máttr

(gen. máttar, dat. mætti), m.

1) might, strength; var mér alls máttar ( I had to use all my strength) áðr ek kom henni upp;

2) strength, health; reiðuliga svaraði hón, of nökkurr spurði at mætti hennar, if any one asked how she was; er at leið mætti hans, when he began to sink.

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m., máttar, dat. mætti, pl. mættir; [Ulf. mahts = δύναμις; A. S. meaht; Engl. might; O. H. G. maht; Germ. macht; Dan. magt]:—might, strength: allit., trúa á mátt sinn ok megin, Fms. i. 35: er at þessu orðinn svá mikill m. ( it has come to such a pitch) at hér eru við vafðir margir ríkis-menn, Fms. xi. 264; ok allir mættir hræðask, 623. 26: value, Skálda 175, 176; var mér alls máttar ( I had to use might and main) áðr ek kom henni upp, Fms. iii. 74.

II. strength, health; ílla ertú leikinn, sé ek at eigi er máttrinn mikill, Fb. ii. 388; jarl hafði fengit harða sótt ok kölluðu hættligan mátt hans, Fms. ix. 390; hann hefir mál sitt, en þó máttr sem minnstr, xi. 102; hón spurði hversu þá skyldi mætti manns komit vera er heita skal fyrir manni, Bs. i. 69; en þóat máttrinn þyrri mjök, 175; ek lá fyrr í sótt með litlum mætti oleaðr, 110; síðan fór hann heim með litlum mætti, 144; er at leið mætti hans, when he began to sink, Fms. viii. 258; hón svaraði reiðuliga ef nokkurr spurði at mætti hennar, Ld. 14; hón leiddi mjök at fréttir um mátt Halldóru, Sturl. i. 200; cp. van-máttr, weakness.

COMPDS: máttdreginn, máttfarinn, máttlauss, máttleysi, máttlítill.

ar, m., dat. -mætti, almightiness, omnipotence (eccl.), of God, 671. 3; sinn alm́tt (acc.), Ísl. i. (Hom.) 386, Fms. i. 226, 655 vi. 2; vide almætti, n.

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.

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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.

* * *

(gef; gaf, gáfum; gefinn), v.

1) to give (gefa e-m e-t);

hann gaf þeim góðar gjafar, he gave them good gifts;

gefa e-m ráð, to give one advice;

gefa hljóð, to give a hearing;

gefa e-m sök, e-t at sök, to lay to one’s charge, to bring a charge against one;

gefa slög, to deal blows;

gefa e-m drekka, to give one to drink;

impers., e-m gefr byr (byri), one gets a fair wind (gaf þeim byr ok sigla þeir í haf);

absol., gaf þeim vel, they got a fair wind;

ef fœri gefr á, if you get a chance;

ef yðr (dat.) gefr eigi missýi í þessu máli, if you are not mistaken in this matter;

þat gaf öllum vel skilja, it was clear for all to understand;

2) to give, grant;

gefa heimleyfi, to grant furlough;

gefa e-m grið, to grant quarter or pardon to one;

gefa e-m líf, to grant one his life;

3) to give in matrimony (ek var ung gefin Njáli);

4) to give fodder to cattle, to feed (gefa göltum, nautum, kúm, hestum);

5) gefa staðar, to stop;

lét hann þá staðar gefa róðrinn, he stopped rowing;

6) e-m er e-t svá gefit, or svá gefit um e-t, one is so and so disposed, thinks so and so of a thing (ef þér er þetta svá gefit sem þú segir);

7) with preps.:

gefa sér litit (mikit) af (or at) e-u, to take little (much) notice of;

gefa á e-t, to pour water on;

fig. to press on (gefr Ormr þá á);

gefa e-m til e-s, to give in return for a thing (gefa fé til sátta);

impers., honum hafði vel gefit til (had good luck) um hefndina;

gefa sér mikit (lítit) um e-t, to take great (little) interest in (= gefa sér mikit, lítit, af or at e-u);

gefa sér fátt um e-t, to take coldly, take little notice of;

gefa e-t upp, to give up (gefa upp alla mótstöðu);

gefa sik upp, to surrender;

gefa upp gamalmenni, to give old people up, let them starve;

gefa upp leiguna, to remit the rent;

gefa upp sakir, to remit offences;

upp gefinn, exhausted;

gefa e-t við e-u, to give in payment for;

gefa sik við, to give in (þat er líkara, at ek gefa mik við);

8) refl., gefast.

* * *

pret. gaf, 2nd pers. gaft, mod. gafst, pl. gáfu; pres. gef; pret. subj. gæfi; part. gefinn; with neg. suff. gef-at, gaft-attu, Fm. 7; mid. form gáfumk ( dabat or dabant mihi, nobis), Stor. 23, Bragi, Edda: [Goth. giban = διδόναι; A. S. gifan; Engl. give; Dutch geven; O. H. G. gepan; Germ. geben; Swed. gifva; Dan. give.]

A. To give, with acc. of the thing, dat. of the person; g. gjafar, to give gifts, Fm. 7, Fms. vii. 40, Nj. 29, Hm. 48; mikit eitt skala manni gefa, 51; hann kvaðsk eingin yxn eiga þau áðr at honum þætti honum gefandi (gerundial, worth giving to him), Rd. 256; hann gaf stórgjafir öllu stórmenni, Ld. 114; hann gaf þeim góðar gjafir at skilnaði, Gísl. 9; Rútr gaf henni hundrað álna, Nj. 7; viltú g. mér þá, 73, 75, 281, passim.

II. to give in payment, to pay; gefa vildim vit þér fé til, we will give thee money for it, Nj. 75; yðr væri mikit gefanda (gerundial) til, at þér hefðit ekki íllt átt við Gunnar, you would have given a great deal not to have provoked Gunnar, 98; ek mun g. þér til Guðrúnu dóttur mína ok féit allt, id.: to lay out, hann gaf sumt verðit þegar í hönd, Gísl. 12; gefa e-t við e-u, to pay for a thing; at þér gefit mjök margra Kristinna manna líf við yðvarri þrályndi, that you will cause the loss of many Christian lives with your stubbornness, Fms. iv. 195; þat er líkara at ek gefa mikit við, Nj. 53; gefa sik við e-u, to give oneself to a thing, attend to, be busy about, mod.: gefa í milli, to discount; hygg at hvat þú gefr í milli tveggja systra, Fms. iv. 195 (hence milli-gjöf, discount).

III. in special sense, to give in matrimony; Njáll bað konu til handa Högna ok var hon honum gefin, Nj. 120; Vígdís var meir gefin til fjár en brautargengis, V. had been more wedded to the money than to her advancement, Ld. 26; segir at dóttir þeirra muni eigi betr verða gefin, 114:—gefa saman, to betroth, Fms. x. 381:—in mod. sense to marry, of the clergyman.

2. to give as a dowry, portion; búum þeim er Sveinn hafði gefit til hennar, Fms. x. 310 (hence til-gjöf, dowry); eigi skal ok í klæðum meira heiman gefask með konu en þriðjungr (hence heiman-gjöf, dowry), Gþl. 212:—so also, gefa í erfðir, to give as inheritance, Bs. i. 285:—gefa ölmusu, to give alms, Bs. passim; gefa fátækum, to give to the poor, passim.

IV. to give, grant; hann gaf honum vald yfir öllu landi, Fms. i. 18; gefa heimleyfi, to grant ‘home-leave,’ furlough, ix. 474; gefa orlof, ii. 64; gefa grið, to grant a truce to one, pardon, Nj. 165, Fms. ix. 479; gefa e-m líf, to grant one his life, 470.

V. in various phrases; gefa e-m nafn, to give one a name, Nj. 91, Fms. i. 23, Grág. ii. 146; gefa þakkir, to give thanks, Fms. i. 231; gefa e-m tillæti, to indulge one, Nj. 169; gefa e-m rúm, to give place to one, Fms. ii. 254, vi. 195; gefa ráð, to give counsel, advice, Nj. 75, 78; gefa góð orð, to give good words, answer gently; gefa e-m stór orð, to give one big words, Fms. v. 158; gefa slög, to deal blows, ix. 313; gefa gaum at, to give heed to, Nj. 57, Eg. 551; gefa hljóð, to give a hearing, in public speaking, Nj. 230; gefa tóm, to give time, leisure, 98; gefa ró reiði, to calm one’s wrath, 175:—gefa e-m sök, to bring a charge against, complain of, 82; ok gaf ek þó hjálminum enga sök á því, I did not like the helmet less for that, Ld. 128; at eigi sé mælt, at þú gefir dauðum sök, that thou bringest a charge against a dead man (which was unlawful), Nj. 82; en hvártki okkat gefr þat öðru at sök, neither of us likes the other the less for that, 52; ekki gef ek þér þat at sök þótt þú sér engi bleyðimaðr, 54; engi þorði þó sakir á at gefa, none durst complain, Al. 123; Sigurðr jarl bað konung eigi gefa Þrændum þetta at sök, Fms. i. 57; gefa kæru upp á e-n, to give in a complaint against one, Dipl. ii. 13.

2. gefa sér um …, to give oneself trouble about, take interest in, mostly followed by a noun; gefa sér fátt um e-t, to take coolly; gefa sér mikit um, to take great interest in; Þorfinnr lét gefa honum mat, en gaf sér lítið at honum, but else took little notice of him, Grett. 96; ekki er þess getið, at hann gæfi sér mikit um, that he shewed great interest, Fms. i. 289; mun ek mér ok ekki um þetta gefa, I will let this pass, not take offence at it, Boll. 354; en ef til mín kæmi tveir eða þrír, þá, gaf ek mér ekki um, then I took no notice of it, Fms. ii. 151; konungr gaf sér fátt um þat, Fb. i. 261; hann þóttisk vita hvat keisaranum mislíkaði ok gaf sér þó ekki um at sinni, Fms. vi. 71; ok gáfu sér ekki um viðbúnaðinn, vii. 87; so also, Skúli gaf sér litið at hvat biskup sagði, S. troubled himself little at what the bishop said, Bs. i. 873:—akin is the mod. phrase, eg gef ekki um það, I do not want it; gefðu ekki um það, do not care for it, mind it not; eg gaf ekki um að sjá það, I did not want to see it, etc.

3. gefa staðar, to stop; lét hann þá staðar gefa róðrinn, he stopped rowing, Fms. vi. 384; konungr gaf staðar ok hlýddi til frásagnar þeirra, viii. 400; ok þá er sá íss gaf staðar ok rann eigi, Edda 3; ok þeir gefa eigi stað ferðinni fyrr en þeir kómu norðr, 151 (pref.); svá at staðar gaf (MS. naf) höndin við sporðinn, 40.

VI. to give out, deal out; hón bað gefa sér drekka, bade give him to drink, Eg. 604: to give a dose, gefa e-m eitr, Al. 156:—absol. to give fodder to cattle, gefa göltum, Hkv. 2. 37; gefa nautum, kúm, hestum, Sturl. ii. 42, Gísl. 28:—gefa á, to dash over, of sea-water, cp. ágjöf: to pour water on, var gluggr á ofninum syá at útan mátti á gefa, Eb. 134; síðan lét hann gefa útan á baðit í glugg, 136; gefa á ker, to fill a goblet, Clar.: metaph. to press on, gefr Ormr þá á, Fb. i. 530 (in wrestling).

VII. with prepp., fyrir-gefa, to forgive, freq. in mod. usage, but scarcely found in old writers; so also gefa til, cp. Dan. tilgive, D. N., vide Safn i. 96, (rare and obsolete):—gefa upp, to give up; gefa upp gamalmenni, to give old people up, let them starve, Fms. ii. 225; gefa upp föður eða móður, 227; bændr báðu hann gefa upp eyna, Grett. 145: to remit, en þó vil ek nú upp gefa þér alla leiguna, Nj. 128; gaf honum upp reiði sína, Fms. x. 3, 6; ok gefit oss upp stórsakir, ii. 33; Brján konungr gaf upp þrysvar útlögum sínum inar sömu sakir, Nj. 269: absol., hvárt vilit þér gefa honum upp, pardon him, 205; gefa upp alla mótstöðu, to give up all resistance, Fms. ix. 322; gefa sik upp, to give oneself up, surrender, i. 198; þá gefum vér upp várn stað, 104; gefa upp ríki, konungdóm, to give up the kingdom, abdicate, resign, x. 4, xi. 392: to give up, hand over to one, Magnús konungr gaf honum upp Finnferðina með slíkum skildaga, vii. 135; ek vil gefa ykkr upp búit at Varmalæk, Nj. 25; allir hafa þat skaplyndi at gefa þat fyrst upp er stolit er, 76: to give up, leave off, gefa upp leik, to give up playing, Fas. iii. 530; gefa upp horn, Fms. vi. 241: to exhaust, empty, upp ætlu vér nú gefnar gersimar yðrar, vii. 197.

B. IMPERS., a naut. term; e-m gefr byri, byr (acc. pl. or sing.), one gets a fair wind; gaf þeim byr ok sigla þeir í haf, Nj. 4; gaf þeim vel byri, 138; er þeir vóru búnir ok byr gaf, Eg. 99: so also absol. with or without dat. of the person, gaf kaupmönnum burt af Grænlandi, the sailors got a wind off Greenland, so as to sail from it, Fb. iii. 454; því at eigi gaf suðr lengra, Fms. ii. 185; gaf þeim vel, ix. 268; gaf honum ílla, x. 4; gaf honum eigi austan, Nj. 63: so in the saying, svo gefr hverjum sem hann er góðr.

2. in other phrases, to get a chance; ef færi (acc.) gefr á, if you get a chance, Nj. 266; halda njósnum, nær bezt gæfi færi á honum, to keep a look-out, when there was best chance to get at him, 113; til þess gefr nú vel ok hógliga, ‘tis a fair and easy opportunity for that, Al. 156; mæltu menn at honum hafði vel gefit til ( had good luck) um hefndina, Fms. vii. 230; ef yðr (dat.) gefr eigi missýni í þessu máli, if you are not mistaken in this matter, Fbr. 32; gaf þeim glámsýni (q. v.) er til vóru komnir, Sturl. i. 179, Stj. 401; þá gaf mér sýn, then I beheld (in a vision), Fms. vii. 163; þat gaf öllum vel skilja, it was clear for all to understand, it lay open to all, vi. 70; e-m gefr á að líta, one can see, i. e. it is open and evident.

C. REFLEX., gefask vel (ílla), to shew oneself, prove good ( bad); það sé ván at þú gefisk honum eigi vel, er þú gefsk öllum öðrum mönnum ílla, Nj. 32; eigi deilir litr kosti ef þú gefsk vel, 78; hversu gafsk Björn þér, Kári, 265; opt hafa mér vel gefisk yður ráð, your counsels have often proved good to me, Ld. 252; hefir þeim þat ok aldri vel gefisk ( it has never turned out well) í þessu landi, Fms. vii. 22; ílla gefask ílls ráð, a saying, Nj. 20; hétu allir góðu um at gefask vel (i. e. to fight manfully), Fms. vii. 262:—to happen, turn out, come to pass, sem síðan gafsk, x. 416; svá honum gafsk, so it turned out for him, Sl. 20; ok svá gæfisk, ef eigi hefði Guð þá sína miskun til sent, and so it would have come to pass, unless …, Fms. x. 395:—gefsk mér svá, it seems to me so, methinks it is so, Karl. 290, 308 (vide A. V. 2. above); þat allsheri at undri gefsk, to all people it is a wonder, Ad. 18; e-m er e-t svá gefit, to be so and so disposed, to think so and so of a thing; ef þér er þetta svá gefit sem þú segir, Fms. v. 236; svá er mér gefit, son minn, at ek em þér fegin orðin, Ó. H. 33; sagði hann at svá mundi jarli gefit, Fms. ix. 244; en svá ætla ek flestum lendum mönnum gefit, at eigi munu skiljask frá Skúla jarli, 429, v. l.; þyki mér ok sem svá muni flestum gefit, at fé sé fjörvi firr, Ld. 266; en þat mun þó mestu um stýra hversu Þórdísi er um gefit, 302; síðan talaði konungr þetta mál við systur sína, ok spurði hversu henni væri um þetta gefit, Fms. ii. 221: of the gifts of nature, mikill máttr er gefinn goðum várum, Nj. 132; ok er þat mál manna, at henni hafi allt verit ílla gefit þat er henni var sjálfrátt, i. e. that she was a bad woman in everything of her own making (but well gifted by nature), 268; ok svá er sagt at honum hafi flestir hlutir höfðinglegast gefnir verit, 254.

2. with prepp., gefask upp, to give up, give in, surrender, Nj. 64, 124, Eg. 79: mod. to lose one’s breath: upp gefinn, upset; eigi þykjumk ek upp gefinn þó at ek sjá smávofur, Grett. 112; eigi þyki mér vit upp gefnir, ef vit veitumk at, 131; en þó at þeir feðgar sé ríkir menn, þá eru vér þó ekki upp gefnir fyrir þeim, Fb. ii. 195: in mod. usage, exhausted, having lost one’s breath, eg er uppgefinn; also of a horse, hann gafsk upp, harm er stað-uppgefinn:—e-m gefsk yfir, to do wrong, commit a fault, fail; þat mæla menn at þessi hlutr hafi konunginum yfir gefisk helzt, Fms. xi. 283; ef göfgum mönnum gáfusk stórir hlutir yfir, if the noble gave gross offence, did evil things, Bs. i. 107; engi er svá vitr at eigi gefisk yfir nokkut sinn, Karl. 451:—to give oneself to one, gefask Kristi, N. G. L. i. 339; gefsk þú hánum þá í dag með Guði, Nj. 157; gefask á vald e-s, to give oneself into another’s power, Fms. ix. 479.

II. recipr. to give to one another; gefask gjöfum, Bret. 48; gáfusk þeir gjöfum áðr þeir skildu, Bs. i. 274.

III. part. gefinn, given to a thing, in a spiritual sense, devout; g. fyrir bækr, lestr, smíðar, etc., given to books, reading, workmanship, etc.

(-s, -ar), m.

1) might, strength, power; með öllum krapti, with might and main;

2) virtue;

3) superhuman being, angel.

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or kraftr, m., gen. krapts and kraptar, dat. krapti; [Engl. craft; Germ., Swed., and Dan. kraft; prob. akin to krappr, prop. meaning a crooked bar, such as ribs and knees in a ship, which sense has been kept in the weak form krapti; whence metaph. it came to mean power, strength]:—might, strength, power; með öllum krapti, with might and main, Fms. vii. 305; með miklum krapti, x. 274; engi er æðri kraptr eða styrkri, Sks. 25; undir krapti hlýðninnar, Mar.; algörr í kröptum, 656 A. 2; görðisk svá mikill máttr at krapti hans, 655 iii. 4; með ljósi krapts síns, Niðrst. 7; ek særi þik fyrir alla krapta Krists þíns, Nj. 176; af Guðs megni ok krapti ins heilaga kross, Fms. x. 417. In the N. T. δύναμις is often rendered by kraptr, Guðs kraptr, Matth. xxii. 29; kraptar himnanna, xxiv. 29; til hægri handar Kraftarins, xxvi. 64. krafta-verk, n. (Gr. δυνάμις), ‘power-work,’ a miracle, N. T. passim; for jartein (q. v.) is not Biblical, Magn. 430:—in plur. powers, supernatural, whence krapta-skáld, n. a ‘power-scald,’ a poet whose song has a magical power, see Ísl. Þjóðs.: physical, bodily strength, hafa mikla krafta, to be strong; litla krapta, to be weak.

COMPDS: kraptalauss, kraptalán, kraptaleysi, kraptalítill, kraptamaðr, kraptamikill, kraptaskáld.

(-s, -ir), m. body.

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m., gen. líkams, pl. líkami, dat. líkaminum, Stj. 55; a weak form líkami, a, m., is also freq.; [A. S. lîchoma; Old Engl. lichame; Scot. licama; O. H. G. lîhhamo; Germ. leichnam; Dan. legeme]:—the body, prop. qs. ‘flesh-cover’ or ‘flesh-frame’ (lík-hamr), denoting the body, its hue and frame, but used esp. of the living body; es þræls líkam tók á sik, Greg. 49; manns líkami, Gþl. 41; sálur ok líkamir, Hom. 160, passim; when used of the lifeless body líkamr is a gentler term than lík; síðan gengu til allir menn at sjá líkami þeirra, … hversu lítask yðr líkamir þessir? … ek hefi engis dauðs manns líkama sét jafnbjartan, Nj. 208; þeir fundu líkama Skarphéðins þar, 109; þá er líkamr þessa manns var útborinn, Fms. v. 218; slöri fnyk af líkamanum, x. 379; líkama föður síns, 408: thus in the N. T. σωμα is rendered by líkami, not lík, Matth. xvii. 58, 59, Mark xv. 43, 45, Luke xxiii. 52, 55, xxiv. 3, John xix. 38, 40 (of Christ in the grave):—metaph., sólarinnar líkamr, Stj. 16; af hræring nokkurs líkama, Skálda 173; saman lesa ór líkama heilagra Guðspjalla, H. E. i. 584.

II. in a metaph. or eccl. sense = σάρξ, the flesh, in many compds, carnal: líkams aldr, a natural age, Hom. 55; líkams afl, bodily strength, 146; líkams dauði, a natural death, Stj., Greg. 42, 54; líkams freistni, carnal temptation, 51, 59; líkams fýst, carnal lust, Stj. 159: líkams liðr, a limb of the body, Greg. 25; líkams losti, carnal lust, K. Á. 28, 124, N. G. L. i. 20, Hom. 159; líkams máttr, bodily strength, 157; líkams meinlæti, chastisement of the body, 48; líkams fjötrar, the fathers of the body; líkams munuð. carnal lust, 70; líkams synd, a carnal sin, Stj. 146; líkams vit, bodily sense, 625. 177; líkama líf, bodily life, 677. 4.

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n. strength, power; eptir öllu magni, to the best of one’s power.

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n. [cp. megin and mega], main (as in ‘might and main’), strength; hver Guð hafa þér magn gefit? Bær. 9; trúa magni, Fas. i. 438 (in a verse); þótt magnit væri litið, Bs. i; sina-magn, the strength of the houghs, Vkv. 16; fyrir sakir magns munar, by main force, Bs. i. 679; vinds magn, Barl. 63; mátt ok magn, Fb. i. 259; meira magn, Bs. ii. 18; vera e-t um magn, to be beyond one’s power, too strong for one, Stj. 395; bera e-n magni, to overpower by main force, 512; hón segir at máttr skal at magni um liðveizlu við hann, she says that might shall go with main in helping him, Ó. H. 144; af magni, with might and main, Lex. Poët.; eptir öllu magni, id., Fms. viii. 104; er þat við meira magni, at þú gengr við slíkar meiðingar, it is a sorer thing that …, Bs. i. 531; magn flóttans = megin, Fb. ii. 615; magn ríkis síns, Al. 53: plur. goð-mögn (q. v.), see megin.

f. might, power.

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f. [a for. word, for the genuine form is máttr, q. v.]:—might, power, Bs. i. 773, Clar., and in romances of a later date, freq. in mod. usage, Pass., Vídal. passim.

COMPDS: maktarleiki, maktarmaðr.

n. strength, = megin, máttr( hann hafði fjogurra manna m.); um m. e-m, beyond one’s strength; þetta mál er nökkut þér um m. með at fara, is rather too much for you.

a. strong, mighty (megnt mannfall); með megnu hugskoti, with a strong mind.

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n. = megin, a contr. form, strength; likams megn, Bs. i. 317; megn ok frækleik, Fms. x. 256; hann hafði fjögurra manna megn, Háv. 54; af Guðs megni ok af krapti ens helga kross, Fms. x. 417; treysta á mátt ok megn = mátt ok megin, Or. 24; deila megn við e-n, to contend with, Lil. 8; var í því mest megn, it went to the highest pitch at Yule time, Bs. ii. 21: the phrase, um megn, beyond one’s strength, power; kasta steini um megn sér. Eg. 473; þetta mál er nokkut þér um megn með at fara, Fms. vi. 18; þat ráð mun þér verða um megn, 151; Guði er ekki um megn at reisa hann upp af dauða, Stj. 132; yfir megn, id., Bs. ii. 162, 175.

COMPDS: megnlauss, megnlítill.

adj. main, strong, mighty; var þá megnt mannfall, Sturl. iii. 63; svá var megn þessi rógburðr, at …, Fas. ii. 372; með megnu hugskoti, with a strong mind, forti animo, Bs. i. 11.

2. freq. in mod. usage in the sense bitter, fierce; and of taste, strong, bitter: of a quarrel, megn deila, megnt hatr: of illness, megn sótt, a strong fever; megn kvöl, the bitter pang, Pass. 41. 9: of a gale, megn stormr, megn hríð, megnt kafald: of taste, það er megnt, has a hot taste, of acid or the like: of smell, megn lykt: of hay, megnt hey: of food, megn matr, strong meat for the sick.

(met, matta, mattr), v. to lap (with the tongue).

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met, matti, [Ulf. matjan = φαγειν; from matr], prop. to ‘take food,’ but it remains only in the special sense to lap with the tongue like a dog; þeir er sötra vatn ór lófum allt eitt ok rakkar metja með tungu, Stj. 392: in mod. usage esp. used of fishes mumbling with the mouth in water when feeding, þtir vóru at metja stökkva ok steðja, Bb. 2. 29; metja strauminn, to gulp the stream, id.

II. metaph., meta árum í sjó, to dip the oars into the water, to dabble with the oars; þá meta þau í árum ok róa burt slíkt er þau mega, Háv. 46; kindred is the passage Fspl. 19, Skögul at skutlum skaptker Hnikars mat af miði minnis-hornum, S. ladled the mead with the horns, filling them out of the skapker, see Dr. Schewing’s note to the passage in his edition of the poem. The form mat for matti is due to a confusion with meta mat.

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1) memory (hann missti minnis ok þótti nær sem vitstolinn) leggja e-t í m., to lay up in the mind; reka m. til e-s, to call to mind;

2) esp. in pl. memorials (slík m. hafa Íslendingar Haralds konungs ok mörg önnur); settir eptir (viz. dauða) bautasteinar til minnis, as a memorial;

3) memory, of past time; þeir er vóru fyrir várt m., who lived before we can remember;

4) memorial cup, toast (at old sacrifices and banquets); mæla fyrir minnum, to propose a toast.

a. compar., answering to lítill, less, smaller; least, smallest (var minna karp þitt, meðan H. konungr lifði); er sá kallaðr minni maðr (lower in rank), er öðrum fóstrar barn.

n. mouth (of a river, fjord, valley), = mynni.

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compar. and superl. minnstr, answering to lítill, q. v.: [Ulf. miniza and minists; O. H. G. miniro; Germ. minder, minderste; Dan.-Swed. mindre, mindst; Lat. minor, minimus]:—lesser, smaller, and superl. least, smallest, of stature, quantity, following the same rule as lítill (q. v.), and opp. to meiri; minna lið, Grág. i. 44; minni laun, Nj. 10; máttr sem minnstr, Fms. xi. 102; minnstr ok vesalligstr, Háv. 53; var minna karp þitt, er …, Fms. vii. 21; þeir áttu minna í at hefna, Eg. 86; liggja í minna rúmi, Mork. 183; svá sem hann má minnstu við koma, Grág. i. 140.

II. metaph., minnstir fyrir sér, Eg. 123; þú ert minni fyrir þér en ek hugða, Edda 33; þat lið er honum þótti minni fylgð í, Fms. iv. 350; sá er kallaðr minni maðr ( lower in rank) er öðrum fóstrar barn, Ld. 108: hence vera minni maðr, of a person who has done a dishonourable deed, dishonoured [cp. Lat. capitis minor]: eigi at minna, nevertheless, 216. minni-háttar and minnst-háttar, adv. of lesser, least degree, the least, Fs. 59.

n. [Ulf. ga-minþi = μνεία; A. S. mynd; Engl. mind]:— memory; minni, vit ok skilning, minni at muna…, Skálda 169, Fbr. 137; hann misti minnis ok þótti nær sem vitstolinn, Fms. vi. 198; sumir hafa eigi m. þá er frá líðr hvernig þeim var sagt, ok gengusk þeim mjök í minni optliga, Ó. H. (pref.); leggja í minni, to keep in memory, Fb. ii. 353; því er ek má mínu minni á koma, Str. 2; reka minni til, Fms. vi. 256, Fb. i. 262; festask e-m í minni, Ó. H. 46; reka minni til e-s.

2. memorials, esp. in pl.; þvílík minni hafa menn þar Haralds konungs, Fagrsk. 127; ok settir eptir bautasteinar til minnis, Ó. H. (pref.); hann hjó þat högg er menn hafa síðan at minnum haft, Fb. ii. 23, Fms. xi. 109: old saws or the like, hölzti eru þau minnin forn, Mkv.; ok skal orðtak vera forn minni, Edda (Ht.) 125.

3. memory, of past time; þeirra er vóru fyrir várt minni, who lived before our memory, Íb. 16; þat er ór manna m., beyond the memory of man, D. N. iii. 34; ér erfðuð hann, þat er í mínu m., Skálda 171; ú-minni, lethargy.

4. mind, consent (Dan. minde, ‘give sit minde til noget;’ Engl. ‘give one’s mind to it’); með sjálfs síns minni, K. Á. 70; utan biskup minni, D. N. i. 382.

II. a memorial cup or toast, at old sacrifices and banquets: these memorial toasts were in the heathen age consecrated (signuð) to the gods Thor, Odin, Bragi, Frey, Njord, who, on the introduction of Christianity, were replaced by Christ, the Saints, the Archangel Michael, the Virgin Mary, and St. Olaf; the toasts to the Queen, Army, etc. in English banquets are probably a relic of this ancient Teutonic ceremony; Krists-minni, Fms. vii. 148; Máriu-m., x. 19; Ólafs-minni, N. G. L. ii. 445, cp. in the heathen age Braga-full; þar vóru öll minni signuð Ásum at fornum sið, Ó. H. 102; bera minni um eld, O. H. L. 18; bera öl um eld ok drekka m. á þann er gegnt var, Fms. vi. 442; fóru minni mörg ok skyldi horn drekka í minni hvert, Eg. 206; drakk hann þá öll minni krossalaus þau er bændr skenktu honum, Hkr. i. 144; mæla fyrir minnum, to speak to a toast, propose, give a toast, Orkn. 246, Fs. 147; skyldi þar um gólf ganga at minnum öllum, Eg. 253; Þorgils skyldi mæla fyrir minnum, en hann veik til Þórðar ok bað hann ráða hver minni fyrst væri drukkin, i. e. that Th. should be the toast-master, Sturl. i. 20 (the banquet in Reykhólar, A. D. 1119). At a funeral banquet the minni of the deceased was proposed by the heir, who at the same time made a vow (strengja heit); this rite performed, he took his father’s scat in the hall, and was henceforth the lawful heir, Fms. i. 161: a minni to a living person is nowhere mentioned. For the classical passages see Hák. S. Góða ch. 16, 17, Fms. i. 280; and for funeral banquets, Fagrsk. ch. 55.

COMPDS: minnisdrykkja, minnisgóðr, minnishorn, minnislauss, minnisleysi, minnisstæðr, minnisveig, minnisverðr, minnisöl.

(gen. seiðs or seiðar), m. spell, charm, enchantment, incantation; seiða (efla, magna) seið, to work a spell, practise sorcery.

* * *

m., gen. seiðar, dat. seiði; the fem. seið sina (sinn), Fms. ii. 136, and seiðit, Fas. iii. 319, are false forms:—a spell, charm, enchantment, incantation, which in the heathen times was solemnly performed at night; the wizards or witches were seated with certain solemn rites on a scaffold (seiðhjallr), from which they chanted their spells and songs; the ‘seidr’ was performed either to work any kind of good or evil to another person, or to be a kind of oracle or fortune-telling, to foreshow future events, such as the life and fate of those present, the weather, or the like; of the evil kind is the charm in Gísl. l. c., Ld. 152; fá at seið, Hkr. i. 21; Ingjaldr ok völvan ætluðu til seiðar mikils um nóttina, Fas. ii. 507; Freyja kenndi fyrst með Ásum seið, 8; fremja seið, Þorf. Karl. 376; efla seið, Eg. 403, Fas. ii. 72; magna seið, Gísl. 116; konungr bað hann hætta seiði, Fms. i. 10: hón bað fá sér konur er kunnu fræði þat sem til seiðsins þarf, Þorf. Karl. 378; var þangat at heyra íll læti er þeir frömdu seiðinn (seiðit Ed. wrongly), Fas. iii. 319: seiðis-hús, the house where the spell was worked. Fas. iii. 166, v. l.; in Yngl. S. ch. 7 the charm of ‘seidr’ is attributed to Odin; Óðinn kunni þá íþrótt, er mestr máttr fylgdi, ok framði sjálfr, er seiðr heitir, en af því mátti hann vita örlög manna ok úorðna hluti, svá ok at göra mönnum bana eðr úhamingju eða vanheilindi, svá ok at taka frá mönnum vit eðr afl ok gefa öðrum, en þessi fjölkyngi, er framið er, fylgir svá mikil ergi, at eigi þótti karlmönnum skammlaust við at fara, ok var gyðjunum kennd sú íþrótt, Yngl. S. ch. 7; as to the rites and ceremonies of the ‘seidr’ see esp. the interesting account in Þorf. Karl. S. ch. 3, compared with that in Vd. ch. 10 and Örvar Odds S. ch. 2 and 3; even the old poem Völuspá is framed as a song delivered by a prophetess working a spell. The witch scene in Macbeth is an echo of the ancient ‘seidr’ as it survived in tradition in Shakespeare’s time, though the devilry and the cauldron are later additions.

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(að), v.

1) to arrange, place in order, draw up, with dat. (Egill skipaði svá mönnum þeim, er merkit báru); s. e-m fyrir e-t or yfir e-t, to put one in charge of; s. e-m hjá e-m, to assign a seat to one beside another (jarlinn skipaði þeim hjá Gunnlaugi); fig. to explain; s. draumi, to interpret a dream;

2) with acc. to take up, occupy; skipuðu konur pall, the women were seated on the pallr; hann skipaði öndvegi, he had his place in the high-seat; to arrange, array, s. fylking sína, to draw up one’s line of battle; var skjöldum skipat allt húsit um veggina, the walls were all hung with shields;

3) s. e-m e-t, to assign a thing to one (skipaði hann nú allt land sínum sýslumönnum); also without dat. (Geirmundr skipar jarðir sínar á laun);

4) to man (skipuðu þeir skipin sem bezt); ek skal s. húskörlum mínum annat skipit, I will man one of them with my house-carles;

5) s. til e-s, to arrange, make ready for (s. til atlögu); s. til búa sinna, to put one’s household in order; þó mun eigi of skipat til ánna, there will not be too many rams for the ewes;

6) to change; bið hann, at þit skipit máldaga, ask him to change the bargain;

7) reflex., skipast, to draw up (gengu þeir þá inn allir ok skipuðust í dyrrin); skipuðust menn þar í sæti, the men took their seats; to undergo a change (mart hefir skipazt í Haukadal, ok vertu varr um þik); s. á betri leið, to change for the better; s. við e-t, to yield to, he moved by (s. við orð, fortölur e-s); s. við orðsending e-s, to answer to one’s call; þenna kost gerðum, vér Hákoni, skipaðist hann vel við, he took it in good part; impers., var heitit fyrir henni mörgu, ok skipaðist henni ekki viðr, it had no effect.

(að), v., s. e-t upp, to unload (þeir tóku land ok skipuðu þar upp).

* * *

að, [from this word has come the Fr. équiper; Engl. equip]:— to give order or arrangement to things, with dat., i. e. to draw up, place in order, arrange them, of seats, lines, rows; hann skipaði mönnum í skjaldborg, Ó. H. 206; þá fylktu þeir liði sínu ok skipaðu, 205; þeirra hverr á at skipa tveim mönnum í Lögréttu, öðrum fyrir sér, en öðrum á bak sér, Grág. i. 5; Gunnarr hafði marga boðsmenn, ok skipaði hann svá sínum mönnum, hann sat á miðjan bekk, en innar frá Þráinn … þá var skipat konum í annat sinn, sat þá Þorgerðr meðal brúða, Nj. 50, 51; svá var skipat sessum, at …, Fms. x. 16; Egill skipaði svá mönnum þeim er merkit báru, Hkr. i. 150; skipaðu höfðingjar herinum til atlögu, Fms. ii. 303; jarl skipaði svá atlögunni, ix. 430; þeir skipaðu svá sinni ferð, at …, 468; konungr skipaði Haraldi í sína sveit, vi. 168; Gizurr skipaði Oddi yfir Skaga-fjörð, x. 60; hann skipaði sonum sínum til landa, Rb. 316; skipuðu Ribbungar þar öllum sýslum, Fms. ix. 393; bændr ok þingu-nautar skyldu fyrst gunga á þingit ok skipa dómum eptir lögum, vii. 138; hann skipaði allri bygð ok skipti í skipreiður, Hkr. i. 146; er skipat í þáttu allri skrá þessi, Rb. 4.

2. metaph. to explain; skipa draumi, to read a dream, Fms. xi. 6; skipaði konungr fyrst þeirra máli, ix. 396; ok skipuðu málum þeim sem nauðsyn bar til, x. 32: in the phrase, of a song, eg kann kvæðið, en kann ekki að skipa því, I know the song by heart, but cannot give the order of the verses.

II. with acc. to take up, occupy; konur skipuðu pall, Nj. 11; Haraldr ok hans lið skipaði langbekkinn, Fms. vi. 193; hann skipaði öndvegi, Vígl. 52 new Ed.; skipa fylking sína, to draw up one’s line of battle, Eg. 292; Vagn ok Björn skipa annan arm, Fms. xi. 126: part., vágrinn var skipaðr herskipnm, ix. 360; var skipuð öll höllin, Nj. 269; hirð hans er skipuð afreks-mönnum einum, Eg. 19; höllin var skipuð hæverskum höfðingjum, Fms. vi. 3; vóru skipaðir þrettán stólar, x. 16; var skjöldum skipat allt húsit um veggina, the walls all hung with shields, vii. 147.

2. to establish, ordain, appoint, the place or office given being in acc.; þá skipaði hann lög, … ok setti þat í lögum, at …, Fms. i. 6; skipaði hann héraðit sínum félögum, Landn. 57; skipuðu þeir löndin Arnfinni jarli, Fms. i. 201; skipaði hann nú allt land sínum sýslu-mönnum, viii. 244; vóru þeim skipuð ríki þau á Íslandi sem konungr hafði þá heimildum á tekit, x. 45; skipa klerkum kirkjur, K. Á. 232; skipaði konungr ríki sín um öll Upplönd, ix. 410; Skúli hertogi hafði skipat allar sýslur fyrir norðan Staði, 478; fór hann inn í Sogn ok skipaði allt ríkit, x. 189; ok er skipat var ríkit með þessum hætti, Fas. i. 376; hann fékk honum umboð sitt at s. jarðir sínar, Eg. 590; Geirmundr skipar jarðir sínar á laun, Ld. 112; láta drepa stórmenni en hefja upp lítilmenni, hafa þeir verr skipat landit, Fms. vii. 183; hann skipaði dalinn vinum sínum, Gullþ. 44.

3. to compose, arrange; skipa bækr, Sks. 568; skipa máldaga (acc.), Nj. 4; skyldi Ólafr frálsliga mega skipa þenna skurð til hverrar jarðar sem hann vildi, Dipl. iv. 12; at hann skipaði ( settled matters) milli þeirra, Fms. vii. 270:—skipa til e-s, to arrange; skipa til um fylkingar, ix. 489; skipa til atlögu, vii. 357; þeir skipuðu til bús með Sigríði, Eg. 94; at s. þar til bús, Nj. 54; skipuðu þeir til á hverju skipi, 8; s. til búa sinna, to put one’s household in order, 219, 251, 259; um daginn eptir var þar skipat til leiks, Ld. 196; s. til um fylkingar, Ó. H. 215; þó mun eigi of skipat til ánna, there will not be too many rams for the ewes, Fms. xi. 149.

4. to man; skipaði konungr hana (i. e. the hall) hraustum drengjum, Fms. vi. 3; ek skal s. húskörlum mínum annat skipit en bóndum annat, Nj. 42; skipuðu þeir skipin sem bezt, Fms. ix. 401; hverr skal þau (the ships) skipa, Nj. 42; sex skip, öll vel skipuð, Eg. 87; tré alskipað af epluni, Stj. 73.

III. to bid, command, Lat. jubere: s. e-m e-ð, freq. in mod. but not found in old writers; hann skipaði mér að fara.

B. Reflex. to take a seat or place, draw themselves up; gengu þeir þá inn allir ok skipuðusk í dyrrin, Nj. 198; er menn skipuðusk í sæti sín, Eg. 248; þar var fjöldi fyrir boðs-manna, skipuðusk menn þar í sæti, Nj. 11; víl ek at menn skipisk í sveitir, … skipisk menn nú í sveitir, en síðan skal sveitum skipa í fylking, Ó. H. 205 (skipta, Fms, v. 53, v. l.); þá skipaðisk jarl til atlögu, Fms. i. 169.

2. to undergo a change, sometimes with the notion for the better, to be improved; hugr yðvarr hefir skipask, 656 C. 42; mart hefir skipask í Haukadal, ok vertú varr um þik, Gísl. 20; ok er hann hafði þessa vísu kveðit, skipask nokkut hugr þeirra bræðra, Fas. i. 267; hví skipaðisk svá skjótt hugr þinn um málin í dag? Fs. 75; hefir þu mikit skipask síðan vit sámk næst, Fms. vi. 303; kvað eigi son sinn hafa vel skipask, Fas. i. 528; litr hennar skipaðisk á engan veg, Hkr. i. 102; hversu skipaðisk máttr konungsins, Fms. ix. 214: skipask á betri leið. Eg. 416: the saying, mart skipask á manns æfinni, Ó. H. 139, Fms. vii. 156; skjótt hefir hér nú skipask, 148; hvegi er síðan hefir skipask, Grág. i. 227: skipask við e-t, to yield to, be moved by; ekki er þess ván, at pit skipisk við framhvöt orða, ef þit íhugit ekki …, Ld. 260; skipask við fortölur e-s, Fms. i. 285; konungr skipaðisk við fortölur Magnúss, vii. 210, Eg. 167; skipask við orð e-s, id., Fms. ii. 134, xi. 38, Ó. H. 48; s. við orðsending e-s, to answer to one’s call, Fms. xi. 29; hann hét þeim dauða ok meiðslum, þeir skipuðusk ekki við þat, Hkr. i. 277; þenna kost görðu vér Hákoni, skipaðisk hann vel við, he took it in good part, Fms. ii. 35; of health, var heitið fyrir henni ok skipaðisk henni ekki viðr, it took no effect, Bs. i. 791; lagði Hrani um hana beltið ok skipaðisk skjótt við, Fb. ii. 9.

II. pass., þeir skipuðusk múrr ok skjöldr, Mar. (a Latinism).

III. part. fit, meet; vel skipaðr til klerks, Fms. x. 88; skipaðrar þjónustu af Guði, ii. 199; til-skipað sacramentum, xi. 443.

a prefixed particle denoting lacking, under-, un-.

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a particle prefixed to nouns and adverbs, [cp. vanr; Goth. and A. S. wan-, deficient; O. H. G. wana-]:—lacking, wanting: only used as a compd except in the phrase, of og van, or það er of sem van, now too much, now too little.

B. In COMPDS van- is freq. as a prefixed particle, mostly denoting lacking, slowly, short, not sufficient, under-, but also simply as a negative, much like Gr. δυσ-: van-afla, -afli, adj. weak, waning in strength, Al. 5. Fms. vi. 107, Sks. 590. van-alinn, part. under-fed, Grág. i. 455. van-brúka. ð, to misuse; mod. van-brúkun, f. a misuse. van-burða, adj. born prematurely; v. eldi. 656 B. 7. van-búinn, part. unprepared, Korm. 202, Ld. 324, Fms. vi. 214, vii. 127, viii. 288. van-drengr, m. a bad man, Fs. 166. van-dæmt, part. under-judging, i. e. too leniently: hafa v. eða ofdæmt, Grág. (pref.) van-efni, n. pl. lack of means, Grág. i. 257, Band. 31 new Ed., Fms. viii. 23. van-erð, f.(?). inferiority, N. G. L. i. 212. van-farinn, part. in a strait, Fas. i. 518 (see also the verse); vér erum vanfarnir hjá honum, we are much short of him, Orkn. 332. van-ferli, n. things going wrong, Fms. x. 131. van-festr, part. badly fastened, MS. 4. 8. van-fylgt, n. part.; hafa v. e-m, to back one slowly, Bs. i. 739. van-færi, n. disability, Stj. 1. van-færr, adj. disabled, infirm, Fms. ii. 146, x. 354, xi. 325, Fas. i. 532, Bs. i. 393; vanærr ok ílla heill, Hom. 122. van-gá, f. lack of care. van-gefinn, see vargefinn. van-gerðing, f. a defective fencing, Gpl. 382. van-geymsla, u, f. = vangá, Ld. 128, Jb. 42, Dipl. v. 26. van-geymt, n. part.; hafa v. e-s, to neglect, H. E. ii. 110. van-giptr, part. married beneath one, Nj. 17, v. l. van-goldit, part. n. underpaid, Ó. H. 87. van-gætt, n. part. = vangeymt, Gþl. 463. van-gæzla, u, f. = vangeymsla, Grág. ii. 341, Fms. viii. 364. van-görr, part. defective, imperfect, imperfectly done, half done, Fms. vi. 13, x. 318, Bs. i. 59; ung Kristni ok mjök vangör, Fbr. 7; mér sýndisk vangört, faulty, Fms. x. 320. van-haft, n. part.; hafa v., not to get one’s due, Grág. i. 265. van-haga, að; impers., mig vanhagar um e-t, to miss a thing, want. van-hagr, m. dismay, disadvantage, Grág. ii. 49, Fms. xi. 245, Fær. 7: misconduct, Bs. i. 687. van-hald, n. a damage, loss; bíða vanhald af e-m, Fms. x. 421: in plur. ill-luck, thriftlessness, Band. 37 new Ed. van-haldinn, part. getting less than one’s due, wronged, H. E. ii. 126; ef þú þykkisk v., Ld. 108, Slurl. i. 77 C, Fas. ii. 297. van-hefnt, n. part. (better var-hefnt), Nj. 280, v. l. van-heiðr, m. dishonour, H. E. i. 562, Fas. ii. 289. van-heila, u, f. = vanheilsa, Bs. i. 353. van-heilagr, adj. profane. van-heilindi, n. failing health, illness, Fms. vii. 208, viii. 280, H. E. i. 12. van-heill, adj. [A. S. wanhâl], not hale, disabled, ill, Grág. i. 50, Fms. x. 420; e-m verðr vanheilt, to be taken ill, Grág. i. 277: = pregnant, Bret. 10. van-heilligr, adj. ill, wretched, Fms. vii. 30. van-heilsa, u, f. failing health, illness, Bs. i. 83, 84, 353 (v. l.), Grág. i. 226, Fms. vii. 157, passim. van-helga, að, to profane. van-helti, f., better vammhelti, q. v., Jb. 366 A. van-henta, t, to stand in need of, to want; hann kvað sér v. annat, he said it was not that he wanted, Ld. 212. van-hentr, adj.; e-m er e-t vanhent, it suits one not well, Fms. x. 260. van-herðr, part. not pushed up to one’s mettle, Fas. iii. 487. van-hirða, t; v. um e-t, to neglect. van-hirðing, f. = vangeymsla. van-hirzla, u, f. = vanhirðing, Sks. 446. van-hluta, adj. unfairly dealt with; verða v., to be worsted, Bjarn. 56, Ísl. ii. 255, Grág. i. 157, ii. 92, Fms. i. 306; rétta þeirra hlut er áðr eru v., Eb. 156. van-hlutr, m. an unfair share, Sturl. i. 47 C. van-hugaðr, n. part. [? A. S. vanhygig]; e-t er v. í máli, it was not well considered, Lv. 30. van-hyggja, u, f. a lack of forethought, Ld. 152; bæta fyrir vanhyggju mína, Valla L. 209. van-kunnandi, part. wanting in knowledge, ignorant, ill-informed, Gþl. van-kunnigr, adj. ignorant. van-kunnindi, f. ignorance, Gþl. (pref.) van-kunnusta (mod. van-kunnátta), u, f. want of knowledge, ignorance, H. E. i. 479. van-leitað, n. part.; e-s er v., examined imperfectly, Bs. i. 329. van-lofaðr, part. under-praised, Fms. vi. 196. van-lokinn, part. half paid, of debt; vanloknar skuldir, Grág. i. 93. van-luktr, part. half finished; ganga frá mörgu vanluktu, Sturl. iii. 279. van-lykta, að, to leave unfinished, H. E. i. 409. van-lyktir, f. pl.; með vanlyktum, unfinished, half done, Fms. vi. 13; ok var at vanlykðum nökkut, er hón þó höfuð hans, Ísl. ii. 333; hvárigar vanlykðir ( faults) er þær koma á goðans hendi, Grág. i. 94. van-mátta, adj. weak, sick, sore; í tána þá er v. var, a sore toe, Hrafn. 15. van-máttigr, adj. failing in strength, weak, impotent, Fms. v. 163. van-máttr, m. failing strength, illness, Eg. 565, Vápn. 17, Fms. ii. 12, Bs. i. 84. van-megin, n. weakness, Fms. vii. 156: a swoon, fainting, sló yfir mik hræzlu ok vanmegni, 108. van-meginn (van-megn, Stj. 20), adj. weak, feeble, Fms. i. 305, Stj. 20, v. l.; v. af megri, Fb. iii. 447; höndina þá má vanmegnu, an infirm hand, Sturl. i. 189. van-megna, adj. = vanmeginn. van-megna, að, to weaken; v. sterkjan hug, Al. 6: reflex., vanmegnast, to faint, sink down, Vídal. passim. van-menni, n. (van-menna, u, f., Lv. 30; vanmennur þær, Fms. xi. 257), a worthless person, Gísl. 149, Vápn. 15, Fms. iii. 149. van-meta, adj. in a weak, bad condition; var fótrinn v., of a sick leg. Bs. i. 344; vanmeta skepna, an ill-favoured creature. van-metnaðr, m. a disgrace, Grett. 160 A. van-mettr, part. hungry, Sól. 3. van-mælt, n. part.; eiga e-t vanmælt, if thou hast anything unsaid, anything to say, Bs. i. 668; hvárt mér verðr ofmælt eðr vanmælt, Nj. 232. van-mætti, n. an infirmity. van-refsaðr, part. not duly punished, Sturl. ii. 10. van-refst, n. part. = refsað; ef v. er af dómarans hendi, Gþl. 172. van-rekstr, m. = vanréttr, Fms. xi. 253, v. l. van-rétti, n. loss of right, Ls. 40; þola v., Ó. H. 238: a defeat, Ísl. ii. 367. van-réttr, m. = vanrétti, Fms. xi. 253. van-rækiliga, adv. carelessly, slovenly, Bs. i. (Laur. S.) van-rækja, t, to disregard, Stj. 157, Fms. xi. 423, K. Á. 72: reflex., vanrækjask e-n, Fms. viii. 252. van-rækt, f. lack of care, Gþl. 332, H. E. i. 251, Dipl. ii. 14. van-rætt, n. part. not fully discussed; v. er um e-t, Sks. 271 B. van-samit, part. unsettled, Stj. van-semd, f. a disgrace, offence, Bjarn. 67. van-signaðr, part. cursed, Stj., MS. 655 xx. 3. van-skörungr, m. = vandrengr, Fs. 4, Eg. 730. van-spurt, n. part. left unasked, Sks. 52, 191. van-stilli, n. lack of moderation, intemperance, Al. 45, 71; gefa svá kappsamliga mat, er á þessu mikit vanstilli, no measure, Ísl. ii. 337, Fms. vii. 162 (of a fit of insanity); v. lopts, Al. 55; þurfa menn ekki hér at lýsa v. ( men need not shew ill temper) fyrir þessa sök, Sturl. i. 101 C. van-stilling, f. = vanstilli. Hom. 25. van-stilltr, part. wanting in tempcr, rash, Fms. i. 207, x. 264; marglyndr, vandlyndr ok v., wanting in temper, 420; v. í orðum, vi. 324: excessive, Stj. 142. van-svarat, n. part. insufficiently answered, of a question; hafa v., H. E. ii. 93; vanspurt eða v., Sks. 270. van-svefta, adj. having too little sleep. van-sæmd, f. dishonour, contumely, Fms. ii. 291, vi. 109. van-sætti, n. discord, Sturl. i. 101, v. l. van-sök, f. a fault, offence, Magn. 524. van-talað, n. part. = vanmælt; er enn mart vantalað, Lv. 20; á ek við hvárigan ykkarn vantalað, I want to speak to neither of you, Fms. v. 327. van-talit ( van-talt), n. part. not full accounted for, short in the tally, Glúm. 385; oftalt, vantalt, Gþl. 478. van-tekit, n. part. pulled insufficiently, Eb. 242. van-traust, n. a lack of trust. van-trú, f. unbelief [Dan. vantro]; villa ok v., K. Á. 218, H. E. i. 390, Vídal. van-trúaðr, part. unbelieving, N. T., Vídal. van-trúnaðr, m. distrust, Fms. i. x. 398. van-unninn, part. unfinished; vanunnin verk, Grág. i. 157; lítið vas eptir vanunnit ( undone) í víngarðinum, Greg. 57. van-virða, t, to disregard, dishonour, put to shame, Ísl. ii. 238; affæra ok v., Bs. i. (Laur. S.): part. vanvirðr, Fms. ii. 67, Fs. 183; vanvirt, Fms. v. 326. van-virða, u, f. a disgrace, Fs. 60, 159, Eb. 128. van-virðing, f. = vanvirða, Fms. ix. 278, 289, Gþl. 157, 181. vanvirðu-lauss, adj. not disgracing, Grett. 118. van-virkja, u, f. a defect, fault, Stj. 158, Ísl. ii. 201, v. l. van-vit, n. [Dan. van-vid = insanity], want of thought, Nj. 135, v. l. van-vita, adj. insane, N. G. L. i. 213, Js. 79. van-vitað, n. part. not quite known; enn er v. nökkut um sættina, Bjarn. 56. van-vizka, u. f. foolishness, Al. 115. van-þakkað, n. part. not duly thanked; eiga e-m e-t v. van-þakklátr, adj. ungrateful. van-þakklæti, n. ingratitude. van-þekking, f. lack of knowledge. van-þyrmsla, u, f. violation; v. hátiða, Hom. 146. van-þökk, f. unthankfulness.

(þverr; þvarr, þurrum; þorrinn), v. to wane, grow less, decrease (í þenna tíma þurru mjök vinsældirValdemars konungs).

v. to make to decrease.

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pres. þverr; pret. þvarr, pl. þurru; subj. þyrri; part. þorrinn; with neg. suff. þyrrit, Sighvat: mod. weak þverra, að, pres. þverrar, Lil. 58, but the word is little used: [þurr and þverra are kindred words]:—prop. to be drained, ebb out, but only used

II. metaph. to wane, grow less, decrease; nema blóð þyrri, Þd.; þóat skúrir þyrrit, Sighvat; sorg frá ek eigi þyrri, Skáld H. 1. 23; lízt honum nú sem minna hafi þorrit enn í enu fyrra sinni, Edda 32; honum þurru lausa-fé, Ld. 210; þverrandi, opp. to vaxandi, Fms. v. 343; hvárt sem síðan vex eða þverr, Gþl. 260, Sks. 52, 54; Hrappr hafði skaplyndi it sama, en orkan þvarr, þvíat elli sótti á hann, Ld. 54; eigi þverr enn heimskan fyrir þér, Fms. ii. 156; ef fé hans þverr tíu tigum, K. Þ. K. 146, Rb. 132; en er þurru hlaup in mestu, Hkr. iii. 395; ek eldumk, en þverr kraptrinn í vásinu, Orkn. 464; þurru mjök vinsældir Valdimars konungs, Fms. x. 160; óx jafnan styrkr Daviðs en þvarr í hverri máttr ok afli sveitunga Saul, Stj. 498; eigi þrotna ok eigi þverra, 590; af hennar sökum þvarr ófriðr við Kristna menn, Ver. 44.

III. impers. with dat., þá þverr göngu hennar, of the sun, Rb. 100; sízt þvarr æfi (dat.) Magnúss, Fms. vi. (in a verse); mætti þverrar, Lil. 58.

IV. part., en hlust er þorrin, my ear is dried up, Eg. (in a verse); sigri þorrinn, victory-bereft, Rekst.

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(pl. -ir), f.

1) quarter of the heaven, direction, = átt( flugu þau í brott bæði samt í sömu ætt);

2) one’s family, extraction, pedigree (hann var sœnskr at ætt); þaðan eru komnar þræla ættir, the race of thralls; telja ætt til e-s, to trace one’s pedigree to; e-t gengr í ætt, it is hereditary;

3) generation (í ina þriðju eða fjórðu ætt).

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f., like sætt (q. v.), the forms vary between átt and ætt; in old writers the latter form is by far the more common; in mod. usage they have been separated, átt meaning a quarter in a local sense, ætt a family: [ætt is akin to Ulf. aihts = τα ὑπάρχοντα; A. S. æhte = property; Early Engl. agte; Germ. acht = patrimony; the root verb is eiga, átti, like mega, máttr; from this original sense are derived both the senses, ætt = a family, and ætt or átt = Scot. ‘airt,’ ‘regio caeli;’ the etymology of átt from átta ( eight), suggested at p. 47, col. 1, is too fanciful.]

B. An airt, quarter of the heavens, in gen. dat. pl. átta, áttum; eptir þat sá sól, ok mátti þá deila ættir, Fb. i. 431; átta ættir, eina ætt, Sks. 54; af suðr-ætt, … vestr-ætt, flugu brott í sömu ætt, … ór þeim ættum sem þér þóttu ernirnir fljúga, Ísl. ii. 195, 196; þá drífr snær ór öllum áttum, Edda i. 186 (so also Ub. l. c., but ættum Cod. Worm. l. c.); í allar áttir, Edda i. 182 (ættir Ub. l. c.); norðr-ætt, suðr-ætt, vestr-ætt, austr-ætt, qq. v.; hann skyldi auka ríki sitt hálfu í hverja höfuð-átt, Hkr. i. 49; af öllum áttum, from all ‘airts’ of heaven, Edda 40, Hkr. i. 33; ór ýmissum áttum, Orkn. (in a verse), and so on; see átt, p. 47.

II. prop. what is inborn, native, one’s own, Lat. proprium; one’s family, extraction, kindred, pedigree; áttir, Grág. i. 238, Haustl. 10; allt er þat ætt þín, Óttar heimski, Hdl.; telja, rekja ættir, to trace pedigrees, id.; jötna ætt, id.; órar ættir, Vþm.; komnir af ætt Hörða-Kára, Fms. i. 287; hitt veit ek eigi hvaðan þjófs-augu eru komin í ættir várar, Nj. 2; tvá menn er ættir eru frá komnar, Adam ok Evu, Edda (pref.); dýrra manna ættir, … enginn stærisk af sinni ætt, Landn. 357; er þaðan komin mikil ætt, Eb. 123 new Ed.; hann er orðinn stórum kynsæll, því at til hans telja ættir flestir inir göfgustu menn á Íslandi, 126; Háleygja-ætt, Landn. 255; jarla-ættir, konunga-ættir, biskupa-ættir, etc., passim; ór ættum er ef lengra er rekit, out of the ætt, not genuine, spurious, Edda 124; e-t gengr í ætt, to be hereditary, of habits, character, diseases, or the like, Ó. H. 122; cp. úr-ætta.

COMPDS: ættarbálkr, ættarbragð, ættarbætir, ættarferð, ættarfylgja, ættarfærsla, ættargripr, ættarhaugr, ættarhögg, ættarlaukr, ættarmenn, ættarmót, ættarnafn, ættarréttr, ættarskarð, ættarskjöldr, ættarskömm, ættarspillir, ættarstofn, ættarsvipr, ættartal, ættartala.

☞ Genealogies (ættir, ættar-tölur, ætt-vísi) form the ground-work of the old Icel. historiography; the ancient Saga-men delighted in them, and had a marvellous memory for lineages; in the Sagas the pedigrees give the clue by which to trace the succession of events, and supply the want of chronology. Whole chapters in the best Sagas, esp. at the beginning of a work, are set apart for genealogies, thus. Nj. ch. 1, 19, 20, 25, 26, 46, 57, 96, 97, 114, 115, 155, as also 47, 57, 58, 106 (begin.), Eb. ch. 1, 7, 8, 12, 65, Ld. ch. 1, 31, 32, Eg. ch. 23, Gullþ. ch. 1, Dropl. S. ch. 1–3, Þorst. hv. ch. 1–3, Þorst. Saga St. (the end), Rafns S. (the end-chapter), Flóam. S. ch. 1 (and esp. the end-chapter), Hænsa Þ. S. ch. 1, Gísl. S. pp. 8, 9, Vapn. S. ch. 3, Ísl. i. 353–362 (Biskupa-ættir), Guðm. S. ch. 1, Árna b. S. ch. 1, Þórð. S. hr. new Ed. (at the end), Fagrsk. 144–148, Orkn. S. ch. 39, 59. In the Sturlunga S. the initial chapters (Sturl. i. 44–55, with which the work of Sturla begins) are devoted to the tracing the families of that time; so also Sturl. i. 202–206, iii. 96, 97. But the chief store-house for genealogical knowledge is the Landnáma, which contains about 5000 pr. names, of which perhaps a third are names of women.

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I) from mega.

II) from máttr, might.