life is dearer than money

(gen. fjár), n.

1) cattle, esp. sheep;

þeir ráku féit (the sheep) upp á geilarnar;

gæta fjár, to herd or tend sheep;

ganganda fé, live stock, opp. to ‘dautt fé’, or ‘liggjanda fé,’ valuables, money;

2) property, money (hvárt sem fé þat er land eðr annat fé);

fyrirgøra fé ok fjörvi, to forfeit property and life;

fé er fjörvi firr, life is dearer than money;

fé veldr frænda rógi, money makes foes of kinsmen;

afla sér fjár ok frægðar (frama), to gain wealth and fame;

hér er fé þat (the money), er Gunnarr greiddi;

þiggit þat, herra, fé er í því, there is value in it;

pl. fé (dat. fjám), property, means.

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n., irreg. gen. fjár, dat. fé; pl. gen. fjá, dat. fjám; with the article, féit, féinu, féin, mod. féð, fénu, fén: [Lat. pecu; Goth. faihu; A. S. feoh; Engl. fee; Hel. fehu; O. H. G. fehu; Germ. vieh; Dan. fæ; Swed. få]

I. cattle, in Icel. chiefly sheep; fé né menn, Grett. 101; fjölda fjár, Ld. 210; gæta fjár, to mind sheep, 232; en ef þeir brenna húsin þó at fé manna sé inni, Grág. ii. 164; þeir ráku féit ( the sheep) upp á geilarnar, Ni. 119; kvik-fé, live-stock, q. v.: ganganda fé, id., opp. to dautt fé, dead property, Grág. passim.

COMPDS: fjárbeit, fjárborg, fjárbreiða, fjárdauði, fjárfellir, fjárfóðr, fjárfæði, fjárfæling, fjárganga, fjárgeymsla, fjárgæzla, fjárhagi, fjárheimtur, fjárhirðir, fjárknappr, fjárhundr, fjárhús, fjárkaup, fjárkláði, fjárnyt, fjárpest, fjárrekstr, fjárréttr, fjársauðr.

II. property, money; hvárt sem fé þat er land eðr annat fé, Grág. ii. 237: the allit. phrase, fé ok fjörvi, Sl. 1; hafa fyrir gört fé ok fjörvi, to forfeit property and life, Nj. 191: the proverbs, fé er fjörvi firr, life is dearer than money, 124; fé veldr frænda rógi, money makes foes of kinsmen, Mkv. 1. Common sayings, hafa fullar hendr fjár; afla fjár ok frægðar, to gain wealth and fame, Fms. i. 23 (a standing phrase); afla fjár ok frama, Fs. 7, fjár ok virðingar, id.; seint munu þín augu fylld verða á fénu, Gullþ. 7; þú munt ærit mjök elska féit áðr lýkr, id.; lát mík sjá hvárt fé þetta er svá mikit ok frítt, Gísl. 62; at Þorgils tæki við fjám sínum, Fs. 154; fagrt fé, fine money; at þeir næði féinu, Fms. x. 23; þegn af fé, liberal, Ísl. ii. 344; Auðr tekr nú féit, A. took the money, Gísl. 62; hér er fé þat ( the money) er Gunnarr greiddi mér, Nj. 55; fé þat allt er hann átti, Eg. 98; alvæpni en ekki fé annat, Fms. i. 47: skemman var full af varningi, þetta fé …, v. 255; Höskuldr færði fé allt til skips, Nj. 4; hversu mikit fé er þetta, id.; heimta fé sín, Grág. i. 87; þiggit þat herra, fé er í því, there is value in it, Fms. vii. 197.

COMPDS: fjárafhlutr, fjáraflan, fjárafli, fjárauðn, fjáragirnd, fjárbón, fjárburðr, fjárdráttr, fjárefni, fjáreigandi, fjáreign, fjáreyðsla, fjáreyðslumaðr, fjárfang, fjárfar, fjárforráð, fjárframlag, fjárfundr, fjárgjald, fjárgjöf, fjárgróði, fjárgæzla, fjárgæzlumaðr, fjárhagr, fjárhagamaðr, fjárhald, fjárhaldsmaðr, fjárheimt, fjárhirðsla, fjárhlutr, fjárkaup, fjárkostnaðr, fjárkostr, fjárkrafa, fjárlag, fjárlán, fjárlát, fjárleiga, fjármegin, fjármet, fjármissa, fjármunir, fjárnám, fjárorkumaðr, fjárpína, fjárrán, fjárreiða, fjárreita, fjársaknaðr, fjársekt, fjársjóðr, fjárskaði, fjárskakki, fjárskilorð, fjárskipti, fjárskuld, fjársóan, fjársókn, fjárstaðr, fjártak, fjártal, fjártapan, fjártilkall, fjártillag, fjártjón, fjárupptak, fjárútlát, fjárvarðveizla, fjárvarðveizlumaðr, fjárván, fjárverðr, fjárviðtaka, fjárvöxtr, fjárþarfnaðr, fjárþurð, fjárþurfi.

B. Fé- in COMPDS, usually in sense II, sometimes in sense I: fé-auðna, u, f. money luck. féauðnu-maðr, m. a man lucky in making money, Band. 4. fé-boð, n. an offer of money, Lv. 62, Fms. v. 26, 369, 656 A. 17; a bribe, Grág. i. 72. fébóta-laust, n. adj. without compensation, Glúm. 358. fé-brögð, n. pl. devices for making money, Fms. xi. 423, 623. 21. fé-bætr, f. pl. payments in compensation, esp. of weregild, opp. to mann-hefndir, Nj. 165, Eg. 106, Fs. 53, 74, Ísl. ii. 386. fé-bættr, part. paid for weregild, Gullþ. 12. fé-drengr, m. an open-handed man, Nj. 177. fé-drjúgr, adj. having a deep purse, Ld. 46. fé-fastr, adj. close-fisted, Ísl. ii. 392, Bs. i. 74. fé-fátt, n. adj. in want of money, Eg. 394, Fms. iii. 180, Hkr. iii. 422. fé-fellir, m. losing one’s sheep, Lv. 91. fé-festi, f. close-fistedness, Grett. 155 C. fé-fletta, tt, to strip one of money, cheat one, Fas. iii. 103, v. l. fé-frekr, adj. greedy for money, Rd. 314. fé-föng, n. pl. booty, plunder, spoil, Fms. iii. 18, vii. 78, Eg. 57, 236, Gullþ. 5, Sks. 183 B. fé-gefinn, part. given for (and to) gain, Band. 4, Valla L. 201. fé-girnd, f. avarice, Hom. 86, Al. 4, Pass. 16. 7, 10. fé-girni, f. = fégirnd, Sks. 358, Band. 11, Sturl. i. 47 C. fégjafa-guð, m. the god of wealth, Edda 55. fé-gjald, n. a payment, fine, Nj. 111, 120, Band. 11, Fms. vii. 248. fé-gjarn, adj. greedy, avaricious, Eg. 336, Fs. 133, Nj. 102, Fms. i. 52, vii. 238. fé-gjöf, f. a gift of money, Fs. 11, 21, Fms. i. 53, xi. 325, Ld. 52. fé-glöggr, f. close-handed, Eb. 158. fé-góðr, adj. good, i. e. current, money, D. N. fé-grið, n. pl. security for property, Grág. ii. 21. fé-gyrðill, m. [early Dan. fägürthil], a money bag, purse, worn on the belt, Gísl. 20, Fbr. 66, Þiðr. 35. fé-gætni, f. saving habits, Glúm. 358. fé-göfugr, adj. blessed with wealth, Ísl. ii. 322. fé-hirðir, m. a shepherd, Fas. i. 518, Fms. viii. 342, Gþl. 501: a treasurer, Hkr. i. 36, Eg. 202, Fms. x. 157, vi. 372, viii. 372. fé-hirzla, u, f. a treasury, Fms. vi. 171, vii. 174, Eg. 237, Hom. 9. féhirzlu-hús, n. a treasure-house, Stj. 154. féhirzlu-maðr, m. a treasurer, Karl. 498. fé-hús, n. = fjós, a stall, D. N. (Fr.): a treasury, Róm. 299. fé-kaup, n. a bargain, N. G. L. i. 9. fé-kátliga, adv., Thom. 403. fé-kátr, adj. proud of one’s wealth, Róm. 126. fé-kostnaðr, m. expenditure, expense, Stj. 512, Fms. iv. 215, xi. 202, Hkr. i. 148. fé-kostr, m. = fékostnaðr, Orkn. 40. fé-krókar, m. pl. money-angles, wrinkles about the eyes marking a greedy man (vide auga), Fms. ii. 84. fé-kvörn, f. a small gland in the maw of sheep, in popular superstition regarded, when found, as a talisman of wealth, vide Eggert Itin. ch. 323. fé-lag, n. fellowship, and fé-lagi, a, m. a fellow, vide p. 151. fé-lauss, adj. penniless, Fms. vi. 272, Fs. 79, Gullþ. 5, Landn. 324 (Mant.) fé-lát, n. loss of money, Landn. 195. fé-leysi, n. want of money, Fms. viii. 20. fé-ligr, adj. valuable, handsome, Fms. viii. 206. fé-lítill, adj. short of money, Eg. 691, Sturl. i. 127 C, Fms. v. 182, vi. 271: of little value, Vm. 74, Jm. 13; fé-minstr, yielding the least income, Bs. i. 432. fé-maðr, m. a monied man, Sturl. i. 171, iii. 97, Dropl. 3. fé-mál, n. money affairs, Nj. 5; a suit for money, Fms. viii. 130, Nj. 15, Grág. i. 83. fé-mikill, adj. rich, monied, Sks. 252, Sturl. i. 171 C: costly, Fms. v. 257, xi. 85, Bs. i. 295, Hkr. iii. 247, Eb. 256: expensive, Korm. 224 (in a verse). fé-mildr, adj. open-handed, Nj. 30. fé-missa, u, f. and fé-missir, m. loss of cattle, Jb. 362: loss of money, Grett. 150 C. fé-munir, m. pl. valuables, Hkr. i. 312, Grág. i. 172, Hrafn. 19, 21, Fms. vi. 298, viii. 342. fé-múta, u, f. a bribe in money, Nj. 215, 251, Gullþ. 7, Fms. v. 312, Bs. i. 839, Thom. 72. fé-mætr, adj. ‘money-worth,’ valuable, Fms. i. 105, Ísl. ii. 154, Orkn. 386. fé-neytr ( fé-nýtr), adj. money-worth, Fms. iv. 340, cp. Hkr. ii. 253. fé-nýta, tt, to turn to account, make use of, Bs. i. 760, Grág. ii. 155. fé-penningr, m. a penny-worth, Bs. i. 757. fé-pína, u, f. a fine, H. E. i. 511. fé-prettr, m. a money trick, N. G. L. i. 123. fé-pynd, f. extortion, Bs. i. 757. fé-ráð, n. pl. advice in money-matters, 656 C. 16. fé-rán, n. plunder, Fs. 9, Fms. vi. 263, Fb. i. 215 (in a verse):—execution, confiscation, in the law phrase, féráns-dómr, m. a court of execution or confiscation to be held within a fortnight after the sentence at the house of a person convicted in one of the two degrees of outlawry, vide Grág. Þ. Þ. ch. 29–33, and the Sagas passim, esp. Hrafn. 21, Sturl. i. 135; cp. also Dasent, Introd. to Burnt Njal. fé-ríkr, adj. rich, wealthy, Fms. ix. 272, Gullþ. 7, Ld. 102, Skálda 203. fé-samr, adj. lucrative, Sturl. i. 68 C. fé-sátt ( fé-sætt), f. an agreement as to payment, of weregild or the like, Grág. i. 136, Nj. 189, Ld. 308. fé-sekr, adj. fined, sentenced to a fine, Grág. i. 393. fé-sekt, f. a fine, Nj. 189, Finnb. 276. fé-sinki, f. niggardliness, Sks. 421, 699. fé-sinkr, adj. niggardly, Sturl. i. 162. fé-sjóðr, m., prop. a bag of money, Band. 6, Fbr. 35 new Ed., Nj. 55, Fas. iii. 194: mod. esp. in pl. a treasury, treasure, in Matth. vi. 20, Col. ii. 3, Heb. xi. 26. fé-skaði, a, m. loss in money, Bs. i, Fs. 4, Fms. iv. 327. fé-skipti, n. a sharing or division of property, Nj. 118, Ld. 134. fé-skjálgr, adj., féskjálg augu, eyes squinting for money, Band. 6. fé-skortr, m. shortness of money, Rd. 284. fé-skuld, f. a money debt, Finnb. 350. fé-skurðr, m. detriment, Ld. 44. fé-skygn, adj. covetous, Fms. v. 263. fé-skylft ( fé-skylmt), n. adj., in the phrase, e-n er f., one has many expenses to defray, Grett. 89, 159, Eb. 98. fé-snauðr, adj. poor in money, penniless, Bs. i. 335. fé-sníkja, u, f. ( fé-sníkni), begging, intruding as a parasite, Sks. 669, 451, 585. fé-snúðr, m. lucre, Band. 5, 655 xi. 4. fé-sparr, adj. sparing, close-handed, Band. 6, Fms. iii. 190. fé-spjöll, n. pl. an απ. λεγ. in Vsp. 23, fee-spells, i. e. spells wherewith to conjure hidden treasures out of the earth, where we propose to read,—valði hón (MS. henne, dat.) Herföðr (dat.) … f. spakleg, she (the Vala) endowed the father of hosts (Odin) with wise fee-spells; the passage in Yngl. S. ch. 7—Óðinn vissi of allt jarðfé hvar fólgit var—refers to this very word; Odin is truly represented as a pupil of the old Vala, receiving from her his supernatural gifts. fé-sterkr, adj. wealthy, Fms. iv. 231, Sks. 274. fé-stofn, m. stock. fé-sæla, u, f. wealth, Hkr. i. 15, Edda 16. fé-sæll, adj. wealthy, Edda 15. fé-sök, f. a suit, action for money, Nj. 15, Grág. i. 138. fé-útlega, u, f. a fine, outlay, N. G. L. i. 85. fé-vani, adj. short of money, Fms. iv. 27. fé-ván, f. expectancy of money, Gullþ. 7, Eg. 241, Fms. iv. 27, Orkn. 208. fé-veizla, u, f. contributions, help, Sks. 261, v. l. fé-vél, n. a trick, device against one’s property, N. G. L. i. 34. fé-víti, n. mulct, Grág. fé-vænliga, adv. in a manner promising profit, Fms. v. 257. fé-vænligr, adj. promising profit, profitable, Sturl. i. 138, Fms. v. 257. fé-vænn, adj. = févænligr, Sturl. i. 138. fé-vöxtr, m. increase in property, gain, Eg. 730. fé-þurfi, adj. in need of money, Eb. 164, Fms. ii. 80, Lv. 108, Fas. i. 392. fé-þúfa, u, f. a ‘money-mound,’ used in the Tales like Fortunatus’ purse; in the phrase, hafa e-n fyrir féþúfu, to use one as a milch cow, to squeeze money out of one. fé-þyrfi and fé-þörf, f. need of money, poverty, Rd. 236. fé-örk, f. a money-chest, 224.