fara fæti, to fare a-foot, go walking, Hkr.; absol. fara, to travel, beg, hence föru-maðr, a vagrant, beggar; in olden times the poor went their rounds from house to house within a certain district, cp. Grág. i. 85; ómagar er þar eigu at fara í því þingi eðr um þau þing, id.; ómagar skolu fara, 119; omegð þá er þar ferr, 296: in mod. usage, fara um and um-ferð, begging, going round.

β. with prep.: fara at e-m, to make an inroad upon one, Nj. 93, 94, 102 (cp. at-för); fara á e-n, to mount, e. g. fara á bak, to mount on horseback; metaph., dauðinn fór á, death seized him, Fms. xi. 150; f. saman, to go together, Edda 121, Grág. ii. 256; f. saman also means to shudder. Germ. zusammenfahren, Hým. 24: metaph. to concur, agree, hversu má þat saman f., Nj. 192; þeim þótti þat mjök saman f., Fms. iv. 382; fara á hæl, or á hæli, to go a-heel, i. e. step back. retreat, xi. 278, Eg. 296; fara undan, metaph. to excuse oneself, refuse (v. undan), Nj. 23, Fms. x. 227; fara fyrir, to proceed; fara eptir, to follow.

3. with ferð, leið or the like added, in acc. or gen. to go one’s way; fara leiðar sinnar, to proceed on one’s journey, Eg. 81, 477, Fms. i. 10, Grág. ii. 119; fara ferðar sinnar, or ferða sinna, id.. Eg. 180, Fms. iv. 125; fara derð sina, id.. Eg. 568; fara förum sínum, or för sinní, id., K. Þ. K. 80, 90; fara dagfari ok náttfari, to travel day and night, Fms. i. 203; fara fullum dagleiðum, to go full days-journeys, Grág. i. 91; or in a more special sense, fara þessa ferð, to make this journey, Fas. ii. 117; f. stefnu-för, to go a-summoning; f. bónorðs-för, to go a-courting, Nj. 148; f. sigr-för, to go on the way of victory, to triumph, Eg. 21; fara sendi-för, to go on a message, 540.

β. in a metaph. sense; fara hneykju-för, to be shamefully beaten, Hrafn. 19 (MS.); fara ósigr, to be defeated, Eg. 287; fara mikinn skaða, to ‘fare’ (i. e. suffer) great damage, Karl. 43; fara því verrum förum, fara skömm, hneykju, erendleysu, úsæmð, to get the worst of it, Fms. viii. 125.

4. with the road in acc.; hann fór Vánar-skarð, Landn. 226; f. sjó-veg, land-veg, K. Þ. K. 24; fór mörg lönd ok stórar merkr, Fas. ii. 540; fara sömu leið, Fms. i. 70; f. sama veg, Luke x. 31; f. fjöll ok dala, Barl. 104; fara út-leið, þjóð-leið, Fms. iv. 260; also, fara um veg, fara um fjall, to cross a fell, Hm. 3; fara liði, to march, Fms. i. 110.

II. in a more indefinite sense, to go; fara búðum, bygðum, vistum, to move, change one’s abode, Ld. 56, Hkr. ii. 177, Nj. 151, Vigl. 30; fara búferla, to more one’s household, Grág. ii. 409; fara vöflunarförum, to go a-begging, i. 163, 294, ii. 482.

2. the phrases, fara eldi ok arni, a law term, to move one’s hearth and fire. Grág. ii. 253; fara eldi um land, a heathen rite for taking possession of land, defined in Landn. 276. cp. Eb. 8, Landn. 189, 284.

3. fara einn-saman, to be alone. Grág. ii. 9; the phrase, f. eigi einn-saman, to be not alone, i. e. with child, Fms. iii. 109; or, fór hón með svein þann, Bs. i. 437; cp. ganga með barni.

4. adding an adj., to denote gait, pace, or the like; fara snúðigt, to stride haughtily, Nj. 100; fara mikinn, to rush on, 143; fara flatt, to fall flat, tumble, Bárð. 177; fara hægt, to walk slowly.

β. fara til svefns, to go to sleep, Nj. 35; f. í sæti sitt, to go to one’s seat, 129; f. í sess, Vþm. 9; f. á bekk, 19; fara á sæng, to go to bed, N. G. L. i. 30; fara í rúmið, id. (mod.); fara í mannjöfnuð, Ísl. ii. 214; fara í lag, to be put straight, Eg. 306; fara í vöxt, to wax, increase, Fms. ix. 430, Al. 141; fara í þurð, to wane, Ld. 122, l. 1 (MS.); fara í úefni, to go to the wrong side, Sturl. iii. 210; fara at skakka, to be odd ( not even). Sturl. ii. 258; fara at sölum, to be put out for sale, Grág. ii. 204.

5. fara at fuglum, to go a-fowling, Orkn. (in a verse); fara at fugla-veiðum, id., Bb. 3. 36; fara í hernað, í víking, to go a-freebooting, Fms. i. 33, Landn. 31; fara at fé, to watch sheep, Ld. 240; fara at fé-föngum, to go a-fetching booty, Fms. vii. 78.

β. with infin., denoting one’s ‘doing’ or ‘being;’ fara sofa, to go to sleep, Eg. 377; fara vega, to go to fight, Vsp. 54, Gm. 23; fara at róa, Vígl. 22; fara leita, to go seeking, Fms. x. 240; fara að búa, to set up a household, Bb. 2. 6; fara að hátta, to go to bed.

γ. akin to this is the mod. use of fara with an infin. following in the sense to begin, as in the East Angl. counties of Engl. it ‘fares’ to …, i. e. it begins, is likely to be or to do so and so; það fer að birta, það er farit að dimma, it ‘fares’ to grow dark; það fer að hvessa, it ‘fares’ to blow; fer að rigna, it ‘fares’ to rain. etc.:—no instance of this usage is recorded in old Icel., but the Engl. usage shews that it must be old.

δ. with an adj. etc.; fara villr, to go astray, Sks. 565; fara haltr, to go lame, Fms. x. 420; fara vanstiltr, to go out of one’s mind, 264; fara hjá sér, to be beside oneself, Eb. 270; fara apr, to feel chilly, Fms. vi. 237 (in a verse); fara duldr e-s, to be unaware of, Skálda 187 (in a verse); fara andvígr e-m, to give battle, Stor. 8; fara leyniliga, to go secretly, be kept hidden, Nj. 49.

6. to pass; fór sú skipan til Íslands, Fms. x. 23; fara þessi mál til þings, Nj. 100; hversu orð fóru með þeim, how words passed between them, 90; fóru þau orð um, the runner went abroad, Fms. i. 12; ferr orð er um munn líðr (a saying), iv. 279; þá fór ferligt úorðan, a bad report went abroad, Hom. 115.

7. fara fram, to go on, take place; ferr þetta fram, Ld. 258; ef eigi ferr gjald fram, if no payment takes place, K. Þ. K. 64; ferr svá fram, and so things went on without a break, Nj. 11, Eg. 711; veizlan ferr vel fram, the feast went on well, Nj. 11, 51; spyrr hvat þar færi fram, he asked what there was going on. Band. 17; fór allt á sömu leið sem fyrr, it went on all the same as before, Fms. iv. 112; fara fram ráðum e-s, to follow one’s advice, Nj. 5, 66, Fms. vii. 318; allt mun þat sínu fram f., it will take its own course, Nj. 259; nú er því ferr fram um hríð, it went on so for a while, Fms. xi. 108; a law term, to be produced, gögn fara fram til varnar, Grág. i. 65; dómar fara út, the court is set (vide dómr), Grág., Nj., passim.

8. borð fara upp brott, the tables are removed (vide borð), Eg. 247, 551; eigi má þetta svá f., this cannot go on in that way, Nj. 87; fjarri ferr þat, far from it, by no means, 134; fór þat fjarri at ek vilda, Ld. 12; fór þat ok svá til, and so if came to pass, Fms. x. 212.

9. to turn out, end; hversu ætlar þú fara hesta-atið, Nj. 90; fór þat sem likligt var, it turned out as was likely (i. e. ended ill). Eg. 46; svá fór, at …, the end was, that …, Grett. 81 new Ed.; ef svá ferr sem ek get til, if it turns out as I guess, Dropl. 30, Vígl. 21; ef svá ferr sem mín orð horfa til, Fms. v. 24; ef svá ferr sem mik varir, if it comes to pass as it seems to me, vi. 350; svá fór um sjóferð þá, Bjarni 202; á sömu leið fór um aðra sendi-menn, Eg. 537; to depart, die, þar fór nýtr maðr, Fs. 39; fara danða-yrði, to pass the death-weird, to die, Ýt. 8.

10. to fare well, ill, in addressing; fari þér vel, fare ye well, Nj. 7; biðja e-n vel fara, to bid one farewell, Eg. 22, Ld. 62; far heill ok sæll, Fms. vii. 197: in a bad sense, far þú nú þar, ill betide thee! Hbl. 60; far (impers.) manna armastr, Eg. 553; Jökull bað hann fara bræla armastan, Finnb. 306; fari þér í svá gramendr allir, Dropl. 23.

11. fara í fat, í brynju (acc.), etc., to dress, undress; but fara ór fötum (dat.), to undress, Fms. x. 16, xi. 132, vii. 202, Nj. 143, Gh. 16, etc.

III. metaph.,

1. to suit, fit, esp. of clothes, hair, or the like; ekki þykkir mér kyrtill þinn fara betr en stakkr minn, Fas. ii. 343; hárið fór vel, Nj. 30; jarpr á hár ok fór vel hárit, Fms. ii. 7; gult hár sem silki ok fór fagrliga, vi. 438, Fs. 88; klæði sem bezt farandi, Eb. 256; var sú konan bezt f., the most graceful, lady-like, Ísl. ii. 438; fór ílla á hestinum, it sat ill on the horse, Bs. i. 712.

2. impers. it goes so and so with one, i. e. one behaves so and so: e-m ferr vel, ílla, etc., one behaves well, ill, etc.; honum hafa öll málin verst farit, he has behaved worst in the whole matter, Nj. 210; bezta ferr þér, Fms. vii. 33; vel mun þér fara, Nj. 55; at honum fari vel, 64; þer hefir vel farit til mín, Finnb. 238; e-m ferr vinveittliga, one behaves in a friendly way, Nj. 217; ferr þér þá bezt jafnan ok höfðinglegast er mest liggr við, 228; mun honum nokkurn veg vel f., Hrafn. 10; údrengiliga hefir þér farit til vár, Ld. 48; ferr þér illa, Nj. 57; hversu Gunnari fór, how ( well) G. behaved, 119.

3. fara at e-u, to deal with a thing (i. e. proceed) so and so; svá skal at sókn fara, thus is the pleading to be proceeded with, Grág. i. 323; svá skal at því f. at beiða …, 7; fara at lögum, or úlögum at e-u, to proceed lawfully or unlawfully, 126; hversu at skyldi f., how they were to proceed, Nj. 114; fara mjúklega at, to proceed gently, Fms. vii. 18; hér skulu vér f. at með ráðum, to act with deliberation, Eg. 582; Flosi fór at öngu óðara ( took matters calmly), en hann væri heima, Nj. 220.

β. impers. with dat., to do, behave; ílla hefir mér at farit, I have done my business badly, Hrafn. 8; veit Guð hversu hverjum manni mun at f., Fms. x. 212: in mod. phrases, to become, ironically, þér ferr það, or þér ferst það, it becomes thee, i. e. ‘tis too bad of thee.

γ. hví ferr konungrinn nú svá (viz. at), Fms. i. 35; er slíkt úsæmiliga farit, so shamefully done, Nj. 82; hér ferr vænt at, here things go merrily, 232; karlmannliga er farit, manfully done, 144.

δ. to mind, care about; ekki ferr ek at, þótt þú hafir svelt þik til fjár, it does not matter to me, I do not care, though …, Nj. 18; ekki munu vit at því fara ( never mind that), segir Helgi, 133.

ε. fara eptir, to be in proportion; hér eptir fór vöxtr ok afl, his strength and stature were in proportion, Clar.

4. fara með e-t, to wield, handle, manage; fór Hroptr með Gungni, H. wielded Gungni ( the spear), Kormak; f. með Gríðar-völ, to wield the staff G., Þd. 9: as a law term, to wield, possess; fara með goðorð, to keep a goðorð, esp. during the session of parliament, Dropl. 8, Grág. and Nj. passim; fara með sök, to manage a lawsuit, Grág., Nj.; or, fara við sök, id., Nj. 86.

β. metaph. to practise, deal in; fara með rán, to deal in robbing, Nj. 73; fara með spott ok háð, to go sporting and mocking, 66; f. með fals ok dár, Pass. 16. 5; fara með galdra ok fjölkyngi, K. Þ. K. 76; f. með hindr-vitni, Grett. 111; cp. the phrase, farðu ekki með það, don’t talk such nonsense.

γ. to deal with, treat, handle; þú munt bezt ok hógligast með hann fara, thou wilt deal with him most kindly and most gently, Nj. 219; fara af hljóði með e-t, to keep matters secret, id.; Ingimundr fór vel með sögum (better than sögur, acc.), Ing. dealt well with stories, was a good historian. Sturl. i. 9.

δ. with dat.; fara með e-u, to do so and so with a thing, manage it; hversu þeir skyldi fara með vápnum sínum, how they were to do with their weapons, Fms. ix. 509; sá maðr er með arfinum ferr, who manages the arfr, Grág. i. 217; ef þeir fara annan veg með því fé, 216; fara með málum sínum, to manage one’s case, 46; meðan hann ferr svá með sem mælt er, 93; Gunnarr fór með öllu ( acted in all) sem honum var ráð til kennt, Nj. 100; ef svá er með farit, Ld. 152; f. vel með sínum háttum, to bear oneself well, behave well, Eg. 65; Hrafn fór með sér vel, H. bore himself well, Fms. vi. 109; undarliga fara munkar þessir með sér, they behave strangely, 188; við förum kynlega með okkrum málum, Nj. 130; vant þyki mér með slíku at fara, difficult matters to have to do with, 75; f. málum á hendr e-m, to bring an action against one, Ld. 138; fara sókn ( to proceed) sem at þingadómi, Grág. i. 463; fara svá öllu máli um sem …, 40, ii. 348; fara með hlátri ok gapi, to go laughing and scoffing, Nj. 220; cp. β above.

IV. fara um, yfir e-t, to pass over slightly; nú er yfir farit um landnám, shortly told, touched upon, Landn. 320; skjótt yfir at f., to be brief, 656 A. 12; fara myrkt um e-t, to mystify a thing, Ld. 322; fara mörgum orðum um e-t, to dilate upon a subject, Fbr. 124, Nj. 248, Fms. ix. 264.

β. in the phrase, fara höndum um e-t, to go with the hands about a thing, to touch it, Germ. befühlen, esp. medic. of a healing touch; jafnan fengu menn heilsubót af handlögum hans, af því er hann fór höndum um þá er sjúkir vóru, Játv. 24; ok pá fór hann höndum um hann, Bs. i. 644; þá lét Arnoddr fara aðra höndina um hann, ok fann at hann var berfættr ok í línklæðum. Dropl. 30; cp. fóru hendr hvítar hennar um þessar görvar, Fas. i. 248 (in a verse): note the curious mod. phrase, það fer að fara um mig, I began to feel uneasy, as from a cold touch or the like.

γ. impers. with dat.; eigi ferr þér nær Gunnari, en Merði mundi við þik, thou camest not nearer to G. than Mord would to thee, i. e. thou art just as far from being a match for G. as Mord is to thee, Nj. 37; þá ferr honum sem öðrum, it came to pass with him as with others, 172; þá mun mér first um fara, I shall fall much short of that, Fms. vi. 362; því betr er þeim ferr öllum verr at, the worse they fare the better I am pleased, Nj. 217.

V. reflex., esp. of a journey, to fare well; fórsk þeim vel, they fared well, Eg. 392, Fms. xi. 22; honum fersk vel vegrinn, he proceeded well on his journey, ii. 81; hafði allt farizt vel at, all had fared well, they had had a prosperous journey, Íb. 10; fórsk þeim þá seint um daginn, they proceeded slowly, Eg. 544; mönnum fórsk eigi vel um fenit, Fms. vii. 149; hversu þeim hafði farizk, Nj. 90; at þeim færisk vel, Ísl. ii. 343, 208, v. l.: the phrase, hamri fórsk í hægri hönd, he grasped the hammer in his right hand, Bragi; farask lönd undir, to subdue lands, Hkr. i. 134, v. l. (in a verse).

2. recipr., farask hjá, to go beside one another, miss one another, pass without meeting, Nj. 9; farask á mis, id., farask í móti, to march against one another, of two hosts; þat bar svá til at hvárigir vissu til annarra ok fórusk þó í móti, Fms. viii. 63, x. 46, Fas. ii. 515.

VI. part.,

1. act., koma farandi, to come of a sudden or by chance; þá kómu hjarðsveinar þar at farandi, some shepherds just came, Eg. 380; Moses kom farandi til fólksins, Sks. 574; koma inn farandi, 369, Fbr. 25.

2. pass. farinn, in the phrase, á förnum vegi, on ‘wayfaring,’ i. e. in travelling, passing by; finna e-n á förnum vegi, Nj. 258, K. Þ. K. 6; kveðja fjárins á förnum vegi, Grág. i. 403; also, fara um farinn veg, to pass on one’s journey; of the sun. sól var skamt farin, the sun was little advanced, i. e. early in the morning, Fms. xi. 267, viii. 146; þá var dagr alljós ok sól farin, broad day and sun high in the sky, Eg. 219; also impers., sól (dat.) var skamt farit, Úlf. 4. 10: the phrase, aldri farinn, stricken in years, Sturl. i. 212; vel farinn í andliti, well-favoured, Ld. 274; vel at orði farinn, well spoken, eloquent, Fms. xi. 193; mod., vel orði, máli farinn, and so Ld. 122; gone, þar eru baugar farnir, Grág. ii. 172; þó fætrnir sé farnir, Fas. iii. 308.

β. impers. in the phrase, e-m er þannig farit, one is so and so; veðri var þannig farit, at …, the winter was such, that …, Fms. xi. 34; veðri var svá farit at myrkt var um at litask, i. e. the weather was gloomy, Grett. 111; hversu landinu er farit, what is the condition of the country, Sks. 181; henni er þannig farit, at hón er mikil ey, löng …, ( the island) is so shapen, that it is large and long, Hkr. ii. 188; er eigi einn veg farit úgæfu okkari, our ill-luck is not of one piece, Nj. 183: metaph. of state, disposition, character, er hánum vel farit, he is a well-favoured man, 15; undarliga er yðr farit, ye are strange men, 154; honum var svá farit, at hann var vesal-menni, Boll. 352: adding the prepp. at, til, þeim var úlíkt farit at í mörgu, they were at variance in many respects, Hkr. iii. 97; nú er annan veg til farit, now matters are altered, Nj. 226; nú er svá til farit, at ek vil …, now the case is, that I wish …, Eg. 714; hér er þannig til farit, … at leiðin, 582; þar var þannig til farit, Fms. xi. 34. ☞ Hence comes the mod. form varið (v instead of f), which also occurs in MSS. of the 15th century—veðri var svá varit, Sd. 181; ér honum vel varið, Lv. 80, Ld. 266, v. l.; svá er til varið, Sks. 223, 224,—all of them paper MSS. The phrase, e-m er nær farit, one is pressed; svá var honum nær farit af öllu samt, vökum ok föstu, he was nearly overcome from want of sleep and fasting.

B. TRANS.

I. with acc.:

1. to visit; fara land herskildi, brandi, etc., to visit a land with ‘war-shield,’ fire, etc., i. e. devastate it; gékk siðan á land upp með liði sínu, ok fór allt herskildi, Fms. i. 131; land þetta mundi herskildi farit, ok leggjask undir útlenda höfðingja, iv. 357; (hann) lét Halland farit brandi, vii. 4 (in a verse); hann fór lvist eldi, 41 (in a verse); hann hefir farit öll eylönd brandi, 46 (in a verse); fara hungri hörund, to emaciate the body, of an ascetic, Sl. 71.

2. to overtake, with acc.; hann gat ekki farit hann, he could not overtake ( catch) him, 623. 17; tunglit ferr sólina, the moon overtakes the sun, Rb. 116; áðr hana Fenrir fari, before Fenrir overtakes her, Vþm. 46, 47; knegut oss fálur fara, ye witches cannot take us, Hkv. Hjörv. 13; hann gat farit fjóra menn af liði Steinólfs, ok drap þá alla, … hann gat farit þá hjá Steinólfsdal, Gullþ. 29; hann reið eptir þeim, ok gat farit þá út hjá Svelgsá, milli ok Hóla, Eb. 180; Án hrísmagi var þeirra skjótastr ok getr farit sveininn, Ld. 242; viku þeir þá enn undan sem skjótast svá at Danir gátu eigi farit þá, Fms. (Knytl. S.) xi. 377 (MS., in the Ed. wrongly altered to náð þeim); hérinn hljóp undan, ok gátu hundarnir ekki farit hann (Ed. fráit wrongly), Fas. iii. 374; ok renna allir eptir þeim manni er víg vakti, … ok verðr hann farinn, Gþl. 146: cp. the phrase, vera farinn, to dwell, live, to be found here and there; þótt hann sé firr um farinn, Hm. 33.

II. with dat. to destroy, make to perish; f. sér, to make away with oneself; kona hans fór sér í dísar-sal, she killed herself, Fas. i. 527; hón varð stygg ok vildi fara sér, Landn. (Hb.) 55; ef þér gangit fyrir hamra ofan ok farit yðr sjálfir, Fms. viii. 53; hví ætla menn at hann mundi vilja f. sér sjálfr, iii. 59; fara lífi, fjörvi, öndu, id.; skal hann heldr eta, en fara öndu sinni, than starve oneself to death, K. Þ. K. 130; ok verðr þá þínu fjörvi um farit, Lv. 57, Ýt. 20, Fas. i. 426 (in a verse), cp. Hkv. Hjörv. 13; mínu fjörvi at fara, Fm. 5; þú hefir sigr vegit, ok Fáfni (dat.) um farit, 23; farit hafði hann allri ætt Geirmímis, Hkv. 1. 14; ok létu hans fjörvi farit, Sól. 22; hann hafði farit mörgum manni, O. H. L. 11.

β. to forfeit; fara sýknu sinni, Grág. i. 98; fara löndum ok lausafé, ii. 167.

2. reflex. to perish (but esp. freq. in the sense to be drowned, perish in the sea); farask af sulti, to die of hunger, Fms. ii. 226; fellr fjöldi manns í díkit ok farask þar, v. 281; fórusk sex hundruð Vinda skipa, xi. 369; alls fórusk níu menn, Ísl. ii. 385; mun heimr farask, Eluc. 43; þá er himin ok jörð hefir farisk, Edda 12; farask af hita, mæði, Fms. ix. 47; fórsk þar byrðingrinn, 307; hvar þess er menn farask, Grág. i. 219; heldr enn at fólk Guðs farisk af mínum völdum, Sks. 732: of cattle, ef fé hins hefir troðisk eðr farisk á þá lund sem nú var tínt, Grág. ii. 286.

β. metaph., fersk nú vinátta ykkur, your friendship is done with, Band. 12.

γ. the phrase, farask fyrir, to come to naught, Nj. 131; at síðr mun fyrir farask nokkut stórræði, Ísl. ii. 340; en fyrir fórusk málagjöldin af konungi, the payment never took place, Fms. v. 278; lét ek þetta verk fyrir farask, vii. 158; þá mun þat fyrir farask, Fs. 20; en fyrir fórsk þat þó þau misseri, Sd. 150: in mod. usage (N. T.), to perish.

δ. in act. rarely, and perhaps only a misspelling: frá því er féit fór (fórsk better), K. Þ. K. 132; fóru (better fórusk, were drowned) margir Íslenzkir menn, Bs. i. 436.

3. part. farinn, as adj. gone, undone; nú eru vér farnir, nema …, Lv. 83; hans tafl var mjök svá farit, his game was almost lost, Fas. i. 523; þá er farnir vóru forstöðumenn Tróju, when the defenders of Troy were dead and gone, Ver. 36; tungl farit, a ‘dead moon,’ i. e. new moon, Rb. 34; farinn af sulti ok mæði, Fms. viii. 53; farinn at e-u, ruined in a thing, having lost it; farnir at hamingju, luckless, iv. 73; f. at vistum, xi. 33; f. at lausa-fé;. iii. 117: in some cases uncertain whether the participle does not belong to A.

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(geng; gekk, gengum; genginn), v.

1) to walk (reið jarl, en Karkr gekk);

2) to go;

ganga heim, to go home;

ganga braut, to go away;

ganga til hvílu, to go to bed;

ganga á skip, to go on board;

ganga af skipi, to go ashore;

with infin., ganga sofa or at sofa, to go to sleep;

ganga at eiga konu, to marry a woman;

3) to go about grazing, to graze (kálfrinn gekk í túni um sumarit);

4) of a ship, to run, sail (gekk skipit brátt út á haf);

5) to stretch out, extend, project (nes mikit gekk í sæ út);

6) of report, tales, to be current (litlar sögur megu ganga af hesti mínum);

7) to prevail;

gekk þaðan af í Englandi Valska, thereafter the French tongue prevailed in E.;

8) of money, to be current (peningar þeir, sem nú ganga);

of laws, to be valid (þau lög, er gengu á Uppsalaþingi);

of sickness, plague, famine, to rage (þá gekk landfarsótt, drepsótt, hallæri);

9) to go on, last (gnustu þá saman vápnin, ok gekk þat um hríð);

impers., gekk því lengi, so it went on for a long while;

10) láta ganga e-t, to let go on;

láta höggin ganga, to rain blows;

Birkibeinar létu ganga lúðrana, blew the trumpets vigorously;

11) to succeed;

ef þat gengr eigi, if that will not do;

impers., svá þykt, at þeim gekk þar eigi at fara, so close, that they could not go on there;

þeim gekk ekki fyrir nesit, they could not clear the ness;

12) to turn out, go in a specified way;

ganga andæris, to go all wrong;

mart gengr verr en varir, many a thing goes worse than is looked for;

gekk þeim lítt atsókinn, they made little progress with the attack;

impers., e-m gengr vel (illa), one fares (goes on, gets on) well (badly);

13) with acc., ganga e-n á bak, to force one to go backwards (harm gengr bjöninn á bak);

14) with dat., to discharge (gekk bann þá blóði);

15) with preps. and adverbs:

ganga af e-u, to depart from, leave (þá gekk af honum móðrinn);

ganga af vitinu, to go out of one’s wits;

ganga af trú sinni, to apostatize;

to pass (síðan gengu af páskarnir);

to go off (gekk þegar af höfuðit);

to be left as surplus (þat er af skuldinni gekk);

nú gengr honum hey af, now he has some hay left;

ganga af sér, to go to extremities, to go beyond oneself (mjök ganga þeir fóstbrœðr nú af sé);

ganga aptr, to revert (return) to the former proprietor (síðan gengu þau lönd aptr undir Árna);

to be void, annulled (þá skal kaup aptr ganga);

of a ghost, to walk again; of a door, to close, shut (gekk eigi aptr hurðin);

ganga at e-m, to attack one;

ganga at e-u, to agree to, accept a choice or offer (Flosi gekk fljótt at þessu öllu); to fit (skaltu fá mér lukla þá, sem ganga at kistum yðrum);

ganga á e-t, to encroach upon (ganga á ríki e-s); to break (ganga á orð sín, eiða, grið, sættir, trygðir); to pierce, penetrate;

hann var í panzara, er ekki gekk á, that was proof against any weapons;

ganga á vald e-s or e-m, ganga á hönd (hendr) e-m, to submit to, give oneself up to, surrender to one;

ganga á bak e-u, to contravene;

ganga eptir e-u, to go for, go to fetch (göngum heim eptir verðinu); to pursue, claim;

ganga eptir, to prove true, be fulfilled (þetta gekk allt eptir, sem M. sagði fyrir);

ganga frá e-u, to part with, lose (sumir munu ganga frá öllu fénu);

ganga fram, to step forward;

ganga fram vel, to go forward bravely, in a battle;

to come to pass, come into execution (skal þess bíða, er þetta gengr fram);

to increase (fé Hall gerðar gekk fram ok gørðist allmikit);

to depart this life (H. bóndi gengr fram til frænda sinna);

ganga fyrir e-n, to present oneself before one (ganga fyrir konung);

ganga fyrir e-u, to take charge of, manage (var þar mart fólk, en húsbóndi gekk svá fyrir, at ekkert skorti); to yield to, be swayed by (hann gekk þá fyrir fortölum hennar);

ganga í gegn e-m, to set oneself against one;

ganga í gegn e-u, to confess, acknowledge;

maðr gengr í gegn, at á braut kveðst tekit hafa, the man confessed and said that he had taken it away;

ganga í mál, to undertake a case;

ganga með e-m (of a woman), to marry;

ganga með barni, to be with child;

ganga með burði (of animals), to be with young;

ganga með e-u, to assist in, plead (ganga með máli, bónorði);

ganga milli (á m., í m.), to go between, intercede;

ganga móti (á m., í m.) e-m, to go to meet one;

ganga móti e-u, to resist, oppose;

to confess, = ganga í gegn, ganga við e-u;

ganga nær e-m, to be troublesome to one (þótti hón œrit nær ganga Þórgerði);

ganga e-m nær, to approach, come near to one (sá hefir á brott komizt, er næst gekk Gunnari um alla hluti);

ganga saman, to marry;

of an agreement, bargain, to be brought about;

saman gekk kaupit með þeim, they came to a bargain;

ganga sundr (í s.), to go asunder, part;

ganga til, to go up to a thing (gangit til ok hyggit at); of the wind, to veer (veðrit gekk til útsuðrs);

e-m gengr e-t til e-s, one has some reason for doing a thing;

en þat gekk mér til þess (that was my reason), at ek ann þér eigi;

hversu hefir ykkr til gengit, how have you fared?

Loka gekk lítt til, it fared ill with L.;

ganga um e-t, to go about a thing;

ganga um beina, to wait upon guests;

ganga um sættir, to go between, as peacemaker;

ganga um e-n, to befall, happen to one (þess, er um margan gengr guma); of the wind, to go round, veer (gekk um veðrit ok styrmdi at þeim); to manage (fékk hón svá um gengit, at);

ganga undan, to escape to absent oneself;

g. undir e-t, to take upon oneself, undertake (a duty);

ganga undir e-n, to subject oneself to;

ganga upp, to be wasted (of money);

to get loose, to he torn loose (þeir glímdu svá at upp gengu stokkar allir á húsinu);

of a storm, gale, to get up, rise (veðr gekk upp);

of an ice-bound river, áin var gengin upp, swollen with ice;

ganga við staf, to walk with a stick;

ganga við e-u or e-t, to avow;

ganga yfir e-t, to go beyond, disregard (hann vildi eigi ganga yfir þat, er hann vissi réttast);

ganga yfir e-n, to overcome, to befall, happen to one;

slíkt sem yfir hefir gengit, all that has happened;

eitt skal yfir okkr ganga, we shall share one fate;

16) refl., gangast.

1) walking (hann mœddist í göngu);

vera í göngu, to be on foot, to walk;

2) course (ganga tungls, vinds).

* * *

pret. gekk or gékk, 2nd pers. gékkt, mod. gékst; pl. gengu, geingu, or géngu, and an old poët. gingu; gengengu in Vsp. 12 is a mere misspelling (vide Sæm. Möb. 258); pres. geng, pl. göngum; pret. subj. gengi (geingi); imperat. gakk and gakktú; with the neg. suffix geng-at, gengr-at, gékk-at, gakk-attu, passim; a middle form göngumk firr, go from me, Gm. 1: a contracted form gá occurs now and then in mod. hymns; it is not vernacular but borrowed from Germ. and Dan.: [cp. Ulf. gaggan; A. S. and Hel. gangan; Scot. and North. E. gang, mod. Engl. go; Dan.-Swed. gange or gå; Germ. gehen; Ivar Aasen ganga: Icel., Scots, and Norsemen have preserved the old ng, which in Germ. and Swed.-Dan. only remains in poetry or in a special sense, e. g. in Germ. compds.]

A. To go:

I. to walk; reið jarl en Karkr gékk, Fms. i. 210, Rm. 1, 2, 6, 14, 23, 24, 30, Edda 10, Grág. ii. 95, passim; ganga leiðar sinnar, to go one’s way, Fms. x. 290, Krók. 26: adding acc., g. alla leið, Fms. xi. 202, 299; g. berg, to climb a cliff; g. afréttar, to search the fell-pastures (fjallganga), Háv. 39; also g. ( to climb) í fjall, í kletta, Fms. x. 313: Icel. also say, ganga skó og sokka, to wear out shoes and socks; hann gékk tvenna skó; ganga berserks gang, q. v.

β. absol. to go a-begging, Grág. i. 226, 232, Ísl. ii. 25; ganga vergang, húsgang, id. (göngumaðr).

II. adding adverbs, infinitives, adjectives, or the like,

α. an adverb denoting direction; g. út ok inn, Vkv. 4, Lv. 26; g. inn, Fms. i. 16, vi. 33; g. út, to go out, Lat. exire, Nj. 194; g. aptr, to return, Fms. x. 352; g. fram, to step forward, Hm. 1, Eg. 165; g. upp, to go up, ashore; g. ofan, niðr, to go down; g. heiman, 199; g. heim, to go home; gakk hingat, come hither! 488; g. móti, í gegn e-m, to go against, to meet one; g. braut, to go away; g. til e-s, or at e-m, to go to one; g. frá e-m, to leave one; g. með e-m, to go with one; g. hjá, to pass by; g. saman, to go together; g. yfir, to go over; g. gegnum, to go through; g. undir, to go under; g. undan, fyrir, to go before; g. eptir, to go behind; g. um, to rove, stroll about, and so on passim; g. í sæti, to go to one’s seat, take a seat, Eg. 551; g. til hvílu, to go to bed, Nj. 201; g. til matar, to go to dinner, Sturl. iii. 111, Eg. 483; g. til vinnu, verks, to go to one’s work, cp. Hm. 58; g. í kirkju, to go to church, Rb. 82; g. á fjall, to go on the fells, Hrafn. 34; g. á skip, to go on board, Fms. x. 10; g. af skipi, to go ashore.

β. with infin., in old poems often dropping ‘at;’ ganga sofa, to go to sleep, Fm. 27; g. at sofa, Hm. 19; g. vega, to go to fight, Vsp. 56, Ls. 15; g. at eiga konu, to go to be married, Grág. i. 318.

γ. with an adj.; g. hræddr, to be afraid; g. úviss, to be in ignorance, etc., Fms. vii. 271, Sks. 250, 688.

2. in a more special sense; g. til einvígis, bardaga, to go to a duel, battle, Nj. 64; g. á hólm (hólmganga), Eg. 504, 506; g. á eintal, Nj. 103; g. til máls við e-n, to speak to one, Eg. 199, 764; g. í glímu, to go a-wrestling, Ísl. ii. 246; g. á fang, id., Ld. 206; g. í danz, to go a-dancing; g. til skripta, to go to shrift, Hom. 157; g. at brúðkaupi, to go to be married, Fms. vii. 278; g. í skóla, klaustr, to go to school, go into a cloister (as an inmate), (hence skóla-genginn, a school-man, scholar), Bs. passim; g. í þjónustu, to take service, Nj. 268; g. í lið með e-m, to enter one’s party, side with one, 100; g. í lög, to enter a league with one; g. ór lögum, to go out of a league, passim; g. í félag, ór félagi, id.; g. á mala, to take service as a soldier, 121; g. á hönd, g. til handa, to submit to one as a liegeman, surrender, Eg. 19, 33, Ó. H. 184, Fms. vii. 180; g. á vald e-m, to give oneself up, Nj. 267; g. á hendr e-m, to encroach upon, Ver. 56; g. í skuld, to bail, Grág. i. 232, Dipl. ii. 12; g. í trúnað, to warrant, Fms. xi. 356; g. til trygða, Nj. 166, and g. til griða, to accept truce, surrender, Fas. ii. 556; g. í mál, to enter, undertake a case, Nj. 31; g. í ánauð, to go into bondage, Eg. 8; g. til lands, jarðar, ríkis, arfs, to take possession of …, 118, Stj. 380, Grág., Fms. passim; g. til fréttar, to go to an oracle, take auspices, 625. 89; g. til Heljar, a phrase for to die, Fms. x. 414; g. nær, to go nigh, go close to, press hard on, Ld. 146, 322, Fms. xi. 240 (where reflex.); var sá viðr bæði mikill og góðr því at Þorkell gékk nær, Th. kept a close eye on it, Ld. 316.

B. Joined with prepp. and adverbs in a metaph. sense:—g. af, to depart from, go off; þá gékk af honum móðrinn ok sefaðisk hann, Edda 28; þá er af honum gékk hamremin, Eg. 125, Eb. 136, Stj. 118; g. af sér, to go out of or beyond oneself; mjök g. þeir svari-bræðr nú af sér, Fbr. 32; í móti Búa er hann gengr af sér ( rages) sem mest, Fb. i. 193; þá gékk mest af sér ranglæti manna um álnir, Bs. i. 135: so in the mod. phrases, g. fram af sér, to overstrain oneself; and g. af sér, to fall off, decay: to forsake, g. af trú, to apostatize, Fms. ii. 213; g. af vitinu, to go out of one’s wits, go mad, Post. 656 C. 31; g. af Guðs boðorðum, Stj. passim: to pass. Páskar g. af, Ld. 200: to be left as surplus (afgangr), Rb. 122, Grág. i. 411, K. Þ. K. 92:—g. aptr, to walk again, of a ghost (aptrganga), Ld. 58, Eb. 278, Fs. 131, 141, passim; and absol., g. um híbýli, to hunt, Landn. 107: to go back, be void, of a bargain, Gþl. 491:—g. at e-m, to go at, attack, Nj. 80, 160: to press on, Grág. i. 51, Dipl. ii. 19 (atgangr): g. at e-u, to accept a choice, Nj. 256; g. at máli, to assist, help, 207: to fit, of a key, lykla þá sem g. at kístum yðrum, Finnb. 234, Fbr. 46 new Ed., N. G. L. i. 383: medic. to ail, e-ð gengr at e-m; ok gengr at barni, and if the bairn ails, 340, freq. in mod. usage of ailment, grief, etc.:—g. á e-t, to go against, encroach upon; ganga á ríki e-s, Fms. i. 2; g. upp á, to tread upon, vii. 166; hverr maðr er ólofat gengr á mál þeirra, who trespasses against their measure, Grág. i. 3: to break, g. á orð, eiða, sættir, trygðir, grið, Finnb. 311, Fms. i. 189, Ld. 234; g. á bak e-u, to contravene, Ísl. ii. 382; ganga á, to go on with a thing, Grág. ii. 363; hence the mod. phrase, mikið gengr á, much going on; hvað gengr á, what is going on? það er farið að g. á það (of a task or work or of stores), it is far advanced, not much left:—g. eptir, to go after, pursue, claim (eptirgangr), Nj. 154, Þórð. 67, Fms. vii. 5; g. eptir e-m, to humour one who is cross, in the phrase, g. eptir e-m með grasið í skónum; vertu ekki að g. eptir stráknum; hann vill láta g. eptir ser (of a spoilt boy, cross fellow): to prove true, follow, hón mælti mart, en þó gékk þat sumt eptir, Nj. 194; eptir gékk þat er mér bauð hugr um, Eg. 21, Fms. x. 211:—g. fram, to go on well in a battle, Nj. 102, 235, Háv. 57 (framgangr): to speed, Nj. 150, Fms. xi. 427: to grow, increase (of stock), fé Hallgerðar gékk fram ok varð allmikit, Nj. 22; en er fram gékk mjök kvikfé Skallagríms, Eg. 136, Vígl. 38: to come to pass, skal þess bíða er þetta gengr fram, Nj. 102, Fms. xi. 22: to die, x. 422:—g. frá, to leave (a work) so and so; g. vel frá, to make good work; g. ílla frá, to make bad work; það er ílla frá því gengið, it is badly done:—g. fyrir, to go before, to yield to, to be swayed by a thing; heldr nú við hót, en ekki geng ek fyrir slíku, Fms. i. 305; þó at vér gangim heldr fyrir blíðu en stríðu, ii. 34, Fb. i. 378, Hom. 68; hvárki gékk hann fyrir blíðyrðum né ógnarmálum, Fms. x. 292; hann gékk þá fyrir fortülum hennar, Bs. i. 742: in mod. usage reflex., gangast fyrir íllu, góðu: to give away, tók hann þá at ganga fyrir, Fb. i. 530: Icel. now say, reflex., gangast fyrir, to fall off, from age or the like (vide fyrirgengiligr): to prevent, skal honum þá eigi fyrnska fyrir g., N. G. L. i. 249; þá er hann sekr þrem mörkum nema nauðsyn gangi fyrir, 14; at þeim gangi lögleg forföll fyrir, Gþl. 12:—g. í gegn, to go against, to meet, in mod. usage to deny, and so it seems to be in Gþl. 156; otherwise in old writers it always means the reverse, viz. to avow, confess; maðr gengr í gegn, at á braut kveðsk tekit hafa, the man confessed and said that he had taken it away, Ísl. ii. 331; ef maðr gengr í gegn legorðinu, Grág. i. 340; sá goði er í gegn gékk ( who acknowledged) þingfesti hans, 20; hann iðraðisk úráðs síns, ok gékk í gegn at hann hefði saklausan selt herra sinn, Sks. 584,—this agrees with the parallel phrase, g. við e-t, mod. g. við e-u, to confess, both in old and mod. usage, id.:—g. hjá, to pass by, to waive a thing, Fms. vi. 168:—g. með, to go with one, to wed, marry (only used of a woman, like Lat. nubere), þú hefir þvert tekit at g. með mér, Ld. 262, Sd. 170, Grág. i. 178, Þiðr. 209, Gkv. 2. 27, Fms. xi. 5: medic., g. með barni, to go with child, i. 57; with acc. (barn), Bs. i. 790, and so in mod. usage; a mother says, sama sumarið sem eg gékk með hann (hana) N. N., (meðgöngutími); but dat. in the phrase, vera með barni, to be with child; g. með burði, of animals, Sks. 50, Stj. 70; g. með máli, to assist, plead, Eg. 523, Fms. xi. 105, Eb. 210; g. með e-u, to confess [Dan. medgaae], Stj., but rare and not vernacular:—g. milli, to go between, intercede, esp. as a peacemaker, passim (milli-ganga, meðal-ganga):—g. í móti, to resist, Nj. 90, 159, 171: of the tide, en þar gékk í móti útfalls-straumr, Eg. 600:—g. saman, to go together, marry, Grág. i. 324, Fms. xi. 77: of a bargain, agreement, við þetta gékk saman sættin, Nj. 250; saman gékk kaupit með þeim, 259:—g. sundr, to go asunder, part, and of a bargain, to be broken off, passim:—g. til, to step out, come along; gangit til, ok blótið, 623. 59; gangit til, ok hyggit at, landsmenn, Fms. iv. 282: to offer oneself, to volunteer, Bs. i. 23, 24: the phrase, e-m gengr e-ð til e-s, to purpose, intend; en þat gékk mér til þess ( that was my reason) at ek ann þér eigi, etc., Ísl. ii. 269; sagði, at honum gékk ekki ótrúnaðr til þessa, Fms. x. 39; gékk Flosa þat til, at …, Nj. 178; gengr mér meirr þat til, at ek vilda firra vini mína vandræðum, Fms. ii. 171; mælgi gengr mér til, ‘tis that I have spoken too freely, Orkn. 469, Fms. vi. 373, vii. 258: to fare, hversu hefir ykkr til gengið, how have you fared? Grett. 48 new Ed.; Loka gékk lítt til, it fared ill with L., Fb. i. 276: mod., þat gékk svá til, it so happened, but not freq., as bera við is better, (tilgangr, intention):—g. um e-t, to go about a thing; g. um sættir, to go between, as peacemaker, Fms. v. 156; g. um beina, to attend guests, Nj. 50, passim: to manage, fékk hón svá um gengit, Grett. 197 new Ed.; hversu þér genguð um mitt góðs, 206: to spread over, in the phrase, má þat er um margan gengr; þess er um margan gengr guma, Hm. 93: to veer, go round, of the wind, gékk um veðrit ok styrmdi at þeim, the wind went round and a gale met them, Bs. i. 775:—g. undan, to go before, escape, Ver. 15, Fms. vii. 217, Blas. 49: to be lost, wasted, jafnmikit sem undan gékk af hans vanrækt, Gþl. 338: to absent oneself, eggjuðusk ok báðu engan undan g., Fms. x. 238:—g. undir, to undertake a duty, freq.: to set, of the sun, Rb. 468, Vígl. (in a verse): to go into one’s possession, power, Fms. vii. 207;—g. upp, to be wasted, of money, Fær. 39, Fms. ix. 354: of stones or earth-bound things, to get loose, be torn loose, þeir glímdu svá at upp gengu stokkar allir í húsinu, Landn. 185; flest gékk upp þat sem fyrir þeim varð, Háv. 40, Finnb. 248; ok gékk ór garðinum upp ( was rent loose) garðtorfa frosin, Eb. 190: to rise, yield, when summoned, Sturl. iii. 236: of a storm, gale, to get up, rise, veðr gékk upp at eins, Grett. 94, Bárð. 169; gengr upp stormr hinn sami, Bs. ii. 50: of an ice-bound river, to swell, áin var ákafliga mikil, vóru höfuðísar at báðum-megin, en gengin upp ( swoln with ice) eptir miðju, Ld. 46, Fbr. 20 new Ed., Bjarn. 52; vötnin upp gengin, Fbr. 114; áin var gengin upp ok íll yfirferðar, Grett. 134:—g. við, in the phrase, g. við staf, to go with a staff, rest on it: with dat., g. við e-u, to avow (vide ganga í gegn above):—g. yfir, to spread, prevail, áðr Kristnin gengi yfir, Fms. x. 273; hétu á heiðin goð til þess at þau léti eigi Kristnina g. yfir landit, Bs. i. 23: the phrase, láta eitt g. yfir báða, to let one fate go over both, to stand by one another for weal and woe; hefi ek því heitið honum at eitt skyldi g. yfir okkr bæði, Nj. 193, 201, 204, Gullþ. 8: so in the saying, má þat er yfir margan gengr, a common evil is easier to bear, Fbr. 45 new Ed. (vide um above); muntu nú verða at segja slíkt sem yfir hefir gengið, all that has happened, Fms. xi. 240; þess gengr ekki yfir þá at þeir vili þeim lengr þjóna, they will no longer serve them, come what may, Orkn. 84: to overrun, tyrannize over, þeir vóru ójafnaðar menn ok ganga þar yfir alla menn, Fms. x. 198 (yfirgangr): to transgress, Hom. 109: to overcome, þótti öllum mönnum sem hann mundi yfir allt g., Fms. vii. 326: a naut. term, to dash over, as spray, áfall svá mikit at yfir gékk þegar skipit, Bs. i. 422; hence the metaph. phrase, g. yfir e-n, to be astonished; það gengr yfir mig, it goes above me, I am astonished.

C. Used singly, of various things:

1. of cattle, horses, to graze (haga-gangr); segja menn at svín hans gengi á Svínanesi, en sauðir á Hjarðarnesi, Landn. 124, Eg. 711; kálfrinn óx skjótt ok gékk í túni um sumarit, Eb. 320; Freyfaxi gengr í dalnum fram, Hrafn. 6; þar var vanr at g. hafr um túnit, Nj. 62; þar var til grass (görs) at g., Ld. 96, Grág. passim; gangandi gripr, cattle, beasts, Bjarn. 22; ganganda fé, id., Sturl. i. 83, Band. 2, Ísl. ii. 401.

2. of shoals of fish, to go up, in a river or the like (fiski-ganga, -gengd); vötn er netnæmir fiskar g. í, Grág. i. 149; til landauðnar horfði í Ísafirði áðr fiskr gékk upp á Kvíarmiði, Sturl. ii. 177; fiskr er genginn inn ór álum, Bb. 3. 52.

3. of the sun, stars, vide B. above, (sólar-gangr hæstr, lengstr, and lægstr skemstr = the longest and shortest day); áðr sól gangi af Þingvelli, Grág. i. 24; því at þar gékk eigi sól af um skamdegi, Landn. 140, Rb. passim:—of a thunder-storm, þar gékk reiði-duna með eldingu, Fb. iii. 174:—of the tide, stream, water, vide B. above, eða gangi at vötn eða skriður, K. Þ. K. 78.

4. of a ship, gékk þá skipit mikit, Eg. 390, Fms. vi. 249; létu svá g. suðr fyrir landit, Eg. 78; lét svá g. suðr allt þar til er hann sigldi í Englands-haf, Ó. H. 149; réru nótt ok dag sem g. mátti, Eg. 88; gékk skipit brátt út á haf, Ó. H. 136.

β. to pass; kvað engi skip skyldi g. (go, pass) til Íslands þat sumar, Ld. 18.

II. metaph. to run out, stretch out, project, of a landscape or the like; gengr haf fyrir vestan ok þar af firðir stórir, Eg. 57; g. höf stór ór útsjánum inn í jörðina; haf (the Mediterranean) gengr af Njörva-sundum (the Straits of Gibraltar), Hkr. i. 5; nes mikit gékk í sæ út, Eg. 129, Nj. 261; í gegnum Danmörk gengr sjór (the Baltic) í Austrveg, A. A. 288; fyrir austan hafs-botn þann (Bothnia) er gengr til móts við Gandvík (the White Sea), Orkn. begin.: frá Bjarmalandi g. lönd til úbygða, A. A. 289; Europa gengr allt til endimarka Hispaniae, Stj. 83; öllum megin gengr at henni haf ok kringir um hana, 85; þessi þinghá gékk upp ( extended) um Skriðudal, Hrafn. 24: of houses, af fjósi gékk forskáli, Dropl. 28.

2. to spread, branch out; en af því tungurnar eru ólíkar hvár annarri, þær þegar, er ór einni ok hinni sömu hafa gengit eða greinzt, þá þarf ólíka stafi í at hafa, Skálda (Thorodd) 160: of a narrative, gengr þessi saga mest af Sverri konungi, this story goes forth from him, i. e. relates to, tells of him, Fb. ii. 533; litlar sögur megu g. af hesti mínum, Nj. 90; um fram alla menn Norræna þá er sögur g. frá, Fms. i. 81.

III. to take the lead, prevail; gékk þaðan af í Englandi Valska, thereafter (i. e. after the Conquest) the Welsh tongue prevailed in England, Ísl. ii. 221; ok þar allt sem Dönsk tunga gengi, Fms. xi. 19; meðan Dönsk tunga gengr, x. 179:—of money, to be current, hundrað aura þá er þá gengu í gjöld, Dropl. 16; eigi skulu álnar g. aðrar en þessar, Grág. i. 498; í þenna tíð gékk hér silfr í allar stórskuldir, 500, Fms. viii. 270; eptir því sem gengr ( the course) flestra manna í millum, Gþl. 352:—of laws, to be valid, ok var nær sem sín lög gengi í hverju fylki, Fms. iv. 18; Óðinn setti lög í landi sínu þau er gengit höfðu fyrr með Ásum, Hkr. i. 13; þeirra laga er gengu á Uppsala-þingi, Ó. H. 86; hér hefir Kristindóms-bálk þann er g. skal, N. G. L. i. 339; sá siðr er þá gékk, Fb. i. 71, (vide ganga yfir):—of sickness, plague, famine, to rage, þá gékk landfarsótt, bóla, drepsótt, hallæri, freq.; also impers., gékk því hallæri um allt Ísland, Bs. i. 184; mikit hallæri ok hart gékk yfir fólkið, 486, v. l.; gékk sóttin um haustið fyrir sunnan land; þá gékk mest plágan fyrri, Ann. 1402, 1403.

IV. to go on, last, in a bad sense, of an evil; tókst síðan bardagi, ok er hann hafði gengit um hríð, Fs. 48: impers., hefir þessu gengit ( it has gone on) marga manns-aldra, Fms. i. 282; gékk því lengi, so it went on a long while, Grett. 79 new Ed.; gékk þessu enn til dags, Nj. 272; ok gékk því um hríð, 201; ok gékk því allan þann dag, Fms. vii. 147; lát því g. í allt sumar, xi. 57; gengr þessu þar til er …, Fb. i. 258.

V. denoting violence; létu g. bæði grjót ok vápn, Eg. 261; létu þá hvárir-tveggju g. allt þat er til vápna höfðu, Fms. ix. 44; láta höggin g., to let it rain blows, Úlf. 12. 40; háðung, spottyrði, hróp ok brigzl hver lét með öðrum g. á víxl, Pass. 14. 3, (vápna-gangr); Birkibeinar róa þá eptir, ok létu g. lúðrana, and sounded violently the alarum, Fms. ix. 50, (lúðra-gangr); láta dæluna g., to pour out bad language, vide dæla.

VI. to be able to go on, to go, partly impers.; ef þat gengr eigi, if that will not do, Fms. vi. 284; svá þykt at þeim gékk þar ekki at fara, they stood so close that they could not proceed there, Nj. 247; þá nam þar við, gékk þá eigi lengra, there was a stop; then it could go no farther, Fms. xi. 278; leiddu þeir skipit upp eptir ánni, svá sem gékk, as far as the ship could go, as far as the river was navigable, Eg. 127: esp. as a naut. term, impers., e. g. þeim gékk ekki fyrir nesið, they could not clear the ness; þá gengr eigi lengra, ok fella þeir þá seglið, Bs. i. 423; at vestr gengi um Langanes, 485, v. l.

VII. with adverbs; g. létt, fljótt, to go smoothly; g. þungt, seint, to go slowly; oss munu öll vápna-viðskipti þungt g. við þá, Nj. 201; þungt g. oss nú málaferlin, 181; gékk þeim lítt atsóknin, Stj. 385; at þeim feðgum hefði þá allir hlutir léttast gengit, Bs. i. 274; seint gengr, Þórir, greizlan, Ó. H. 149; g. betr, verr, to get the better, the worse; gékk Ribbungum betr í fyrstu, Fms. ix. 313; gengu ekki mjök kaupin, the bargain did not go well, Nj. 157, cp. ganga til (B. above):—to turn out, hversu g. mundi orrostan, 273; gékk þá allt eptir því sem Hallr hafði sagt, 256; ef kviðir g. í hag sækjanda, if the verdict goes for the plaintiff, Grág. i. 87; þótti þetta mál hafa gengit at óskum, Dropl. 14; mart gengr verr en varir, a saying, Hm. 39; þykir honum nú at sýnu g. ( it seems to him evident) at hann hafi rétt hugsað, Fms. xi. 437; g. andæris, to go all wrong, Am. 14; g. misgöngum, to go amiss, Grág. i. 435; g. e-m í tauma, to turn false ( crooked); þat mun mér lítt í tauma g. er Rútr segir, Nj. 20; g. ofgangi, to go too high, Fms. vii. 269.

VIII. of a blow or the like; hafði gengit upp á miðjan fetann, the axe went in up to the middle of the blade, Nj. 209; gékk þegar á hol, 60; gékk í gegnum skjöldinn, 245, Fb. i. 530.

IX. of law; láta próf g., to make an enquiry; láta vátta g., to take evidence, D. N.

X. to be gone, be lost; gékk hér með holdit niðr at beini, the flesh was torn off, Fb. i. 530: esp. in pass. part. genginn, dead, gone, eptir genginn guma, Hm. 71; moldar-genginn, buried, Sl. 60; hel-genginn, 68; afli genginn, gone from strength, i. e. powerless, Skv. 3. 13.

β. gone, past; gengið er nú það görðist fyr, a ditty; mér er gengið heimsins hjól, gone for me is the world’s wheel ( luck), a ditty.

XI. used as transit. with acc.; hann gengr björninn á bak aptr, he broke the bear’s back in grappling with him, Finnb. 248; ok gengr hana á bak, ok brýtr í sundr í henni hrygginn, Fb. i. 530.

2. medic. with dat. to discharge; ganga blóði, to discharge blood (Dan. blodgang), Bs. i. 337, 383; Arius varð bráðdauðr ok gékk ór sér öllum iðrum, Ver. 47.

D. REFLEX.:

I. singly, gangask, to be altered, to change, be corrupted; gangask í munni, of tradition; var þat löng ævi, ok vant at sögurnar hefði eigi gengisk í munni, Ó. H. pref.; má því eigi þetta mál í munni gengisk hafa, Fb. ii. Sverr. S. pref.; ok mættim vér ráða um nokkut, at málit gengisk, that the case could miscarry, be lost, Glúm. 380:—láta gangask, to let pass. waive; lét Páll þá g. þá hluti er áðr höfðu í millum staðit, Sturl. i. 102; ef þú lætr eigi g. þat er ek kref þik, Fms. xi. 61.

2. e-m gengsk hugr við e-t, to change one’s mind, i. e. to be moved to compassion, yield; sótti hón þá svá at honum gékksk hugr við, Eb. 264; þá gékksk Þorgerði hugr við harma-tölur hans, Ld. 232; ok mun honum g. hugr við þat, svá at hann mun fyrirgefa þér, Gísl. 98; nú sem hann grét, gékksk Ísak hugr við, Stj. 167; er sendimaðr fann at Birni gékksk hugr við féit, Ó. H. 194; við slíkar fortölur hennar gékksk Einari hugr (E. was swayed) til ágirni, Orkn. 24.

II. with prepp. (cp. B. above); gangask at, to ‘go at it,’ engage in a fight; nú gangask þeir at fast, Dropl. 24, Ísl. ii. 267; gengusk menn at sveitum, of wrestlers, they wrestled one with another in sections (Dan. flokkevis), Glúm. 354; þeir gengusk at lengi, Finnb. 248:—gangask fyrir, vide B. above:—gangask í gegn, at móti, to stand against, fight against; at vér látim ok eigi þá ráða er mest vilja í gegn gangask (i. e. the extreme on each side), Íb. 12, cp. Fms. ii. 241; at þeir skipaði til um fylkingar sínar, hverjar sveitir móti skyldi g., i. e. to pair the combatants off, ix. 489; þeir risu upp ok gengusk at móti, Stj. 497. 2 Sam. ii. 15:—g. nær, to come to close quarters (Lat. cominus gerere), Nj. 176, Fms. xi. 240:—gangask á, to dash against one another, to split; á gengusk eiðar, the oaths were broken, Vsp. 30: to be squared off against one another, sú var görð þeirra, at á gengusk vígin húskarlanna, Rd. 288; ekki er annars getið en þeir léti þetta á gangask, i. e. they let it drop, Bjarn. 47; gangask fyrir, to fall off, Fms. iii. 255:—gangask við, to grow, gain strength; áðr en við gengisk hans bæn, before his prayer should be fulfilled, x. 258; ef þat er ætlað at trúa þessi skuli við g., Nj. 162; hétu þeir fast á guðin, at þau skyldi eigi láta við garrgask Kristniboð Ólafs konungs, Fms. ii. 32; þetta gékksk við um öll þau fylki, vii. 300; mikit gékksk Haraldr við (H. grew fast) um vöxt ok afl, Fb. i. 566; Eyvindr hafði mikið við gengizk um menntir, E. had much improved himself in good breeding, Hrafn. 24; vildi hann prófa hvárr þeirra meira hafði við gengisk, which of them had gained most strength, Grett. 107: to be in vogue, in a bad sense, ok löngum við gengisk öfund ok rangindi, Fms. i. 221, cp. Pass. 37. 7:—gangask ór stað, to be removed, Fms. xi. 107.

III. in the phrase, e-m gengsk vel, ílla, it goes well, ill with one, Hom. 168, Am. 53; ílls gengsk þér aldri, nema …, the evil will never leave thee, thou wilt never be happy, unless …, 65.

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(tek; tók, tókum; tekinn), v.

1) to take, catch, seize (tóku þeir laxinn ok otrinn ok báru með sér);

G. tók inni vinstri hendi spjótit á lopti, G. caught the spear with his left hand;

man hón taka fé okkart allt með ráni, she will take all our goods by force;

taka e-n höndum, to seize one, take captive;

tökum vápn vár, let us take to our weapons;

2) fig., taka trú, to take the faith, become a Christian;

taka skírn, to be baptized;

taka hvíld, to take a rest;

taka flótta, to take to flight;

taka rœðu, umrœðu, to begin a parley;

taka ráð, to take a counsel (= taka til ráðs);

taka e-n orðum, to address one;

taka sættir or sættum, to accept terms;

taka þenna kost, to take this choice;

taka stefnu, to fix a meeting;

taka boði, to accept an offer;

taka sótt, to be taken ill;

taka úgleði, to get out of spirits;

taka andviðri, to meet with contrary winds;

taka konung, to take, elect a king;

taka konu, to take a wife;

taka úkunna stigu, to take to unknown ways;

taka e-n or e-m vel, to receive one well;

taka e-t þvert, to take a thing crossly, deny flatly;

taka upp höndum, to raise the hands;

3) to reach, stretch forth, touch;

fremri hyrnan tók viðbeinit, the upper horn caught the collar bone;

því at ek tek eigi heim í kveld, for I shall not reach home to-night;

hárit tók ofan á belti, the hair came down to her waist;

4) to reach and take harbour (þeir tóku land á Melrakka-sléttu);

5) to take, hold, of a vessel (ketill, er tók tvær tunnur);

6) to be equivalent to, be worth (hringrinn tók tólf hundruð mórend);

7) with infin., to begin (hann tók at yrkja, þegar er hann var ungr);

nú taka öll húsin at lóga, now the whole house began to blaze;

impers., þá tók at lægja veðrit, then the wind began to fall;

8) to touch, regard, concern (þat allt, sem leikmenn tekr);

9) to catch (up), come up with (hann var allra manna fóthvatastr, svá at engi hestr tók hann á rás);

10) to start, rush (Eirikr tók út or stofunni, en konungr bað menn hlaupa eptir honum);

taka á rás, taka frá, to take to running, run away (svá illt sem nú er frá at taka, þá mun þó síðarr verra);

11) impers. it is taken;

þá tók af veðrit (acc.) then the storm abated;

kom á fótinn, svá at af tók, the stroke came on his leg, so that it was cut off;

sýnina tekr frá e-m, one becomes blind;

tók út skip Þangbrands, Th.’s ship drifted out;

um várit er sumarhita tók, when the summer heat set in;

12) with preps, and advs., taka e-n af lífi, lífdögum, taka e-n af, to take one’s life, put to death;

taka e-n af nafni ok veldi, to deprive one of his title and power;

taka af hesti, to take (the saddle) off a horse;

taka e-t af e-m, to take a thing from one, deprive one of (er vér tókum seglit af honum, þá grét hann);

taka af sér ópit, to cease weeping;

taka e-t af e-m, to get frotn one (tekr hann af öllu fólki mikil lof);

taka mikinn (mikil), lítinn (lítil) af e-u, to make (say) much, little of;

hón tók lítil af öllu, she said little about it, took it coldly;

øngan tek ek af um liðveizlu við þik, I will not pledge myself as to helping thee;

taka e-t af, to choose, take;

G. bauð þér góð boð, en þú vildir engi af taka, G. made thee good offers, but thou wouldst take none of them;

fara sem fœtr mega af taka, at the top of one’s speed;

hann sigldi suðr sem af tók, as fast as possible;

to abolish, do away with (lagði á þat allan hug al taka af heiðni ok fornar venjur);

taka e-t aptr, to take back, render void (taka aptr þat, er ek gef); to recall (taka aptr orð, heil sín);

taka á e-u, to touch (hón tók á augum hans);

taka vel, auðvelliga, lítt, illa á e-u, to take (a thing) well, in good part, ill, in ill part (fluttu þeir þetta fyrir jarli, en hann tók vel á);

taka e-t á sik, to take upon oneself (kvaðst heldr vilja taka þat á sik at gefa honum annát augat);

tóku þeir á sik svefn mikinn, they fell fast asleep;

taka arf eptir e-n, to inherit one;

taka e-t eptir, to get in return;

með því at þú gerir svá, sem ek býð þér, skaltu nökkut eptir taka, thou shalt have some reward;

taka e-t frá e-m, to take a thing away from one (þeir tóku spjótin frá þeim ok báru út á ána);

taka e-n frá e-u, to deprive one of (taka e-n frá landi, ríki);

taka e-t fyrir e-t, to take in return for (hann keypti sveinana ok tók fyrir þá vesl gott ok slagning); to take for, look upon as (lökum vér þat allt fyrir satt; því tek ek þat fyrir gaman);

taka fyrir e-t, to refuse (tók E. eigi fyrir útanferð at sumri);

taka hendi í e-t, to thrust one’s hand into;

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

taka í móti, to offer resistance (þeir brendu víða bygðina, en bœndr tóku ekki í móti);

taka niðr, to pull down, demolish (taka niðr til grundvallar allt þat verk); to graze a little, = taka til jarðar (þeir láta nú taka niðr hesta sína);

taka niðri, to touch (feel) the bottom;

taka ofan, to take down (Högni tekr ofan atgeirinn); to pull down (hann hafði látil taka ofan skála sinn);

taka í sundr, to cut asunder;

impers., slœmdi sverðinu til hans, svá at í sundr tók manninn, so that the man was cleft asunder;

taka til e-s, to take to (tóku þá margir til at níða hann);

taka til máls (orðs, orða), to begin to speak;

nú er þar til máls at taka, at, now we must take up the story at this point, that;

taka til varnar, to begin the defence;

taka til e-s, to have recourse to, resort to (taka e-t til ráðs, bragðs); to concern (þetta mál, er til konungs tók);

láta e-t til sín taka, to let it concern oneself, meddle with (Gísli lét fátt til sín taka);

taka e-n til e-s, to choose, elect (Ólafr var til konungs tekinn um allt land);

absol., taka til, to begin (hann hélt allt austr um Svínasund, þá tók til vald Svíakonungs);

taka e-t til, to take to, do;

ef hann tekr nökkut illt til, if he takes to any ill;

taka um e-t, to take hold of, grasp (nú skaltu taka um fót honum);

taka e-t undan, to take away;

impers., undan kúnni tók nyt alla, the cow ceased to give milk;

taka undan, to run away, escape (B. tók undan með rás);

taka undir e-t, to take hold under a thing;

hann tók undir kverkina ok kyssti hana, he took her by the chin and kissed her;

to undertake, take upon oneself;

H. kvaðst ekki taka mundu undir vandræði þeira, H. said he would have nothing to do with their troubles;

taka undir e-t með e-m, to back, help one in a thing (vil ek, at þér takit undir þetta mál með mér);

þau tóku undir þetta léttiliga, they seconded it readily;

hann tók seinliga undir, he was slow to answer;

taka undir, to echo, resound (fjöllin tóku undir);

taka e-t undir sik, to take on hand (Gizurr tók undir sik málit); to lay hold of (hann tekr undir sik eignir þær, er K. átti í Noregi);

taka e-t upp, to pick up (S. tók upp hanzka sinn);

taka upp fé fyrir e-m, to seize on, confiscate;

taka upp borð, to set up the tables before a meal, but also to remove them after a meal;

taka upp bygð sína, to remove one’s abode;

hón tekr mart þat upp, er fjarri er mínum vilja, she takes much in hand that is far from my will;

drykk ok vistir, svá sem skipit tók upp, as the ship could take;

taka upp ný goðorð, to establish new priesthoods;

taka upp verknað, to take up work;

taka upp stœrð, to take to pride;

taka upp sök, to take up a case;

taka upp draum, to interpret a dream;

taka e-t upp, to choose (seg nú skjótt, hvern kost þú vill upp taka);

absol., taka upp, to extend, rise (rekkjustokkr tekr upp á millum rúma okkarra);

taka út, to run out (E. tók út ór stofunni);

taka við e-u, to receive (A. hafði tekit við föðurarf sínum);

taka vel við e-m, to receive one well, give one a hearty welcome;

taka við trú, to take the faith;

þeir tóku vel við, they made a bold resistance;

tók við hvárr af öðrum, one took up where the other left off;

taka yfir e-t, to extend over (hann skal eignast af Englandi þat, sem uxahúð tekr yfir);

impers. to come to an end, succeed (kveðst nú vænta, at nú mundi yfir taka);

þeir munu allt til vinna at yfir taki við oss, to get the better of us;

13) refl., takast;

1) taking, capture, of a fortress, prisoner;

2) taking, seizing, of property;

3) revenue, = tekja( með öllum tökum ok skyldum).

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pres. tek, tekr; tökum, takit, taka; pret. tók, tókt (tókst), tók, pl. tóku; subj. tæki (tœki); imperat. tak, taktú; part. tekinn: with neg. suff. tek’k-at ek, I take not, Kristni S. (in a verse); tak-a-ttu, take thou not, Fas. i. (in a verse); tekr-at, Grág. (Kb.) i. 9: [Ulf. têkan, pret. taitok = απτεσθαι; Swed. take; Dan. tage, sounded tā, ‘du tar det ikke, vil du ta det;’ Engl. take is a word borrowed from the Dan., which gradually displaced the Old Engl. niman.]

A. To take hold of, seize, grasp; taka sér alvæpni, Eg. 236; tóku menn sér þar byrðar ok báru út, Egill tók undir hönd sér mjöð-drekku, 237; nú taki hest minn, ok skal ek ríða eptir honum, 699; tóku þeir skíð sín ok stigu á, 545; hann tók inni vinstri hendi spjótið ok skaut, Nj. 42; lauk upp kistu ok tók upp góð kvennmanna-klæði, Ld. 30; hann tekr nú bogann, … tekr nú kaðal einn, Fas. ii. 543; taka upp net, K. Þ. K. 90; hross skal maðr taka ok teyma ok hepta, þótt heilagt sé, id.

2. to seize; þeir tóku þar herfang mikit, Nj. 43; tóku skipit ok allt þat er á var, Fms. vii. 249; þeir tóku þar skútu, viii. 438; tóku skip hans, landtjald, klæði, ix. 275; taka fé okkat allt með ráni, Nj. 5; engi maðr skal fyrir öðrum taka, Gþl. 473; hann leiddi þik til arfs … munu taka óvinir þínir ef þú kemr eigi til, Nj. 4; þeir tóku bæinn, seized, Sturl. ii. 149; kona hafði tekit ( stolen) … ok vildi hann refsa henni, Fms. vii. 330.

3. to catch; Skotar munu hafa tekit njósnir allar, Nj. 126; standi menn upp ok taki hann, 130; hann skyldi taka hundinn, 114; þeir tóku á sundi mann einn, Fms. vii. 225; gröf, at taka í dýr, Flóv. 33; taka höndum, to lay hold of, take captive, Nj. 114, 275; in a good sense, Fms. x. 314.

4. taka e-n af lífi, to take one from life, Fms. x. 3, Eg. 70; taka e-n af lífdögum, id., Fms. vii. 204: ellipt., taka af (af-taka), to take one off, put to death, Js. 23; taka e-n af nafni ok veldi, to deprive of …, Eg. 268; tóku þeir af eignum jarla konungs, Fms. i. 6: taka af e-m, to take a thing from one, x. 421, Nj. 103, 131, Eg. 120, Ld. 288; taka frá e-m, to take from, off, Nj. 253, K. Þ. K. 48; taka ofan, to take down, pull down, Nj. 119, 168; taka ór, to set apart, 232; taka undir sik, to take under oneself, subject, Fms. x. 24: to take charge of, Nj. 110, Eg. 725: taka upp, to take up, pick up, assume, 23.

5. to take, grasp; taka í hönd e-m, to shake hands, Nj. 129; taka á lopti, to interrupt, Fms. x. 314; taka í ketil, of the ordeal, Grág. i. 381, Gkv. 3. 7; taka í jörð, to graze, of an animal, Bs. i. 338; jó lætr til jarðar taka, Skm. 15; skulu þér láta taka niðr hesta yðra, to graze a little, Band. 14 new Ed.; tók einn þeirra niðr í sinn klæðsekk, Stj.

II. metaph., taka upphaf, to begin, Hom. 49; taka vöxt ok þroska, to increase, Rb. 392; taka konungdóm, Eg. 646; taka ráð, 49; taka skírn, 770; taka trú, to take the faith, become a Christian, Nj. 273; taka hvíld, to take rest, 43, 115; taka á sik svefn, 252; taka ræðu, to begin a parley, Eg. 578; taka umræðu, id., Nj. 146; þau taka þá tal, Ld. 72, Fms. ii. 254; taka nærri sér, see nær l. 2; taka á sik göngu, Fbr. 101 new Ed.; taka á sik svefn, Nj.; taka eld, to light a fire, 199; taka e-n orðum, to address; taka í sætt, to receive into reconciliation, Eg. 168; taka sættir, to accept terms, id. (also taka sættum, id.); taka þenna kost, 280; taka samheldi, Fms. ix. 344; ok tóku þat fastliga, at friðr skyldi standa, declared firmly that, x. 40, v. l.; taka stefnu, to fix a meeting, xi. 400; tóku þeir stefnu í milli sín, 402; nú er svá tekið um allt landit, at …, fixed by law that …, Gþl. 275; þeir tóku fastmælum sín í milli, at …, Bret. 82; taki í lög, to take into fellowship, Fms. xi. 96; lög-taka, cp. lófa-tak, vápna-tak; Gunnarr bauð þér góð boð enn þú vildir engi af taka, thou wouldst accept none of them, Nj. 77; tók hann þann kost af, at leggja allt á konungs vald, Fms. iv. 224; ok þat tóku þeir af, ix. 367; Ólafr kvaðsk þat mundu af taka, Ld. 72; taka e-t til ráðs, or taka ráðs, bragðs, to resort to, Nj. 75, 124, 199: also, taka e-t til, to resort to, 26, Fms. xi, 253, passim (til-tæki); taka mót, to receive, Edda 15; taka e-t við, to receive in return, Fms. ii. 269; taka bætr fyrir e-t, xi. 253; með því þú görir sem ek býð þér, skaltú nökkuð eptir taka, take some reward for it, Ld. 44; þat er bæði at vér róum hart, enda mun nú mikit eptir taka, a great reward, Finnb. 232 (eptir-tekja); taka fæðu, to take food; taka corpus Domini, Mar.; taka samsæti, Fms. ii. 261; taka arf, Eg. 34; taka erfð, Gþl. 241; taka fé eptir föður sinn, Fms. xi. 47; taka laun, Nj. 68; taka veizlu, to take, receive a veizla (q. v.), Fms. xi. 239; konungr … hann tekr ( receives) af mörgum, skal hann því mikit gefa, 217; taka mikit lof, x. 367; taka helgun af Guði, Rb. 392; taka heilsu, to recover, Stj. 624; ek skal taka hæði-yrði af þér, Nj. 27; taka af honum rán ok manntjón, Ld. 64; taka úskil af íllum mönnum, Greg. 44; taka píslir ok dauða, 656 B. 30; drap hann þar menn nökkura, þótti mönnum hart at taka þat af útlendum manni, Bs. i. 19; þeir tóku mikinn andróða, Fms. viii. 438; taka andviðri, Eg. 87; þeir tóku norðan-veðr hörð, were overtaken by, Nj. 124; taka sótt, to be taken sick or ill (North E. to take ill), 29, Fms. xi. 97, Eg. 767; taka þyngd. id., Ísl. ii. 274; taka fótar-mein, Nj. 219; taka úgleði, to get out of spirits, Eg. 322; hann tók þá fáleika ok úgleði, Fms. vii. 103; hann tók langt kaf, 202; taka arftaki, to adopt, Grág. i. 232; taka konung, to take, elect a king, Fms. ix. 256; taka konu, to take a wife, x. 397; hann kvángaðisk ok tók bróður-dóttur þess manns er Finnr hét, 406; tók Magnús konungr Margrétu, 413; taka konu brott nauðga, to carry off a woman, Grág. i. 353; tók hann þá til háseta, he hired them, Eg. 404; taka far or fari, Landn. 307, Grág. ii. 406 (far, ii. 3); taka úkunna stigu, to take to unknown ways, Fms. viii. 30; taka ferð, to start, Stj.; taka til konungs, or the like, Eg. 367, 400, Fms. vii. 252; taka til siðar, Sks. 313; taka e-n vel, to receive well; ok taki ér, herra, vel þá Hjalta ok Gizur, Bs. i. 19; tók Skota-konungr hann vel, Fms. xi. 419; taka e-t þvert, to take a thing crossly, deny flatly, Nj. 26; taka fyrir e-t, to stop, interrupt, refuse, Fms. x. 251.

III. to reach, stretch forth, touch; hann beit skarð, allt þat er tennr tóku, Eg. 605; eigi djúpara enn þeim tók undir hendr, Ld. 78; skurðrinn tók á framan-verðan bakkann, Krók.; hyrnan tók andlitið, Nj. 253; rödd tekr eyru, Skálda 175; döggskórinn tók niðr akrinn upp-standanda, Fas. i. 173; hafði flóð tekit þær, swept them away, Fms. xi. 393; spjót langskept svá at vel taki skipa meðal, Sks. 385; nef hans tók austr til landsenda … véli-fjarðar tóku norðr í Finnabú, Fms. viii. 10; tekr mörkin náliga allt it efra suðr, Eg. 58; þvíat ekki tek ek heim í kveld, Nj. 275; mun ek taka þangat í dag? Hbl.; bóndans bót tekr fyrir ( encompasses) konu, hans ok börn ok hjón, N. G. L. i. 341; taka niðri, to take the ground, of a ship or thing floating, Fas. iii. 257; svá at upp tekr um klaufir, Boll. 336; at eigi tæki hann (acc.) regnit, Stj. 594; skulu vér varask, at eigi taki oss þau dæmi, Hom. 70; svá mikit er uxa-húð tekr yfir, Fas. i. 288; nær því er þú sér at taka mun en ekki ór hófi, Sks. 21; hundr bundinn svá at taki eigi til manna, Grág. ii. 119; taka höndum upp, to lift up hands, Bs. i. 735, Edda 22; ek sé fram undir brekkuna, at upp taka spjóts-oddar fimtán, Finnb. 286; þetta smíði (Babel) tók upp ór veðrum, Edda 146 (pref.); hárit tók ofan á belti, Nj. 2; stöpul er til himins tæki, 645. 71; hér til tekr en fyrsta bók, reaches here, 655 vii. 4; taka mátti hendi til fals, Eg. 285; þeir tóku fram árum, took the oars, Fms. vii. 288; smeygði á sik ok tók út höndunum, 202; þeir tóku undun, to escape, viii. 438: to reach, land, take harbour, gaf honum vel byri ok tóku Borgarfjörð, Nj. 10; tóku þeir Friðar-ey, 268; þeir tóku land á Melrakka-sléttu, Ísl. ii. 246; byrjaði vel ok tóku Noreg, Ld. 72, 310; tóku þar land sem heitir Vatnsfjörðr, Landn. 30: ellipt., hann tók þar sem nú heitir Herjólfs-höfn, id.; þeir tóku fyrir sunnan land, 175.

2. to take, hold, of a vessel; ketill or tók tvær tunnur, Fb. i. 524; lands þess er tæki ( of the value of) fjóra tigi hundraða, Sturl. i. 98, v. l.; hringrinn tók tólf hundruð mórend, Nj. 225: so in the phrase, það tekr því ekki, it is not worth the while; þann enn eina grip er hann átti svá at fé tæki, the sole object of value he had, Bs. i. 636.

3. spec. usages; fara sem fætr mega af taka, Finnb. 288; konur æpa sem þær megu mest af taka, Al. 47, (aftak, aftaka-veðr, q. v.), Karl. 109, 196; fóru hvárir-tveggju sem af tók, went as fast as possible, Fms, iv. 304; hann sigldi suðr sem af tók, Eg. 93: in the phrase, taka mikinn, lítinn … af e-u, to make much, little of, take it to heart or lightly; mikit tekr þú af þessu, thou takest it much to heart, Lv. 10; öngan tek ek af um liðveizlu við þik, I will not pledge myself as to helping thee, Ld. 105; eigi töku vér mikit af at tortryggva þá bók, þótt mart sé undarligt í sagt, we will not strongly question the truth of the book, although many wonders are told therein, Sks. 78; Óspakr kvað hana mikit af taka, said he used very strong language, Ld. 216; mikinn tekr þú af, segir konungr, thou settest much by it, said the king, Fms. vi. 206: munda ek sýnu minna hafa af tekit ef ek væra údrukkinn, I would have kept a better tongue, xi. 112; Þórvarðr tók eigi af fyrir útanferð sína, did not quite refuse the going abroad, Sturl. iii. 244; hann kvaðsk eigi taka mega af því hvat mælt væri, he did not much mind what folks said, Nj. 210; hón tók lítið af öllu, said little about it, took it coolly, Eg. 322; tók hann minna af enn áðr við Íslendinga, he spoke not so strongly of them as he used to do, Glúm. 328; ok er sendi-menn kómu tók hann lítið af, Fms. x. 101; Flosi svaraði öllu vel, en tók þó lítið af, F. gave a civil but reserved answer, Nj. 180.

IV. with prepp.; taka af hesti, to take (the saddle) off a horse, Nj. 4, 179; taka af sér ópit, to cease weeping, Ölk. 35; taka skriðinn af skipinu, Fms. ii. 305; taka e-t af, to abolish, vii. 1, x. 152, Ísl. ii. 258:—taka á e-u, to touch (á-tak), Nj. 118; þegar sem nær þeim er komit ok á þeim tekit, Stj. 76; sá er tekr fyrst á funa, Gm.; þat er ok, áðr þeir taki á dómum sinum ( ere they deliver sentence), at þeir skolu eið vinna áðr, Grág. i. 64; taka vel, auðvelliga, lítt, ekki vel, ílla … á e-u, to take a thing so and so, take it well, in good part, ill, in ill part, etc., Ld. 50, 248, Fms. xi. 124, Nj. 206, 265; Gunnarr talaði fátt um ok tók á öngu úlíkliga, 40; tak glaðan á ( cheerfully) við konunginn, Fms. xi. 112; þeir höfðu sagt hversu hann hafði á tekit þeim feðgum, Rd. 284; Leifr tekr á þessu eigi mjök, Fb. ii. 397; tók Börkr (á) því seinliga, Eb. 15 new Ed.:—taka eptir, to notice, observe, Sturl. i. 2 (eptir-tekt):—taka móti, to withstand, resist, Nj. 261, Fms. ix. 307, 513 (mót-tak):—taka með, to reserve, accept, iv. 340, xi. 427 (með-taka): taka við, hann tókþar ok við mörg önnur dæmi, bæði konunga æfi, he tacked to it many records, the lives of kings, etc., Ó. H. (pref.): this isolated phrase has led editors (but wrongly) to substitute hann ‘jók’ þar við:—taka aptr, to take back, render void, undo, Bs. i. 631, Nj. 191, Sks. 775; eigi má aptr taka unnit verk, a saying, Fms. ii. 11: to recall, unsay, mun ek þau orð eigi aptr taka, Ld. 42, Fms. ii. 253:—taka í, to pull off; taktu í hann, to pull his stocking off:—taka um, to take hold of, grasp, Eg. 410, Hkr. ii. 322:—taka upp, to pick up, assume; niðr at fella ok upp at taka, 625. 68, Eg. 23; taka upp borð, to put up the tables before a meal; tekr upp borð ok setr fyrir þá Butralda, Fbr. 37; vóru borð upp tekin um alla stofuna ok sett á vist, Eg. 551: but also to remove them after a meal (= taka borð ofan), 408, Hkr. ii. 192, Fms. i. 41, Orkn. 246 (see borð II); taka upp vist, to put food on the table, Vm. 168; taka upp bygð sína, to remove one’s abode, passim; taka upp, of a body, to take up, disinter, Hkr. ii. 388; taka upp, to seize on, confiscate, Nj. 73, 207, Ld. 38, Eg. 73; þeir tóku upp ( laid waste) þorp þat er heitir Tuma-þorp, Fms. i. 151; var þá tekin upp bygð Hrolleifs, Fs. 34; hón tekr þat mart upp er fjarri er mínum vilja, Nj. 6l; at þú gefir ró reiði ok takir þat upp er minnst vandræði standi af, 175; taka upp verknað, to take up work, Ld. 34; taka upp stærð, to take to pride, Fms. x. 108; halda upp-teknu efni, i. 263; taka upp sök, mál, to take up a case, Nj. 31, 71, 231: to interpret, eigi kann ek öðruvís at ráða þenna draum … glíkliga er upp tekit, Sturl. iii. 216; ok skal svá upp taka ‘síks glóð,’ þat er ‘gull,’ Edda 127; kvæði, ef þau eru rétt kveðin ok skynsamliga upp tekin, Hkr. (pref.); tók hann svá upp, at honum væri eigi úhætt, Fms. ix. 424; drykk ok vistir svá sem skipit tók upp, as the ship could take, iv. 92; er þat skip mikit, ok mun þat taka oss upp alla, Nj. 259; þat hjóna er meira lagði til félags skal meira upp taka, Gþl. 220; þótti þeim í hönd falla at taka upp land þetta hjá sér sjálfum, Ld. 210; skal sá sem at Kálfafelli býr taka upp vatn at sínum hlut, Vm. 168; taka upp giptu hjá Dana-konungi, Fms. xi. 426; taka upp goðorð, Nj. 151, 168, Grág. i. 24; taka upp þing. Ann. 1304 ( to restore); tókusk þá upp lög ok landsréttr, Fs. 27; taka upp vanda, Fms. vii. 280:—taka til, to take to; hefna svá at ekki fýsi annan slík firn til at taka, 655 xiii. A. 3; tóku margir þá til at níða hann, Bs. i; taka til ráða, ráðs, bragðs, Nj. 19, 75, 124; hann tók til ráða skjótt, 19; enn þó munu vér þat bragðs taka, 199; hvat skal nú til ráða taka, 124; ef hann tekr nökkut íllt til, 26; hverja úhæfu er hann tekr til, Fms. xi. 253; taka til máls, to take to talking, Nj. 16, 71; taka til orðs, or orða, 122, 230, 264; hann tók nú til at segja söguna, to take to telling a story; taka til varnar, to begin the defence, Grág. i. 60, Nj. 271; nú er þar til at taka, at …, 74; er blót tóku til, Landn. 111; þá tók til ríki Svía-konungs, Fms. iv. 118; um Slésvík þar sem Dana-ríki tók til, xi. 417: to concern, þat mun taka til yðar, Hom. 150; þetta mál er til konungs tók, Fms. xi. 105; láta til sín taka, to let it concern oneself, meddle with, Band. 23 new Ed.; Gísl lét fátt til sín taka, Fms. vii. 30; vil ek nú biðja þik at þú létir ekki til þín taka um tal várt, Nj. 184: to have recourse to, þú tekr eigi til þeirra liðsinnis ef ekki þarf, Fms. vii. 17, Grág. i. 41; taka til segls, Eg. 573, Fms. ix. 22; taka til sunds, 24; taka til e-s, to note, mark, with dislike:—taka undir, to take under a thing; hann tók undir kverkina, took her by the chin, Nj. 2; þá tók Egill undir höfða-hlut Skalla-grími, Eg. 398: to undertake, þat mál er þeir skyldi sjálfir undir taka, Hkr. i. 266; þá skal hann taka undir þá sömu þjónostu, Ó. H. 120: to back, second, hann kvaðsk ekki mundu taka undir vandræði þeirra, Nj. 182; undir þann kviðling tók Rúnolfr goði, ok sótti Hjalta um goðgá, Bs. i. 17: ek mun taka undir með þér ok styðja málit, Fms. xi. 53; hann tók ekki undir þat ráð, Fb. ii. 511; þau tóku undir þetta léttliga, seconded it readily, Ld. 150; hann tók seinliga undir, Nj. 217; hann hafði heyrt tal þeirra ok tók undir þegar, ok kvað ekki saka, Ld. 192: göra tilraun hversu þér tækit undir þetta, Fb. i. 129: to echo, blésu herblástr svá at fjöllin tóku undir, Fas. i. 505; taka undir söng, to accompany singing:—taka við, to receive; nú tóktú svá við sverði þessu, Fms. i. 15; siðan hljópu menn hans, enn hann túk við þeim, 105; jörð tekr við öldri, Hm.; til þess er akkerit tók við, grappled, took hold, Dan. holde igen, Fms. x. 135. v. l.; þar til er sjár tók við honum, Edda 153 (pref.); taka við ríki, Eg. 241, Fms. i. 7; taka við trú, Nj. 158, 159; taka við handsölum á e-u, 257; ef maðr görr við at taka við dæmdum úmaga, Grág. i. 258; taka vel við e-m, to receive well, Nj. 5; ekki torleiði tekr við yðr, no obstacle stops you, Al. 120; þeir tóku við vel ok vörðusk, made a bold resistance, Fms. i. 104; eggjuðu sumir at við skyldi taka, vii. 283; at þeir skyldi verja landit, en þeir vildu eigi við taka, xi. 386; ganga fram á mel nökkurn, ok segir Hrútr at þeir mundu þar við taka, Ld. 62; þar stóð steinn einn mikill, þar bað Kjartan þá við taka, 220; seg þú æfi-sögu þína, Ásmundr, en þá skal Egill við taka, tell thy life’s tale, Asmund, and then shall Egil take his turn, Fas. iii. 374; tók við hvárr af öðrum, one took up where the other left off:—taka yfir, hann vildi eigi til ráða nema hann ætlaði at yfir tæki, Fms. iv. 174; þeir munu allt til vinna, at yfir taki með oss, Nj. 198; at eyrendi þeirra skyldi eigi lyktuð né yfir tekin, Fms. iv. 224.

V. to take to, begin:

1. with infin., tóku menn at binda sár sín, Eg. 93; hann tók at yrkja þegar er hann var ungr, 685; hans afli tók at vaxa, Fms. viii. 47; á þeim veg er ek tæka ganga, Sks. 3; taka at birtask, 568; tekr at dimma, birta … rigna, it gets dim, takes to darken … rain; allt þat er hann tekr at henda, Nj. 5; þá tók at lægja veðrit, 124; tók þá at morna, 131; tók þá at nátta, Fms. ix. 54; kvölda tekr = Lat. vesperascit, Luke xxiv. 29.

2. in other phrases, taka á rás, to take to running, to run, Nj. 253, Eg. 216, 220, Eb. 62 (hófu á rás, 67 new Ed.), Hrafn. 7: ellipt., tók bogmaðr ok hans menn á land upp undan, they took to the inland and escaped, Fms. ix. 275; tók hann þegar upp um brú, viii. 169; svá íllt sem nú er frá at taka (to escape, shun), þá mun þó síðarr verr, Fs. 55; taka flótta, to take to flight, Hm. 30; Eirekr tók út ór stofunni, took out of the room, ran out, Sturl. ii. 64; þeir tóku út eitt veðr allir, stood out to sea with the same wind, Fb. ii. 243.

VI. with dat., to take to, receive (perh. ellipt. for taka við- e-u); jarl tók vel sendi-mönnum ok vináttu-málum konungs, Fms. i. 53; konungr tók honum vel ok blíðliga, vii. 197; tekit mundu vér hafa kveðju þinni þóttú hefðir oss fyrri fagnat, Ld. 34; Grímr tók því seinliga, Eg. 764; Sigurðr tók því máli vel, 38, Fms. x. 2; konungr tók þá vel orðum Þórólfs, Eg. 44; hann tók því þakksamliga, Fms. i. 21; taka vel þeirra eyrendum, x. 33; Barði tók þessu vel, Ld. 236; Hákon tók því seinliga, Fms. i. 74; eigi mun konungr taka því þótt slík lygi sé upp borin fyrir hann, Eg. 59; tók Brynjólfr þá sættum fyrir Björn, 168; Njáll átti hlut at, at þeir skyldi taka sættum, Nj. 120; taka handsölum á fé, 257; taka heimildum á e-u, Fms. x. 45; taka fari, Grág. ii. 399, Nj. 111, 258 (see far); taka bóli, to take a farm (on lease), Gþl. 328, 354; mun ek máli taka fyrir alla Íslenzka menn þá er á skipi eru, speak for them, Bs. i. 421.

VII. impers. it is taken; hann brá upp hendinni ok tók hana af honum ok höfuðit af konunginum, Nj. 275; ok tók af nasarnar, Fms. x. 135, v. l.; þá tók af veðrit (acc.), the weather ‘took up’ (as is said in North of England), the storm abated. Fas. i. 157; svá at þar tæki af vega alla, all roads were stopped, Fms, iii. 122; af þeim tók málit ok görask úfærir, Fas. ii. 549; kom á höndina fyrir ofan úlflið svá at af tók, Nj. 84; kom á fótinn svá at af tók, 123; þá tók efa af mörgum manni, Fms. iii. 8; sýnina tekr frá e-m, to become blind, x. 339; undan kúnni tók nyt alla, Eb. 316; jafnskjótt tók ór verkinn allan, Fms. iv. 369; tók út skip Þangbrands ór Hitará, she drifted out, Bs. i. 15; í þat mund dags er út tók eykðina, when the time of ‘eykð’ was nearly passed, Fms. xi. 136; um várit er sumar-hita tók, when the summer heat set in, Fs. 67; réru svá skjótt at ekki tók (viz. þá) á vatni, Fms. vii. 344.

2. as a naut. term, to clear, weather a point; veðr var litið ok tók þeim skamt frá landi, the weather was still, and they kept close in shore, Fms. vi. 190: hence the mod. naut. phrase, e-m tekr, to clear, weather; mér tók fyrir nesit, I cleared, weathered the ness; vindr þver, svo að þeim tekr ekki.

3. þar er eigi of tekr torf eðr grjót, where neither is at hand, Grág. ii. 262; þau dæmi tekr til þessa máls, the proofs of this are, that when …, Hom. 127.

B. Reflex., takask mikit á hendr, to take much in hand, Band. 3, Nj. 228, Fms. i. 159; tókumk ek þat á hendr, xi. 104; láta af takask, to let oneself be deprived of, Eg. 296; takask e-n á hendr.

2. to be brought about, take effect, succeed; cp. þykkir mikit í hættu hversu þér teksk, Ld. 310; þat tóksk honum, he succeeded, Bárð. 167; tekst þá tveir vilja, it succeeds when two will, i. e. joint efforts prevail, a saying:—takask til, to happen; Ásgrími tóksk svá til (it so happened to A.), sem sjaldan var vant, at vörn var í máii hans, Nj. 92; ef svá vill til takask. Fas. i. 251; svá erviðliga sem þeim hafði til tekizk at herja á þá feðga, Fms. i. 184; mér hefir úgiptuliga tekizk, Ld. 252; þætti mér allmiklu máli skipta at þér tækisk stórmannliga, that thou wouldst behave generously, Hkr. ii. 32; hefir þetta svá tekizk sem ván var at, er hann var barn at aldri, 268.

3. to take place, begin; tóksk orrosta, Nj. 8; teksk þar orrosta, 122; ráð takask, of a marriage; en ef þá takask eigi ráðin, if the wedding takes not place then, Grág. i. 311; lýkr svá at ráðin skyldi takask, 99; ráð þau skyldi takask at öðru sumri, Eg. 26, Fms. x. 40: to be realised, hvatamaðr at þessi ferð skyldi takask, Ld. 240; síðan er mægð hafdi tekizk með þeim, since they had intermarried, Eg. 37; takask með þeim góðar ástir, they came to love one another much, of newly-married people, passim; féráns dómr teksk, Grág. i. 95; takask nú af heimboðin, to cease, Ld. 208; ok er allt mál at ættvíg þessi takisk af, 258.

II. recipr., takask orðum, to speak to one another, Fms. xi. 13; ok er þeir tókusk at orðum, spurði hann …, Eg. 375; bræðr-synir takask arf eptir, entreat one another, Gþl. 241; ef menn takask fyrir árar eða þiljur, take from one another, 424: takask á, to wrestle, Bárð. 168; takask fangbrögðum, Ld. 252, Ísl. ii. 446: takask í hendr, to shake hands, Grág. i. 384, Nj. 3, 65.

III. part. tekinn; vóru þá tekin ( stopped) öll borgar-hlið ok vegar allir, at Norðmönnum kæmi engi njósn, Fms. vi. 411: Steinþórr var til þess tekinn, at …, S. was particularly named as …, Eb. 32, 150; hann var til þess tekinn, at honum var verra til hjóna en öðrum mönnum, Grett. 70 new Ed. (cp. mod. usage, taka til e-s, to wonder at): lá hann ok var mjök tekinn, very ill, Sturl. i. 89: Álfhildr var þungliga tekin, ok gékk henni nær dauða, Fms. iv. 274; hann var mjök tekinn ok þyngdr af líkþrá, ii. 229; þú ert Ílla at tekin fyrir vanheilsu sakir, vii. 244; ú-tekin jörð, an untaken, unclaimed estate, Sturl. iii. 57, Gþl. 313.

2. at af teknum þeim, except, Fms. x. 232; at af teknum úvinum sínum, 266, (Latinism.)

* * *

a negative suffix to verbs, not;

era útmakligt, at it is not unmeet that.

* * *

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

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

WITH DAT.

A. Loc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. of other things, and as a periphrasis of a genitive, of a part belonging to the whole, e. g. dyrr á husi = húsdyrr, at the house-doors; turn á kirkju = kirkju turn; stafn, skutr, segl, árar … á skipi, the stem, stern, sail … of a ship, Fms. ix. 135; blöð á lauk, á tré …, leaves of a leek, of a tree …, Fas. i. 469; egg á sverði = sverðs egg; stafr á bók; kjölr á bók, and in endless other instances.

V. denoting instrumentality, by, on, or a-, by means of; afla fjár á hólmgöngum, to make money a-duelling, by means of duels, Eg. 498; á verkum sínum, to subsist on one’s own work, Njarð. 366: as a law term, sekjast á e-ju, to be convicted upon …, Grág. i. 123; sekst maðr þar á sínu eigini ( a man is guilty in re sua), ef hann tekr af þeim manni er heimild ( possessio) hefir til, ii. 191; falla á verkum sínum, to be killed flagranti delicto, v. above; fella e-n á bragði, by a sleight in wrestling; komast undan á flótta, to escape by flight, Eg. 11; á hlaupi, by one’s feet, by speed, Hkr. ii. 168; lifa á e-u, to feed on; bergja á e-u, to taste of a thing; svala sér á e-u, to quench the thirst on.

VI. with subst. numerals; á þriðja tigi manna, up to thirty, i. e. from about twenty to thirty, Ld. 194; á öðru hundraði skipa, from one to two hundred sail strong, Fms. x. 126; á níunda tigi, between eighty and ninety years of age, Eg. 764, v. above: used as prep., á hendi, on one’s hand, i. e. bound to do it, v. hönd.

VII. in more or less adverbial phrases it may often be translated in Engl. by a participle and a- prefixed; á lopti, aloft; á floti, afloat; á lífi, alive; á verðgangi, a-begging; á brautu, away; á baki, a-back, behind, past; á milli, a-tween; á laun, alone, secretly; á launungu, id.; á móti, against; á enda, at an end, gone; á huldu, hidden; fara á hæli, to go a-heel, i. e. backwards, Fms. vii. 70;—but in many cases these phrases are transl. by the Engl. partic. with a, which is then perh. a mere prefix, not a prep., á flugi, a-flying in the air, Nj. 79; vera á gangi, a-going; á ferli, to be about; á leiki, a-playing, Fms. i. 78; á sundi, a-swimming, ii. 27; á verði, a-watching, x. 201; á hrakningi, a-wandering; á reiki, a-wavering; á skjálfi, a-shivering; á-hleri, a-listening; á tali, a-talking, Ísl. ii. 200; á hlaupi, a-running, Hkr. ii. 268; á verki, a-working; á veiðum, a-hunting; á fiski, a-fishing; á beit, grazing: and as a law term it even means in flagranti, N. G. L. i. 348.

VIII. used absolutely without a case in reference to the air or the weather, where ‘á’ is almost redundant; þoka var á mikil, a thick fog came on, Nj. 267; niðamyrkr var á, pitch darkness came on, Eg. 210; allhvast á norðan, a very strong breeze from the north, Fms. ix. 20; þá var á norðrænt, a north wind came on, 42, Ld. 56; hvaðan sem á er, from whatever point the wind is; var á hríð veðrs, a snow storm came on, Nj. 282; görði á regn, rain came on, Fms. vi. 394, xi. 35, Ld. 156.

WITH ACC.

A. Loc.

I. denoting simple direction towards, esp. connected with verbs of motion, going, or the like; hann gékk á bergsnös, Eg. 389; á hamar, Fas. ii. 517.

2. in phrases denoting direction; liggja á útborða, lying on the outside of the ship, Eg. 354; á annat borð skipinu, Fms. vii. 260; á bæði borð, on both sides of the ship, Nj. 124, Ld. 56; á tvær hliðar, on both sides, Fms. v. 73. Ísl. ii. 159; á hlið, sidewards; út á hlið, Nj. 262, Edda 44; á aðra hönd henni, Nj. 50, Ld. 46; höggva á tvær hendr, to hew or strike right and left, Ísl. ii. 368, Fas. i. 384, Fms. viii. 363, x. 383.

3. upp á, upon; hann tók augu Þjaza ok kastaði upp á himin, Edda 47: with verbs denoting to look, see, horfa, sjá, líta, etc.; hann rak skygnur á land, he cast glances towards the land, Ld. 154.

II. denoting direction with or without the idea of arriving:

1. with verbs denoting to aim at; of a blow or thrust, stefna á fótinn, Nj. 84; spjótið stefnir á hann miðjan, 205: of the wind, gékk veðrit á vestr, the wind veered to west, Fms. ix. 28; sigla á haf, to stand out to sea, Hkr. i. 146, Fms. i. 39: with ‘út’ added, Eg. 390, Fms. x. 349.

2. conveying the notion of arriving, or the intervening space being traversed; spjótið kom á miðjan skjöldinn, Eg. 379, Nj. 96, 97; langt upp á land, far up inland, Hkr. i. 146: to reach, taka ofan á belti, of the long locks of a woman, to reach down to the belt, Nj. 2; ofan á bringu, 48; á þa ofan, 91.

III. without reference to the space traversed, connected with verbs denoting to go, turn, come, ride, sail, throw, or the like, motion of every kind; hann kastar honum á völlinn, he flings him down, Nj. 91; hlaupa á skip sitt, to leap on board his ship, 43; á hest, to mount quickly, Edda 75; á lend hestinum, Nj. 91; hann gengr á sáðland sitt, he walks on to his fields, 82: on, upon, komast á fætr, to get upon one’s legs, 92; ganga á land, to go a-shore, Fms. i. 40; ganga á þing, vii. 242, Grág. (often); á skóg, á merkr ok skóga, into a wood, Fb. i. 134, 257, Fms. xi. 118, Eg. 577, Nj. 130; fara á Finnmörk, to go travelling in Finmark, Fms. i. 8; koma, fara á bæ, to arrive at the farm-house; koma á veginn, Eg. 578; stíga á bát, skip, to go on board, 158; hann gékk upp á borg, he went up to the burg (castle), 717; en er þeir komu á loptriðið, 236; hrinda skipum á vatn, to float the ships down into the water, Fms. i. 58; reka austr á haf, to drift eastwards on the sea, x. 145; ríða ofan á, to ride down or over, Nj. 82.

IV. in some cases the acc. is used where the dat. would be used, esp. with verbs denoting to see or hear, in such phrases as, þeir sá boða mikinn inn á fjörðinn, they saw great breakers away up in the bight of the firth, the acc. being due perhaps to a motion or direction of the eye or ear towards the object, Nj. 124; sá þeir fólkit á land, they saw the people in the direction of land, Fas. ii. 517: in phrases denoting to be placed, to sit, to be seated, the seat or bench is freq. in the acc. where the dat. would now be used; konungr var þar á land upp, the king was then up the country, the spectator or narrator is conceived as looking from the shore or sea-side, Nj. 46; sitja á miðjan bekk, to be seated on the middle bench, 50; skyldi konungs sæti vera á þann bekk … annat öndvegi var á hinn úæðra pall; hann setti konungs hásæti á miðjan þverpall, Fms. vi. 439, 440, cp. Fagrsk. l. c., Sturl. iii. 182; eru víða fjallbygðir upp á mörkina, in the mark or forest, Eg. 58; var þar mörk mikil á land upp, 229; mannsafnaðr er á land upp (viewed from the sea), Ld. 76; stóll var settr á mótið, Fas. i. 58; beiða fars á skip, to beg a passage, Grág. i. 90.

V. denoting parts of the body; bíta e-n á barka, to bite one in the throat, Ísl. ii. 447; skera á háls, to cut the throat of any one, Nj. 156; brjóta e-n á háls, to break any one’s neck; brjóta e-n á bak, to break any one’s back, Fms. vii. 119; kalinn á kné, frozen to the knees with cold, Hm. 3.

VI. denoting round; láta reipi á háls hesti, round his horse’s neck, 623. 33; leggja söðul á hest, Nj. 83; and ellipt., leggja á, to saddle; breiða feld á hofuð sér, to wrap a cloak over his head, 164; reyta á sik mosa, to gather moss to cover oneself with, 267; spenna hring á hönd, á fingr, Eg. 300.

VII. denoting a burden; stela mat á tvá hesta, hey á fimtán hesta, i. e. a two, a fifteen horse load, Nj. 74: metaph., kjósa feigð á menn, to choose death upon them, i. e. doom them to death, Edda 22.

B. TEMP.

I. of a period of time, at, to; á morgun, to-morrow (í morgun now means the past morning, the morning of to-day), Ísl. ii. 333.

II. if connected with the word day, ‘á’ is now used before a fixed or marked day, a day of the week, a feast day, or the like; á Laugardag, á Sunnudag …, on Saturday, Sunday, the Old Engl. a-Sunday, a-Monday, etc.; á Jóladaginn, Páskadaginn, on Yule and Easter-day; but in old writers more often used ellipt. Sunnudaginn, Jóladaginn …, by dropping the prep. ‘á,’ Fms. viii. 397, Grág. i. 18.

III. connected with ‘dagr’ with the definite article suffixed, ‘á’ denotes a fixed, recurring period or season, in; á daginn, during the day-time, every day in turn, Grett. 91 A.

IV. connected with ‘evening, morning, the seasons,’ with the article; á kveldit, every evening, Ld. 14; á sumarit, every summer, Vd. 128, where the new Ed. Fs. 51 reads sumrum; á haust, every autumn, Eg. 741 (perh. a misprint instead of á haustin or á haustum); á vetrinn, in the winter time, 710; á várit, every spring, Gþl. 347; the sing., however, is very rare in such cases, the old as well as mod. usage prefers the plur.; á nætrnar, by night, Nj. 210; á várin, Eg. 710; á sumrin, haustin, á morgnana, in the morning (á morgin, sing., means to-morrow); á kveldin, in the evening, only ‘dagr’ is used in sing., v. above (á daginn, not á dagana); but elliptically and by dropping the article, Icelanders say, kveld og morgna, nótt og dag, vetr sumar vor og haust, in the same sense as those above mentioned.

V. denoting duration, the article is dropped in the negative phrase, aldri á sinn dag, never during one’s life; aldri á mína daga, never in my life, Bjarn. 8, where a possess. pron. is put between noun and prep., but this phrase is very rare. Such phrases as, á þann dag, that day, and á þenna dag, Stj. 12, 655 xxx. 2. 20, are unclassical.

VI. á dag without article can only be used in a distributive sense, e. g. tvisvar á dag, twice a-day; this use is at present freq. in Icel., yet instances from old writers are not on record.

VII. denoting a movement onward in time, such as, liðið á nótt, dag, kveld, morgun, sumar, vetr, vár, haust (or nóttina, daginn …), jól, páska, föstu, or the like, far on in the night, day …, Edda 33; er á leið vetrinn, when the winter was well on, as the winter wore on, Nj. 126; cp. áliðinn: also in the phrase, hniginn á inn efra aldr, well stricken in years, Ld. 68.

C. Metaph. and in various relations:

I. somewhat metaphorically, denoting an act only (not the place); fara á fund, á vit e-s, to call for one, Eg. 140; koma á ræðu við e-n, to come to a parley with, to speak, 173; ganga á tal, Nj. 103; skora á hólm, to challenge to a duel on an island; koma á grið, to enter into a service, to be domiciled, Grág. i. 151; fara á veiðar, to go a-hunting, Fms. i. 8.

β. generally denoting on, upon, in, to; bjóða vöxtu á féit, to offer interest on the money, Grág. i. 198; ganga á berhögg, to come to blows, v. berhögg; fá á e-n, to make an impression upon one, Nj. 79; ganga á vápn e-s, to throw oneself on an enemy’s weapon, meet him face to face, Rd. 310; ganga á lagið, to press on up the spear-shaft after it has passed through one so as to get near one’s foe, i. e. to avail oneself of the last chance; bera fé á e-n, to bribe, Nj. 62; bera öl á e-n, to make drunk, Fas. i. 13; snúinn á e-t, inclined to, Fms. x. 142; sammælast á e-t, to agree upon, Nj. 86; sættast, verða sáttr á e-t, in the same sense, to come to an agreement, settlement, or atonement, 78, Edda 15, Eb. 288, Ld. 50, Fms. i. 279; ganga á mála, to serve for pay as a soldier, Nj. 121; ganga á vald e-s, to put oneself in his power, 267; ganga á sætt, to break an agreement; vega á veittar trygðir, to break truce, Grág. ii. 169.

II. denoting in regard to, in respect to:

1. of colour, complexion, the hue of the hair, or the like; hvítr, jarpr, dökkr … á hár, having white, brown, or dark … hair, Ísl. ii. 190, Nj. 39; svartr á brún ok brá, dark of brow and eyebrow; dökkr á hörund, id., etc.

2. denoting skill, dexterity; hagr á tré, a good carpenter; hagr á járn, málm, smíðar …, an expert worker in iron, metals …, Eg. 4; fimr á boga, good at the bow: also used of mastership in science or arts, meistari á hörpuslátt, a master in striking the harp, Fas. iii. 220; fræðimaðr á kvæði, knowing many poems by heart, Fms. vi. 391; fræðimaðr á landnámssögur ok forna fræði, a learned scholar in histories and antiquities (of Are Frode), Ísl. ii. 189; mikill á íþrótt, skilful in an art, Edda (pref.) 148; but dat. in the phrase, kunna (vel) á skíðum, to be a cunning skater, Fms. i. 9, vii. 120.

3. denoting dimensions; á hæð, lengd, breidd, dýpt …, in the heighth, length, breadth, depth …, Eg. 277; á hvern veg, on each side, Edda 41 (square miles); á annan veg, on the one side, Grág. i. 89.

β. the phrase, á sik, in regard to oneself, vel (illa) á sik kominn, of a fine ( ugly) appearance, Ld. 100, Fas. iii. 74.

III. denoting instrumentality; bjargast á sínar hendr, to live on the work of one’s own hands, (á sínar spýtur is a mod. phrase in the same sense); (vega) á skálir, pundara, to weigh in scales, Grág. ii. 370; at hann hefði tvá pundara, ok hefði á hinn meira keypt en á hinn minna selt, of a man using two scales, a big one for buying and a little one for selling, Sturl. i. 91; á sinn kostnað, at one’s own expense; nefna e-n á nafn, by name, Grág. i. 17, etc. The Icel. also say, spinna á rokk, snældu, to spin on or with a rock or distaff; mala á kvern, to grind in a ‘querne,’ where Edda 73 uses dat.; esp. of musical instruments, syngja, leika á hljóðfæri, hörpu, gígju …; in the old usage, leika hörpu …, Stj. 458.

IV. denoting the manner or way of doing:

1. á þessa lund, in this wise, Grág. ii. 22; á marga vega, á alla, ymsa vega, in many, all, respects, Fms. i. 114; á sitt hóf, in its turn, respectively, Ld. 136, where the context shews that the expression answers to the Lat. mutatis mutandis; á Þýðersku, after German fashion, Sks. 288.

2. esp. of language; mæla, rita á e-a tungu, to speak, write in a tongue; á Írsku, in Irish, Ld. 76; Norrænu, in Norse, Eb. 330, Vm. 35; a Danska tungu, in Danish, i. e. Scandinavian, Norse, or Icelandic, Grág. i. 18; á Vára tungu, i. e. in Icelandic, 181; rita á Norræna tungu, to write in Norse, Hkr. (pref.), Bs. i. 59:—at present, dat. is sometimes used.

3. in some phrases the acc. is used instead of the dat.; hann sýndi á sik mikit gaman, Fms. x. 329; hann lét ekki á sik finna, he shewed no sign of motion, Nj. 111; skaltú önga fáleika á þik gera (Cod. Kalf.), 14.

V. used in a distributive sense; skal mörk kaupa gæzlu á kú, eðr oxa fim vetra gamlan, a mark for every cow, Grág. i. 147; alin á hvert hross, 442; á mann, per man (now freq.): cp. also á dag above, lit. B.

VI. connected with nouns,

1. prepositional; á hendr (with dat.), against; á hæla, at heel, close behind; á bak, at back, i. e. past, after; á vit (with gen.), towards.

2. adverbially; á braut, away, abroad; á víxl, in turns; á mis, amiss; á víð ok dreif, a-wide and a-drift, i. e. dispersedly.

3. used almost redundantly before the following prep.; á eptir, after, behind; á undan, in front of; á meðal, á milli, among; á mót, against; á við, about, alike; á frá (cp. Swed. ifrån), from (rare); á fyrir = fyrir, Haustl. 1; á hjá, beside (rare); á fram, a-head, forwards; á samt, together; ávalt = of allt, always: following a prep., upp á, upon; niðr á, down upon; ofan á, eptir á, post eventum, (temp.) á eptir is loc., id., etc.

VII. connected with many transitive verbs, answering to the Lat. ad- or in-, in composition, in many cases periphrastically for an objective case. The prep. generally follows after the verb, instead of being prefixed to it as in Lat., and answers to the Engl. on, to; heita kalla, hrópa á, to call on; heyra, hlusta, hlyða á, to hearken to, listen to; hyggja, hugsa á, to think on; minna á, to remind; sjá, líta, horfa, stara, mæna, glápa, koma auga … á, to look on; girnast á, to wish for; trúa á, to believe on; skora á, to call on any one to come out, challenge; kæra á, to accuse; heilsa á, to greet; herja, ganga, ríða, hlaupa, ráða … á, to fall on, attack, cp. ágangr, áreið, áhlaup; ljúga á, to tell lies of, to slander; telja á, to carp at; ausa, tala, hella, kasta, verpa … á, to pour, throw on; ríða, bera, dreifa á, to sprinkle on; vanta, skorta á, to fall short of; ala á, to plead, beg; leggja á, to throw a spell on, lay a saddle on; hætta á, to venture on; gizka á, to guess at; kveða á, to fix on, etc.: in a reciprocal sense, haldast á, of mutual strife; sendast á, to exchange presents; skrifast á, to correspond (mod.); kallast á, to shout mutually; standast á, to coincide, so as to be just opposite one another, etc.

f. [Lat. aqua; Goth. ahva; Hel. aha; A. S. eâ; O. H. G. aha, owa; cp. Germ. ach and aue; Fr. eau, eaux; Engl. Ax-, Ex-, etc., in names of places; Swed.-Dan. å; the Scandinavians absorb the hu, so that only a single vowel or diphthong remains of the whole word]:—a river. The old form in nom. dat. acc. sing. is , v. the introduction to A, page 1, Bs. i. 333 sq., where ́n, ́ (acc.), and ́na; so also Greg. 677; the old fragm. of Grág. ii. 222, 223, new Ed. In the Kb. of the Edda the old form occurs twice, viz. page 75, ́na (acc.), (but two lines below, ána), í ́nni (dat.) The old form also repeatedly occurs in the Kb. and Sb. of the Grág., e. g. ii. 266, 267: gen. sing. ár; nom. pl. ár, gen. á contracted, dat. ám, obsolete form ́m; Edda 43, Eg. 80, 99, 133, 185: proverbs, at ósi skal á stemma, answering to the Lat. principiis obsta, Edda 60; hér kemr á til sæfar, here the river runs into the sea, metaph. = this is the very end, seems to have been a favourite ending of old poems; it is recorded in the Húsdrápa and the Norðsetadrápa, v. Edda 96, Skálda 198; cp. the common saying, oil vötn renna til sævar, ‘all waters run into the sea.’ Rivers with glacier water are in Icel. called Hvítá, White river, or Jökulsá: Hitá, Hot river, from a hot spring, opp. to Kaldá, v. Landn.: others take a name from the fish in them, as Laxá, Lax or Salmon river (freq.); Örriða á, etc.: a tributary river is þverá, etc.: ár in the Njála often means the great rivers Ölfusá and Þjórsá in the south of Iceland. Áin helga, a river in Sweden, Hkr. ii: á is also suffixed to the names of foreign rivers, Tempsá = Thames; Dóná, Danube (Germ. Don-au), (mod.), etc. Vide Edda (Gl.) 116, 117, containing the names of over a hundred North-English and Scottish rivers.