make+things+up

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(kann, kunna, kunnat), v.

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

2) to know (by memory);

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

3) to know a person;

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

4) spec. phrases;

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

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

kunna enga mannraun to have no experience of men;

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

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

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

kunna sér margt, to be skilled in many things;

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

7) with dat. to know;

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

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

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

9) to be pleased or not with a thing;

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

10) to be able, with infin.;

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

11) to chance, happen;

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

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 kunnu for kunna is obsolete, whereas a pret.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(-ar, -ir), m.

1) mind; e-m leikr í mun, one has a mind to, feels inclined to (= leikr e-m í skapi); munar stríð, heart’s grief;

2) mind, longing, delight; at mínum munum, to my mind; gráta at mun, to weep heartily; at mannskis munum, to please anybody; leita e-m munar, to comfort one;

3) love; sá inn máttki m., all-powerful love; vættak míns munar, I waited for my love; komast á muni við e-n, to insinuate oneself, become intimate, with one.

(-ar, -ir), m.

1) difference (hví gørir þú svá mikinn mun barnanna); er þess, mikill m., hvárt, it makes a great difference, whether;

2) moment, importance; e-m er m. undir e-u, it is of importance to one (at hann skyldi segja honum þá hluti, er honum væri m. undir at vita); e-m er m. at e-u, it is of some moment (ok mætti þér verða munr at, at þeir væri þér heldr sinnaðir en í móti); meta muninn, to hesitate (Hrólfr mat eigi munin eptir þeim at fara); Grímr gørði ok þann mun allan, er hann mátti, G. strained every nerve;

3) the dat. ‘muni’ or ‘mun’ before a compar., somewhat (= nökkuru), considerably, a good deal; ljóstu mun kyrrara, strike somewhat more gently; með muni minna liði, with consideralby less force; adding a pronoun, þeim mun (before a compar.) = því; þeim mun betr, so much the better; engum mun = engu; engum mun verr, no worse;

4) what is wanted, required; er mikilla muna vant or á vant, much is wanting (þótti honum mikilla muna á vant, at vel væri); E. hafði eigi skaplyndi til at biðja konung hér neinna muna um, E. was too proud to beg anything in this case;

5) adverbial phrases, fyrir hvern mun, by all means; fyrir engan mun, by no means;

6) means, things; at eigi munið ér alla yðra muni til leggja, that you will not contribute all your means, strain every nerve; biskup las fyrst smám ok smám munina fyrir þeim, expounded all the details for them.

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m., older form monr, Hom. (St.) 21, gen. munar, dat. mun, pl. munir; [Dan. mon]:—prop. the moment or turn of the balance; this sense, however, only occurs in phrases more or less derived or metaphorical, as in the phrase, vera mikilla (lítilla) muna (gen. pl.) vant, to be in want of much ( little); man yðr eigi svá mikilla muna ávant, at þér munið eigi vilja upp hefjask ok rekask af hendi frænda-skömm þessa, ye are not in want of so much, that …, you are not so deficient, that …, the metaphor from under-weight, Ó. H. 32, cp. Fms. iv. 79; hann spurði eptir vendiliga hvernig Kristinn dómr væri haldinn á Íslandi, ok þótti honum mikilla muna ávant at vel væri 44; lítilla muna vant, lacking but little; hygg ek at mér verði meiri muna vant en Þórolfi, Eg. 113; ok er mér mikilla muna vant at ek halda réttu máli, ef ek skal heldr láta lausar eignir mínir aflaga fyrir þér en berjask við þik, 504; en ef við annan þeirra verðr muna vant, Grág. i. 120:—sjá fyrir mun (munum) um e-t, to foresee how a thing will turn, what turn it will take; eigi þykkjumk ek þar sjá fyrir munum, hvárt …, Fb. i. 529; Erlingr fékk sér eigi skaplyndi til at biðja hér neinna muna um, E. was too proud to beg anything in this case, Ó. H. 47.

2. temp. the nick of time; hann bað Hallverð ganga út til sin um litla muni, for a little while, Fms. ii. 71.

II. the difference; hví görir þú svá mikinn mun barnanna? Sd. 141; er þess mikill munr, hvárt …, it makes a great difference, whether …, Fms. vii. 132; ef fé er verra, ok skulu þeir virða þann mun, ok skal hann gjalda honum þann, make good the balance, Grág. i. 428; ok vænta þess at mála-efna munr muni skipta, Sturl. iii. 241, Fb. i. 20, passim in old and mod. usage.

2. moment, importance; vil ek bjóða honum mitt lið, því at eigi er þat við hváriga muni, for it will tell something in the balance, Fs. 16; at hann skyldi segja honum þá hluti er honum væri munr undir at vita, Sturl. ii. 151; mun hverjum vitrum manni þykkja mikill munr undir því vera, at …, every wise man will think it of great moment, that …, Sks. 269; e-m er munr at e-u, it is of some moment; ok mætti þér konungr verða munr at, at þeir væri þér heldr sinnaðir en í mót, Fms. i. 297; munr er at manns liði, a man’s help is always something, Bs. i; Grimr görði ok þann mun allan er hann mátti, G. strained every nerve, Eg. 188.

III. the dat. muni or mun before a comparative, by a little, as also considerably, a good deal; ljóstú mun kyrrara, strike somewhat more gently, Hkr. iii. 365; ef þú vilt lögum at fylgja, þá er þat mun réttligast at Sigurðr njóti vitna sinna, 257; með muni minna liði, with considerably less forces, Fagrsk. 172; muni síðar, a little later, Geisli 23; hón sagði mun fleira, a good deal more. Am. 45; stundum með mjúklyndi, en stundum muni harðari, Barl. 176; muni hægri, a good deal easier, Orkn. (in a verse): gen. muns, með muns minni rás, muns tómlegari ok seinna … muns mjúkari, Barl. 72.

2. adding a pronoun; þeim mun skírlegri, Fs. 121; ek sá at þeim mun er betr, it fares so much the better. Fms. xi. 228; þeim mun fleiri gildrur, all the more traps, Barl. 24; þeim mun lengr, 101; en svá miklum mun sem sól er ljósari en náttmyrkr, svá myklu er ok meiri …, by so much as the sun is brighter than night-mirk, so much greater …, 116; engum mun verr en áðr, nothing less than before, Ó. H. 69; engum mun betr, not a bit better, 222; öngum mun betri, 113; ok var sá öngum mun fegri, 75.

IV. the adverb. phrase, fyrir alla muni, by all means; fyrir hvern mun, id., Gullþ. 7, Grett. 193 new Ed., Fms. i. 157; fyrir öngan mun, by no means, Edda 57, Nj. 200, 201, Fms. i. 9, Gþl. 531.

V. plur. means, things, objects, property; en hann á þat er et fyrra várit var í þeim munum, Grág. ii. 338; at eigi monið or alla yðra muni til leggja, to contribute all one’s means, strain every nerve, Ó. H. 32; hefir þú, faðir, þar marga þína muni til gefna, Ld. 102; ok vildi, at allir landsmenn legði sína muni til at biskups-stóll væri efldr, Fb. iii. 446.

2. biskup talaði hér um mjúkliga, las fyrst smám ok smám munina fyrir þeim. expounded all the details for them, Fms. ix. 52; slíkt sem hann fékk munum á komit, such that he could manage all that he could get (metaphor from counting or balancing), Játv. 40; fé-munir, means; vits-munir, ‘wit-means,’ reason; geðs-munir, skaps-munir, temper; gagns-munir, useful things.

m., gen. munar and muns, pl. munir, [Ulf. muns = νόημα; A. S. myn = love, mind; Engl. mind; mid. H. G. minni; Germ. minne-sang]:—the mind, Edda (Gl.); af munar grunni, Höfuðl. 19; ór munar öngum, the mind’s straits, Kormak; munar myrkr, Líkn. 4; munar stríð, the mind’s distress, Skv. 3. 38; missa munar ok landa, to lose life and land, Hkv. 2. 44.

II. a mind, longing, delight; at mínum, þínum munum, to my, thy mind, i. e. as I like, as thou likest, Skm. 35; þvíat álfröðull lýsir of alla daga ok þeygi at mínum munum, for the sun shines all day long, and yet not to my mind, Íb. 5, in the words of the love-sick god Frey, which call to mind Hamlet’s words (this most excellent canopy, the air, etc.); at mannskis munum, to please anybody, Skm. 20, 24; þíns eða míns munar, 43; leita e-m munar, to comfort one, Gkv. 1. 8; at mun banda, according to the will of the gods, Hkr. i. (in a verse); at mun sínum, to one’s heart’s content, Fms. i. 27 (in a verse); hverr lifði at sínum mun, Bjarn. (in a verse), Og. 34; í mun e-m, to one’s mind or liking. Korm. (in a verse): at þú görir eptir mínum mun, Fb. i. 21: the phrase, e-m leikr munr á e-u, to have a mind for; tak sjálfr við þeim ef þú þykkisk of gefit hafa eðr þér leikr munr at, Ld. 318, v. l.; lék mér meirr í mun, I longed more for, Skv. 3. 39; as also, leika at muni, Gsp.; gráta at muni, to weep heartily, Vtkv. (in a verse); land-munir, q. v.: and in mod. usage, mér er það í mun, I have a mind for that.

2. love; sá inn máttki munr, Hm. 93; vættak mins munar, I waited far my heart’s delight, 95: the phrase, komask á muni við e-n, to insinuate oneself, vita ef ek get komisk á muni við Ólöfu konu hans, Vígl. 58 new Ed.

COMPDS: munafullr, munarheimr, munarlauss, munligr, munráð, munströnd, munstærandi, muntún, munvegar.

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(veit, vissa, vitaðr), v.

1) to have sense, be conscious (hann var enn eigi ørendr, en vissi þó ekki);

with gen., gráðugr halr, nema geðs viti, unless he has his senses about him;

2) to know;

engi vissi skapara sinn, no one knew his maker;

þeir er vel mart vitu, those who know many things;

vita sik saklausan, to know oneself to be innocent;

veizt þú, hvat þér man verða at bana, dost thou know what will be the cause of thy death?;

vita skyn á e-m, to know one;

Flosi kvaðst eigi vita skyn á, hverir lögmenn væri beztir, F. said that he knew nothing about who were the best lawyers;

vita ván or vánir e-s, to expect, look for (G. vissi slíks matar þar ekki ván);

vita fram, to be prescient, know the future;

veit þat trúa min, upon my faith!;

3) to see, try to find out (bað þá vita, hvat af Gretti yrði);

vittu, ef þú hjálpir, see if thou canst help;

vit, at þá náir sverði því, try to get that sword;

4) to look, be turned towards;

vita upp, fram, aptr, to look (be turned) upwards, forwards, backwards;

vita móti sólu, at sjánum, to face the sun, the sea;

vita til norðrættar, to look north;

ormahöfuð öll vitu inn í húsit, all the heads of the serpents look into the hall;

with gen., þeir fundu vínvið allt þar sem holta vissi, they found the vine wherever there was woodland;

5) to come under a certain head;

sökin veit til lands-laga, en ekki til Bjarkeyjar-réttar, the case comes under the country-law, and not under the town-law;

6) to bode, betoken, with gen. (ekki vita slík orð lítils);

þat mun eigi øngra tíðinda vita, this betokens no small tidings;

7) to mean, have such and such bearing;

hvat veit óp þetta, what means this shouting?;

eigi veit þannig við, that is not the case;

seg mér hit sanna, hversu við veit, how things stand;

ok rœddu um þat, at nú mundi vel vita, that things were likely to take a good turn;

8) with preps.:

vita af e-u, to know of (ekki vissi á. af kaupi þeira);

vita e-t at sér, to know oneself to be guilty of;

vita e-t eptir sér = vita e-t at sér (vita eptir sér slíkan glœp);

vita e-t frá sér, to be conscious (sensible) of (ek var svá syfjaðr, at ek vissa fátt frá mér);

vita e-t fyrir, to know beforehand (ørlög sín viti engi maðr fyrir);

vita til e-s, vita til um e-t, to know of (ekki vissu landsmenn til um ferð Þórólfs);

vita ekki til sín, vita ekki til manna, to have lost consciousness, one’s senses;

recipr. to know of an another (þeir vissust jafnan til í hafinu);

vita um e-t, to make inquiries about (fara at vita um e-t);

to know about (eigi veit ek um gaman þetta);

vita e-t við e-n, to get to know a thing, from one (mun ek vita við skipverja mina, hvat þeim sýnist ráð).

* * *

t, [A. S. wîtan; Old Engl. wite], to fine, sconce, mulct; þar sem menn verða víttir á Gulaþingi, Gþl. 20; vera víttr ( to be sconced) fyrir borðs tilgöngu, Fms. iii. 155; varð Halldórr víttr …, settusk þeir í marhálm um daginn ok skyldu drekka vítin, H. was sconced …, they sat him on the straw and were drinking the sconces, Fms. vi. 242; en ef eigi koma, þá eru þeir víttir, N. G. L. i. 4: so in the saying, sá er víttr sem ekki fylgir landsiðnum; hvert víti þeir höfðu fengit er við fénu höfðu tekit, Fms. vi. 277.

* * *

a negative suffix to verbs, not;

era útmakligt, at it is not unmeet that.

* * *

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

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

WITH DAT.

A. Loc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WITH ACC.

A. Loc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

B. TEMP.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

C. Metaph. and in various relations:

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

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

II. denoting in regard to, in respect to:

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

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

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

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

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

IV. denoting the manner or way of doing:

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

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

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

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

VI. connected with nouns,

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

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

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

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

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

COMPDS: áráll, árbakki, árbrot, ardjúp, árfarvegr, árfors, árgljúfr, árhlutr, ármegin, árminni, ármót, áróss, árreki, árstraumr, árströnd, árvað, árvegr, árvöxtr.

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(ber; bar, bárum; borinn), v.

I.

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

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

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

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

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

bera œgishjálm, to inspire fear and awe;

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

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

kýr hafði borit kálf, had calved;

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

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

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

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

borinn e-m, frá e-m (rare), born of;

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

borinn Sigmundi, son of S.;

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

bera e-n ráðum, to overrule one;

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

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

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

verða bráðum borinn, to be taken by surprise;

borinn verkjum, overcome by pains;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

bar hon sköruliga af sér, she bore up bravely;

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

hon berst af lítt, she is much cast down;

bera sik vel upp, to bear well up against;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

bera e-n undan sök, to acquit;

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

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

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

8) to set forth, report, tell;

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

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

bera e-m njósn, to apprise one;

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

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

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

bera saman ráð sín, to consult together;

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

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

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

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

vel viti borinn, endowed with a good understanding;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11) with preps.:

bera af e-m, to surpass;

en þó bar Bolli af, surpassed all the rest;

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

bera eld at, to set fire to;

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

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

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

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

bera e-t um, to wind round;

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

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

bera út barn, to expose a child;

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

láta af berast, to die;

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

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

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

berast vápn á, to attack one another;

berast at or til, to happen;

þat barst at (happened) á einhverju sumri;

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

berast í móti, to happen, occur;

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

berast við, to be prevented;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2) followed by preps.:

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

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

e-t berr fram (hátt), is prominent;

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

e-t berr á milli, comes between;

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

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

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

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

e-t berr undan, goes amiss, fails;

bera saman, to coincide;

bar nöfn þeirra saman, they had the same name;

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

fund várn bar saman, we met;

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

svá bar at einn vetr, it happened one winter;

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

bar honum svá til, it so befell him;

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

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

4) of time, to fall upon;

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

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

5) denoting cause;

e-t berr til, causes a thing;

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

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

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

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

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

e-t berr frá, is surpassing;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

f. she-bear, = birna.

* * *

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

(býð; bauð, buðum; boðinn), v.

1) to offer;

þeir höfðu boðit honum laun, they had offered him rewards;

Þ. bauð at gefa (offered to give) Gunnlaugi hestinn;

bjóða grið, to offer pardon;

bjóða e-t til lífs sér, as a ransom for one’s life;

bjóða e-t fram, to proffer, produce (bjóða fram vitni);

bjóða e-t upp, af hendi, to give up, leave off;

þá býðr hann upp hornit, gives up the horn, will not drink more;

bjóða e-t undan e-m, to offer to take a thing off one’s hands (er þá kostr at bjóða undan þeim manni varðveizluna fjárins);

bjóða e-t við, to make a bid;

bjóða við tvenn verð, to bid double;

refl., bjóðast, to offer oneself, volunteer one’s service;

Þóroddr bauzt (offered himself) til þeirrar farar;

2) to do a thing to one, in a bad sense;

bjóða e-m ógn, to wage war against one;

bjóða e-m ójöfnuð, ofriki, to treat unfairly, oppress;

bjóða e-m ógn, to affright, terrify;

bjóða e-m rangt, to treat one unjustly;

3) to bid, invite (bjóða e-m til sín or heim);

bjóða mönnum til boðs, to bid guests to a banquet, wedding;

4) to bid, order;

sem lög buðu, as the law prescribed;

bjóða e-m erendi, to commit a thing to one’s charge;

bjóða e-m varnað á e-u, to forbid;

bjóða e-m af landi, to order one out of the land;

bjóða e-m af embætti, to depose one;

bjóða út liði, skipum, to levy, troops, ships;

bjóða e-m um, to delegate to one, to commit to one’s charge (þeim manni er biskup hefir um boðit at nefna vátta);

5) to proclaim, announce;

bjóða trú (kristni), to proclaim, preach a religion (the Christitian faith);

bjóða messudag, to proclaim a holy day;

6) of a mental state, to have presentiment of;

e-m býðr e-t í hug (skap), one has a fore boding, presentiment of;

mér býðr e-t fyrir, I forebode;

mér býðr hugr við e-u, I abhor, dislike;

impers., mér býðr ávallt hita (acc.), er ek kem í þeirra flokk, I feel uneasy whenever …;

mér bauð ótta, I felt a fear;

bauð þeim mikla þekt (they felt much pleasure), er þeir sá líkit;

ef yðr býðr svá við at horfa, when you are in such a frame of mind;

7) býðr e-m, it beseems, becomes one;

sem konungsbarni býðr, as befits a princess;

eptir þat fór vígsla fram eptir því sem býðr, as it is due, or proper.

* * *

bauð, buðu, boðit; pres. byð; pret. subj. byða; pret. sing. with the suffixed negative, bauðat, Edda 90 (in a verse); the obsolete middle form buðumk, mibi obtulit, nobis obtulerunt, occurs in Egil Höfuðl. 2; [Ulf. biudan; A. S. biodan; Engl. bid; Germ. bieten; Swed. biuda; Dan. byde]:—Lat. offerre, proferre, with dat. of the person, acc. of the thing:

I. to bid, offer; þeir höfðu boðit honum laun, they had offered him rewards, Fms. i. 12; Þorsteinn bauð at gefa Gunnlaugi hestinn, Ísl. ii. 213; b. grið, to offer pardon, Fms. i. 181; þeir buðu at gefa upp borgina, ix. 41; bauð hann þeim, at göra alla bændr óðalborna, i. 20; býðr, at hann muni görast hans maðr, xi. 232; en ek býð þér þó, at synir mínir ríði með þér, Nj. 93; Írar buðu sik undir hans vald, Fms. x. 131.

2. reflex, to offer oneself, volunteer one’s service; buðusk honum þar menn til fylgðar, Fms. ix. 4; mun ek nú til þess bjóðask í sumar á þingi, Ld. 104, Sks. 510; þeim er þá býðsk, Grág. i. 284; Þóroddr bauðsk til þeirrar farar, Hkr. ii. 247; ef þú býðsk í því, Fms. xi. 121.

3. metaph., b. ófrið, ójöfnuð, rangindi, liðsmun, of ill usage, Ld. 148, Rb. 418; b. e-m rangt, to treat one unjustly, Hom. 155: with an adverb, b. e-m sæmiliga, to treat one in seemly sort, Ld. 66; b. á boð e-s, to outbid one, N. G. L. iii. no. 49.

II. to bid, invite, cp. boð, a banquet; prob. ellipt., hospitality or the like being understood; Özurr bauð þeim inn í búðina at drekka, Nj. 4; heim vil ek b. þér í sumar, 93; honum var boðit til boðs, 50; hann bauð þá þegar þar at vera Gizuri Hallssyni, Bs. i. 128; gékk Bárðr móti honum ok fagnaði honum, ok bauð honum þar at vera, Eg. 23; b. mönnum til boðs, to bid guests to a banquet, wedding, or the like, Ld. 104.

III. to bid, order, Lat. imperare, cp. boð, bidding; sem lög buðu, as the law prescribed, Fms. i. 81; svá bauð oss Guð, Post. 645. 88; b. af landi, to order one out of the land, make him an outlaw, Fms. vii. 20; b. af embætti, to depose, Sturl. ii. 119; b. út, a Norse milit. term, to call out, levy, cp. útboð, a levy; b. út leiðangri, b. út liði, skipum, to levy troops, ships, Fms. i. 12, 61, vi. 219, 251, 400, x. 118, Eg. 31, cp. N. G. L. i. ii; b. e-m crendi, to commit a thing to one’s charge, Fms. vii. 103; b. varnað á e-u, or b. til varnanar, to forbid, xi. 94, Edda 59: with prepp., b. e-m um (cp. umboð, charge), to delegate to one, commit to one’s charge; þeim manni er biskup hefir um boðit, at nefna vátta, K. Þ. K. 64; þess manns er biskup bauð um at taka við fé því, K. Á. 96, Sks. 460 B; hann keypti til handa Þorkatli þá hluti er hann hafði um boðit, the things that he had given charge about, Grett. 102 A; Hermundr bauð nú um Vermundi, at vera fyrir sína hönd, Rd. 251.

2. eccl. to proclaim, announce, esp. as rendering of mid. Lat. praedicare; b. sið, trú, Kristni, to proclaim, preach a new religion, Nj. 156, 158, Fms. i. 32; b. messudag, sunnudag, to proclaim a holy day, N. G. L. i. 348.

IV. of a mental state, to bode, forebode; e-m býðr hugr (cp. hugboð, foreboding), one’s heart bodes, Fms. v. 38, 24, Eg. 21; mér býðr þat eitt í skap ( my heart bodes), at þú verðir meira stýrandi en nú ertu, Bs. i. 468; mér byðr þat fyrir, which makes me forbode, Fms. ii. 193; e-m býðr hugr við (whence viðbjóðr, dislike), to abhor, dislike; er honum hafði lengi hugr við boðit, Bs. i. 128.

2. impers., mér býðr ávallt hita (acc.) er ek kem í þeirra flokk, a boding comes over me, i. e. I feel uneasy, whenever …, Fms. iii. 189; mér bauð ótta (acc.), I felt a thrilling, Bs. i. 410; b. úþekt, to loathe, Grett. 111 A; b. þekt, to feel pleasure; bauð þeim mikla þekt er þeir sá líkit, Bs. i. 208: the phrase, e-m býðr við at horfa, of a frame of mind, to be so and so minded; miklir eru þér frændr borði, ef yðr býðr svá við at horfa, Band. 7 (MS. 2845).

β. the phrase, þat býðr, it beseems, becomes; eptir þat fer veizla fram, eptir því sem býðr, as is due, Fms. x. 15, Fb. l. c. has byrjaði; sem býðr um svá ágætan höfðingja, Fms. x. 149.

V. with prepp.; b. fram, Lat. proferre, to produce; b. fram vitni, to produce a witness, Eg. 472; með fram boðnum fégjöfum, Sturl. iii. 232; b. upp, b. af hendi, to give up, leave off; þá býðr hann upp hornit, gives up the horn, will not drink more, Edda 32; b. undan, a law term, to lay claim to; er þá kostr at b. undan þeim manni varðveizluna fjárins, Grág. i. 196; eigi skal undan manni b., áðr undir mann kemr féit, id.; cp. the following chapter, which treats ‘um undan-boð fjár;’ nú eru þeir menn svá þrír, at eigi býðr undan fjárvarðveizluna, viz. who are privileged guardians of the property of a minor, viz. father, brother, mother, and who cannot be outbidden, 192; b. við, a trade term, to make a bid; b. við tvenn verð, to bid double, Ld. 146; ek býð þér jafnmörg stóðhross við, id.; at þú byðir Rúti bróður þínum sæmiliga, 66; kaupa svá jörð sem aðrir menn b. við, N. G. L. i. 95: b. fyrir is now more usual.

VI. part. pass. boðinn used as an adj., esp. in the alliterative phrase, vera boðinn ok búinn til e-s, to be ready and willing to do a thing, to be at one’s service; skulu vér bræðr vera búnir ok boðnir til þess sem þér vilit okkr til nýta, Eg. 50; til þess skal ek boðinn ok búinn at ganga at þeim málum fyrir þina hönd, Ld. 792.

(dat. höfði, gen. pl. höfða), n.

1) head (höggva höfuð af e-m);

láta e-n höfði skemmra, to behead one;

strjúka aldrei um frjálst höfuð, to be never free, never at ease;

skera e-m höfuð, to make a wry face at one;

heita í höfuð e-m, to be called after a person;

hætta höfði, to risk one’s life;

leggja við höfuð sitt, to stake one’s head;

fœra e-m höfuð sitt, to surrender oneself to an enemy;

drepa niðr höfði, to droop the head;

þoku hóf af höfði, the fog lifted;

stíga yfir höfuð e-m, to overcome one;

hlaða helium að höfði e-m, to leave one dead on the spot;

ganga milli bols ok höfuðs e-s or á e-m, to hew of one’s head, to kill outright;

senda e-n til höfuðs e-m, to send one to take another’s head;

leggja fé til höfuðs e-m, to set a price on one’s head;

leggjast e-t undir höfuð, to put aside, neglect (Þ. lagðist eigi þessa ferð undir höfuð);

vera höfði hærri, to be taller by a head;

2) head, chief (höfuð lendra manna);

Þrándheimr hefir lengi verið kallaðr höfuð Noregs, the chief district of Norway;

3) ornamental prow of a ship (skip með gyltum höfðum);

ornamental head on a bridle (slitnaði sundr beizlit, ok týndist höfuð, er á var).

* * *

n., dat. höfði; gen. pl. höfða, dat. höfðum; in Norse MSS. often spelt hafuð, Anecd. 4 (without umlaut); the root-vowel seems in very early times (8th century) to have been a diphthong; thus Bragi uses the rhymes, laufi—haufði, and rauf—haufuð, Edda; the old ditty with a half rhyme, höfðu vér í haufði, Hkr. i. 104, wou’d be faulty unless we accept a diphthong in the latter word: in good old MSS. (e. g. Sæm. Cod. Reg.) the word is always spelt with ꜹ or au, never o, and probably never had a diphthongal sound; the Norse spelling havuð however points to a short vowel; and later Icel. MSS. spell o or , e. g. Hb. in Vsp. l. c. It is probable that the short vowel originated in the contracted form, as haufði sounds hard; [cp. Goth. haubiþ; A. S. heâfod; Engl. head; Hel. hôbid; O. H. G. houpit; mid. H. G. houbet; mod. G. haupt; Dan. hôved; Swed. hufvud; Ormul. hæfedd (the single f marks a preceding long vowel); thus all old Teut. languages except the Icel. agree in the length of the vowel, whereas Lat. căput, Gr. κεφαλή have a short root vowel.]

A. A head, Vsp. 38, Sdm. 14, Vþm. 19, Þkv. 16, 19, Skm. 23, Nj. 19, 275, Grág. ii. 11, Fms. x. 381, Eg. 181, Edda 59, passim; mátti svá at kveða, at náliga væri tvau höfuð á hverju kvikendi, Hrafn. 22 (of a great increase in stock); Grímr rakaði bratt fé saman, vóru tvau höfuð á hvívetna því er hann átti, Ísl. ii. 14.

II. phrases and sayings, láta höfði skemra, to make one a head shorter, behead, Hým. 15, Fm. 34; strjúka aldrei frjálst höfuð, to stroke never a free head, be never free, never at ease; (sagði) at þeir mundi aldrei um frjálst höfuð strjúka, er vinir hans væri, meðan Þórðr væri höfðingi í Ísafirði, Sturl. ii. 124; eg má aldrei um frjálst höfuð strjúka, I never have any time to spare; sitja aldrei á sárs höfði, to be always quarrelling; skera e-m höfuð, to make a wry face at one, Grett. 17; heita í höfuðit e-m, to be called after a person; hón jós sveininn vatni ok kvað hann skyldu heita í höfuð föður sínum, ok var hann kallaðr Gestr, Bárð. 24 new Ed.: the mod. usage distinguishes between heita í höfuð á e-m, when a person is alive when the child was born, and heita eptir e-m, when that person is dead; halda höfði, to hold one’s head up, Flóv. 43, Og.; bera hátt höfuð, to bear one’s head high, Sturl. iii. 147, Sighvat; hefja höfuðs, to lift one’s head, Thom. 535; drepa niðr höfði, to droop one’s head, Bs. i. 625; þoku hóf af höfði, the fog lifted, Ld. 74; búa hvárr í annars höfði, to be at loggerheads, Sks. 346; fara huldu höfði, to go with a hidden head, in disguise, to hide oneself, Fms. vi. 12; færa e-m höfuð sitt, to surrender oneself to an enemy, Eg. ch. 62, 63, Fms. x. 261; stíga yfir höfuð e-m, to pass over one’s head, overcome one, 304; er á engri stundu örvænt nær elli stígr yfir h. mér, Eb. 332; hlaða hellum at höfði e-m, to leave one dead on the spot, Dropl. 18; ganga milli bols ok höfuðs, ‘to gang between bole and head,’ i. e. to kill outright, Eb. 240; hætta höfði, to risk one’s head, Hm. 106; leggjask e-t undir höfuð, to lay under one’s pillow, to put aside; leggjask ferð undir höfuð, Fær. 132, Orkn. 46; þú munt verða fátt undir höfuð at leggjask ef ek skal við þér taka, Sturl. i. 27; vera höfði hærri, to be a head taller, Fms. x. 381; setja höfuð á höfuð ofan, to set head upon head, Bs. i. 73, (viz. to consecrate a second bishop to a see, which was against the eccl. law); cp. kjósa annan konung í höfuð Davíð, Sks. 801.

III. in a personal sense, in poets, a person, = Lat. caput, Gr. κάρα, κεφαλή; fárgjarnt höfuð, thou fearful woman! Fas. ii. 556; hraustara höfuð, a bolder man, 315; berjask við eitt höfuð, 49; heiptrækt höfuð, Ýt. 25; andprútt höfuð, high-minded man! Sighvat; tírar h., glorious man; leyfðar h., id., Geisli 56; vina höfuð = cara capita, Bm. 2; frænda höfuð, kinsmen, Skáld H. 3. 40; hvarfúst h., thou fickle woman! Hel. 2.

2. a number, tale, head, of animals; fádygt höfuð, of a fox, Merl. 1. 39: head, of cattle, þeir eiga at gjalda þingfarar-kaup, er skulda-hjóna hvert hefir höfuð, kú skuldalausa eða kúgildi, Grág. (Kb.) i. 159, referring to the old way of taxation, which is still the law in Icel., that a freeholder has to pay tax (skattr) only if he has more head of cattle (kúgildi, q. v.), than persons to support.

IV. a head, chief; höfuð lendra manna, Fms. vii. 273; h. ok höfðingi, Stj. 457; Þrándheimr er h. Noregs, Fms. vi. 38; höfuð allra höfuð-tíða (gen.), Leiðarvís. 23.

V. of head-shaped things:

1. a beak, of a ship; með gylltum höfðum, Fms. viii. 385, x. 10, 417, passim; dreka-höfuð, q. v.: the beak was usually a dragon’s head, sometimes a bison’s, Ó. H.; a steer’s, Landn. 5. ch. 8; or it was the image of a god, e. g. of Thor, Fms. ii. 325, (Ó. T. ch. 253); or of a man, Karl-höfði, Ó. H., the ship of St. Olave; cp. the interesting passage, þat var upphaf enna heiðnu laga, at menn skyldu eigi hafa höfuðskip í hafi, en ef þeir hefði, þá skyldi þeir af taka höfuð áðr þeir kæmi í lands-sýn, ok sigla eigi at landi með gapandum höfðum eðr gínandi trjónum, svá at landvættir fældisk við, Landn. (Hb.) 258, Fms. vi. 180 (in a verse), vii. 51 (in a verse). 2. the capital of a pillar, Al. 116, Fb. i. 359 (of tent poles): of carved heads in a hall, sér þú augun útar hjá Hagbarðs-höfðinu? Korm. ch. 3: heads of idols carved on chairs, Fbr. ch. 38: carved heads on high-seats, Eb. ch. 4: that these figures sometimes represented fairies or goddesses is shewn by the word brúða (q. v.) and stólbrúða; heads of bedsteads seem to have been carved in a similar way; cp. also Korm. 86, see tjasna.

3. the head-piece of a bridle; týndi maðr höfði á beisli því er görsema-vel var gört, Bs. i. 314, v. l.; the head of a rake, hrífu-h., etc.

COMPDS: höfðabúza, höfðafjöl, höfðalag, höfðaskip, höfðatal, höfðatala, höfuðband, höfuðbani, höfuðbein, höfuðburðr, höfuðbúnaðr, Höfuðdagr, höfuðdúkr, höfuðfaldr, höfuðfatnaðr, höfuðfetlar, höfuðgerð, höfuðgjarnt, höfuðgull, höfuðhlutr, höfuðhögg, höfuðlausn, höfuðlauss, höfuðleðr, höfuðlín, höfuðmein, höfuðmikill, höfuðmundr, höfuðórar, höfuðrót, höfuðsár, höfuðskél, höfuðskip, höfuðskjálfti, höfuðsmátt, höfuðsnauðr, höfuðsótt, höfuðsteypa, höfuðsundl, höfuðsvími, höfuðsvörðr, höfuðtíund, höfuðverkr, höfuðvíti, höfuðvörðr, höfuðþváttr, höfuðþyngsl, höfuðærr, höfuðærsl.

B. Chief, capital, found like the Gr. ἀρχι- in countless COMPDS: höfuðatriði, höfuðá, höfuðárr, höfuðátt, höfuðbarmr, höfuðbaðmr, höfuðbarmsmaðr, höfuðbaugr, höfuðbenda, höfuðbiti, höfuðbitarúm, höfuðblót, höfuðborg, höfuðból, höfuðbæli, höfuðbær, höfuðdrottning, höfuðefni, höfuðengill, höfuðfaðir, höfuðfirn, höfuðfól, höfuðgersemi, höfuðgjöf, höfuðglæpr, höfuðgoð, höfuðgrein, höfuðgæfa, höfuðhátíð, höfuðhetja, höfuðhof, höfuðinnihald, höfuðísar, höfuðíþrótt, höfuðkempa, höfuðkennimaðr, höfuðkirkja, höfuðklerkr, höfuðkonungr, höfuðkostr, höfuðkvöl, höfuðlist, höfuðlýti, höfuðlæknir, höfuðlærdómr, höfuðlöstr, höfuðsmaðr, höfuðmeistari, höfuðmerki, höfuðmusteri, höfuðnafn, höfuðnauðsyn, höfuðniðjar, höfuðprestr, höfuðráð, höfuðráðgjafi, höfuðskáld, höfuðskepna, höfuðskutilsvein, höfuðskömm, höfuðskörungr, höfuðsmiðr, höfuðspekingr, höfuðstaðr, höfuðstafn, höfuðstafr, höfuðstjarna, höfuðstóll, höfuðstólpi, höfuðstyrkr, höfuðsynd, höfuðsæti, höfuðtunga, höfuðvápn, höfuðveizla, höfuðvél, höfuðvindr, höfuðvinr, höfuðþing, höfuðætt.

* * *

(gen. handar, dat. hendi; pl. hendr), f.

1) hand;

taka hendi á e-u, to touch with the hand;

hafa e-t í hendi, to hold in the hand;

drepa hendi við e-u, to refuse;

halda hendi yfir e-m, to protect one;

taka e-n höndum, to seize, capture;

bera hönd fyrir höfuð sér, to defend oneself;

eiga hendr sínar at verja, to act in self defence;

láta e-t hendi firr, to let go out of one’s hands, to lose;

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

eiga e-t jöfnum höndum, to own in equal shares;

sverja sér af hendi, to forswear;

af hendi e-s, on one’s behalf, on the part of (af hendi landsmanna);

at hendi, as adv. in turn;

hverr at hendi, each in turn;

felast á hendi e-m, to be under one’s protection;

hvat er þér á höndum, what hast thou in hand?;

ef honum væri ekki á höndum, if he had nothing in hand, if his hands were free;

eiga e-t fyrir hendi (höndum), to have in hand (duty, business, engagement);

vera í hendi, to be at hand, at one’s disposal;

hafa vel (illa) í höndum, to behave well (badly);

hafa e-t með höndum, to have in hand, manage, discharge;

hljóta e-t undan hendi e-s, from one, at one’s hand;

á hönd, á hendr, against (lýsa vígi á hönd e-m);

snúa vanda á hendr e-m, to throw the responsibility on one;

fœrast e-t á hendr, to undertake;

ganga (drífa) á hönd e-m, to submit to one;

bjargast á sínar hendr, by one’s own handiwork;

selja, gefa, fá e-t í hönd (hendr) e-m, to give into one’s hands, hand over;

búa e-t í hendr e-m, to make it ready for one;

kalla til e-s í hendr e-m, to lay claim to a thing at the hands of another;

þá sömu nótt, er fór í hönd, the following night;

veðr óx í hönd, the wind rose higher and higher;

vera hœgt um hönd, to be easy in hand;

til handa e-m, into one’s hands;

ganga til handa e-m, to put oneself in another’s hands, submit to him;

ef þat berr þér til handa, if it befalls thee;

þá skömrn kýs ek mér eigi til handa, I will not have that shame at my door;

biðja konu til handa e-m, on one’s behalf, for him;

2) the arm and hand, the arm (höndin gekk af axlarliðnum; hann hefir á hœgri hendi hring fyrir ofan ölnboga);

var eigi djúpara en þeim tók undir hendr, the water just reached to their armpits;

3) hand, side;

á hœgri (vinstri) hönd, on the right (left) hand, side;

á hvára hönd, on either hand;

minnar (yðvarrar) handar, for my (your) part;

4) kind, sort;

allra handa árgœzka, great abundance of all things.

* * *

f., gen. handar, dat. hendi, acc. hönd, pl. hendr, mod. proncd. höndur, gen. handa; [Goth. handus; A. S. and Engl. hand; O. H. G. hant; Germ. hand; Dan. haand; Swed. hand]:—a hand; beit höndina þar er nú heitir úlfliðr, Edda 17; armleggir, handleggir ok hendr, Anecd. 6; kné eðr hendi, Grág. ii. 8; ganga á höndum, Fms. vi. 5; með hendi sinni, K. Þ. K. 5 new Ed.; taka hendi á e-u, to touch with the hand, Fms. x. 110; taka höndum um háls e-m, Nj. 10; hvítri hendi, Hallfred; hafa e-t í hendi, to hold in hand, wield, Eg. 297, Nj. 84, 97, 255; hrjóta ór hendi e-m, Fms. xi. 141; hafa fingrgull á hendi, Nj. 146; handar-högg, Fms. xi. 126, Fas. ii. 459; sjá ekki handa sinna skil (deili), not to be able to see one’s hands, of a dense fog.

2. the arm and hand, the arm, like Gr. χείρ, Nj. 160, 253; á hendi heitir alnbogi, Edda 110; hendr til axla, Fas. i. 160; leggir handa ok fóta, Magn. 532; hönd fyrir ofan úlnlið, Nj. 84; hafa hring á hendi, of an arm-ring, Nj. 131; hring á hægri hendi fyrir ofan ölnboga, Fms. iv. 383:—the arm and arm-pit, ná, taka undir hönd ( arm-pit) e-m, Gþl. 380; var eigi djúpara en þeim tók undir hendr, the water reached to their arm-pits, Ld. 78; taka undir hönd sér, to take hold under one’s arms, Eg. 237, Nj. 200; sjá undir hönd e-m, Fas. ii. 558; renna undir hendr e-m, to backspan one, Háv. 40, 41; þykkr undir hönd, stout, Ld. 272.

3. metaph. handwriting, hand; rita góða hönd, to write a good hand; snar-hönd, running hand, italics.

II. the hand, side; hægri hönd, the right hand; vinstri hönd, the left hand; á hvára hönd, on either hand, each side, Landn. 215; á vinstri hönd, Nj. 196; á hægri hönd; á tvær hendr, on both hands or sides, Ísl. ii. 368, Fas. i. 384; á báðar hendr, Grág.; hvat sem á aðra hönd ber, whatsoever may happen; á aðra hönd … en á aðra, Ld. 46; til hvárigrar handara, Fms. x. 313; til annarrar handar, Nj. 50, 97; til sinnar handar hvárr, 140; til beggja handa, Eg. 65; til ýmsa handa, Bs. i. 750; þver-hönd, a hand’s breadth; örv-hönd.

III. sayings and phrases referring to the hand:

1. sayings; sjálfs hönd er hollust, one’s own hand is best, i. e. if you want to have a thing well done, do it yourself, Glúm. 332, Ó. H. 157; blíð er bætandi hönd, blessed is the mending hand; gjörn er hönd á venju, Grett. 150, Nj. (in a verse), and Edda (Ht. 26); margar hendr vinna létt verk; fiplar hönd á feigu tafli; betri ein kráka í hendi en tvær á skógi, Ld. 96; skamma stund verðr hönd höggvi fegin, see högg.

2. phrases; drepa hendi við, to refuse, Nj. 71; halda hendi yfir e-m, to hold one’s hand over, protect, 266, Fbr. 22, Anecd. 14; taka e-n höndum, to take hold with the hands, seize, capture, Fms. x. 314, Nj. 265, passim; eiga hendr sínar at verja, to act in self-defence, 84, 223; hefja handa, to lift the hands, stir for action, 65, Ld. 262; bera hönd fyrir höfuð sér, to put one’s hand before one’s head, stand on one’s guard, defend oneself; vera í hers höndum, óvina höndum, to be in a state of war, exposed to rapine; vera í góðum höndum, vina-höndum, góðra manna höndum, to be in good hands, among friends.

β. læknis-hendr, ‘leech hands,’ healing hands; pains and sickness were believed to give way to the magical touch of a person gifted with such hands, Sdm. 4, Magn. S. Góða ch. 36 (Fms. vi. 73), cp. Rafns S. ch. 2; hönd full, a handful, Fms. ii. 302, vi. 38, viii. 306; fullar hendr fjár, hands full of gold:—kasta hendinni til e-s, to huddle a thing up; með harðri hendi, with hard hand, harshly, rudely; með hangandi hendi, with drooping hand, slothfully; fegins hendi, with glad hand, joyfully; sitja auðum höndum, to sit with empty hands, sit idle; but með tómar hendr, empty-handed, portionless, Thom.:—láta hendr standa fram úr ermum, to work briskly; víkja hendi til e-s (handar-vik), to move the hand to do a thing; það er ekki í tveim höndum að hafa við e-n, of double handed (i. e. faltering) half measures, when the one hand undoes what the other has done; kann ek þat sjá at ekki má í tveim höndum hafa við slíka menn, Band. 3; láta hönd selja hendi, of a ready bargain; láta e-t ganga hendi firr, to let go out of one’s hands, lose, Ld. 202; ok lét sér eigi hendi firr ganga, and never lost sight of him, 656 ii. 4; e-m fallask hendr, to be discomfited, lose one’s head (see falla); leggja görva hönd á allt, to be a ready hand, adept in everything, Thom. 300 (see göra F. 2); taka í hönd e-m, to join hands, Nj. 3; takask í hendr, to join, shake hands, Grág. ii. 80; leggja hendr saman, id., Gþl. 18,—of shaking hands as symbolical of a bargain, see the compds hand-lag, hand-festi, handa-band; eiga, taka, jöfnum höndum, to own, take with even hands, i. e. in equal shares, Grág. i. 171, ii. 66, Hkr. i. 318; vinna jöfnum höndum, to work even-handed, to help one another; e-m eru mislagðar hendr, one’s hands are amiss, when bad work is done by one from whom better was expected; honum hafa verið mislagðar hendr, etc.

B. Metaph. usages:

I. dat., sverja sér af hendi, to forswear, Fms. vii. 176; færa af höndum sér, to dismiss, Grág. i. 248; hefjask af höndum e-m, Fms. xi. 59:—af hendi e-s, on one’s behalf, part, Landn. 154; af hendi Hákonar, Fms. i. 20, iv. 118; af hendi landsmanna, ix. 359; af sinni hendi, of one’s own hand, for one’s own part, Grág. i. 392; reiða, greiða, gjalda, inna af hendi or höndum, to discharge, pay off, Fms. vii. 230, Nj. 146, 190, 232, 239, 257, 281, Grág. i. 82, ii. 374; selja, láta af hendi (höndum), to part with, dismiss, Nj. 186, 231, Fms. vii. 173, Rb. 12; líða af hendi, to pass, of time, Ísl. ii. 144, Fms. iv. 83: koma, bera at hendi, to happen, Nj. 71, 177: at hendi, as adv. in turn; hvern at hendi, each in turn, Fms. i. 150: þar næst Gunnarr, þá Loðinn, þá hverr at hendi, Nj. 140; hverr segir at hendi þat er frá honum hefir stolit verit, Mar.: felask á hendi e-m, to be under one’s charge, protection, Nj. 201, Bs. i. 167, 173. vera e-m á hendi, id., Fms. vii. 243; vera bundinn á hendi e-m, Sturl. i. 57: hafa e-t á höndum (hendi), to have a thing in hand, of duty, business to be done, Grág. i. 38; eiga ferð á höndum, Ld. 72; hvat er þér á höndum, what hast thou in hand? for what art thou concerned, distressed? Nj. 133, Ld. 270; ella eru þér stórir hlutir á höndum, Fms. vii. 30; ef honum væri ekki á höndum, if he had nothing in hand, if his hands were free, Ld. 42: eiga e-t fyrir hendi (höndum), to have in hand (duty, business, engagement), Fas. ii. 557; farvegr langr fyrir hendi, Fms. xi. 316; tveir kostir fyrir höndum, Nj. 264, Grág. i. 279; hafa sýslu fyrir höndum, Ísl. ii. 344; eiga vandræði fyrir höndum, Ld. 4; eiga gott fyrir höndum, Hkr. iii. 254: vera í hendi, to be at hand, within reach, at one’s disposal, in one’s power; hann er eigi í hendi, Fms. vi. 213; þat er eigi í hendi, ‘tis no easy matter, v. l.; hafa raun ( evidence) í hendi, Bs. i. 708; hafa ráð e-s í hendi sér, Ld. 174, Fas. i. 260; hafa vel, ílla í höndum, to behave well, badly, Ísl. ii. 387, Eg. 158; varð honum þat vel í höndum, 50: hafa e-t með höndum (fé, auðæfi, embætti, etc.), to have in hand, manage, discharge, Grág. ii. 389, Greg. 25, Stj. 248, Hkr. iii. 131; to design, hafa ráð, stórræði með höndum, 623. 51: hljóta undan hendi e-s, from one, at one’s hands, Fas. i. 365: undir höndum, eigi lítill undir höndum, not a small man to handle, Fms. vii. 17; vera undir höndum e-m, to be under or in one’s hands, under one’s protection, in one’s power, Sks. 337, Fms. i. 7, 13; sitja undir hendi e-m, Hkr. i. 166,—um hendr, Fms. iv. 71, is prob. an error = undir hendi.

2. absol., annarri hendi, on the other hand, Fms. vii. 158; en annarri hendi vildu þeir gjarna veita konungi hlýðni, ix. 258.

II. acc., with prepp.; á hönd, á hendr, against; höfða sök, lýsa vígi (etc.) á hönd e-m, to make a suit … against, Grág. i. 19, Nj. 86, 87, 98, 99, 101, 110, 120, 230; hyggja e-t á hendr e-m, to lay a thing to a person’s charge, Hom. 115; reynask á hendr e-m, to have a charge brought home to one, Fms. xi. 76; snúa vanda á hendr e-m, to throw the responsibility upon …, Nj. 215; færa, segja stríð á hendr e-m, to wage, declare war against one; fara geystr á hendr e-m, to rage against, Fms. vii. 230; færask e-t á hendr, to undertake, Nj. 126; ganga á hönd e-m, to vex one, 625. 33; sótt elnar á hendr e-m, Eg. 126; leggja e-t á hendr e-m, to lay ( a burden) on one’s hands, Fms. xi. 98; in a good sense, ganga á hönd, to pay homage to, submit, Ó. H. 184; dreif allt fólk á hönd honum, submitted to him, filled his ranks, Fms. i. 21; bjargask á sínar hendr, by one’s own handwork, Vápn. 28; (for at hönd, Grág. i. 135, read á hönd): selja, fá, gefa e-t í hönd, hendr e-m, to give into one’s hands, hand over; selja sök í hönd e-m (handsöl), Grág. ii. 80, Nj. 4, 98, 112, 186; so, halda e-u í hönd e-m, Ísl. ii. 232, Fms. vii. 274; búa í hendr e-m, to make it ready for one, Ld. 130; veiði berr í hendr e-m, Nj. 252; kalla til e-s í hendr e-m, to lay claim to a thing at the hands of another, Ld. 300, Eg. 350, Fms. iv. 222, ix. 424; þegar í hönd, offhand, immediately, Bs. i; þá sömu nótt er fór í hönd, the following night, Fms. viii. 397, Glúm. 341; gjalda í hönd, to pay in cash, Vm. 16; veðr óx í hönd, the wind rose higher and higher, Fb. i. 432: undir jafna hönd, equally, Sturl. iii. 243; standa óbrigðiliga undir jafna hönd, Dipl. v. 26: væra hægt um hönd, to be easy in hand, Nj. 25; þegar eg vil er hægt um hönd, heima á Fróni að vera, Núm. 1. 10; but mér er e-t um hönd, it is awkward, costs trouble: hafa við hönd sér, to keep at hand, Fms. x. 264; tóku konur manna ok dætr ok höfðu við hönd sér viku, Grett. 97; hafa e-t við höndina, to have it at hand.

III. gen., with prepp.; til handa e-m, into one’s hands; fara Guði til handa, to go into God’s hands, Blas. 51; ganga til handa e-m, to put oneself in another’s hands, submit to him, Rb. 404, Eg. 12, Fms. vii. 234, Fas. ii. 522; ef þat berr þér til handa, if it befalls thee, i. 135; þá skömm kýs ek mér eigi til handa, I will not have that shame at my door, Nj. 191: for one, on one’s behalf, biðja konu til handa e-m, 120, 180, Grág. i. 353; í þeirri bæn er hann orti oss til handa, for its, for our use, our sake, 655 i. 2; hann hélt fénu til handa Þrándi, Landn. 214, Nj. 151; safnar konungr liði (til) handa Oddi, Fas. ii. 553; til handa Þorkatli, Fs.

β. dropping the prep. til; mikit fé handa honum, Rd. 195 (late MSS.): whence, handa has become an adverb with dat., handa e-m, for one, Lat. alicui, which is freq. in mod. usage.

2. adverbial; allra handa, Dan. allehaande, of every kind; allra handa árgæzka, Edda (pref.); allra handa ganganda fé, Þórð. 51 new Ed.; fjögurra handa, of a fourfold kind, H. E. i. 525.

3. absol., minnar handar, for my part, Ísl. ii. 356; yðvarrar handar, for your part, Fms. ix. 498; hvárrar-tveggju handar, on either hand, Skálda 164; innan handar, within one’s hands, easy, Ld. 112; þótti þeim innan handar falla at taka land þetta hjá sér sjálfum, 210.

C. COMPDS:

I. plur., handa-afl, n., Edda, = handafl, p. 237. handa-band, n. a joining or shaking of hands, as a law term = handlag, Dipl. i. 11, iv. 2, Vígl. 23; in plur., Bs. (Laur. S.); heilsa, kveðja með handabandi. handa-festi, f. a hold for the hands, Fms. ii. 276. handa-gangr, m. grasping after a thing with all hands, Fas. iii. 345. handa-görvi, f. ‘hand-gear,’ gloves, Sd. 143, Fbr. 139. handa-hóf, n., in the phrase, af handahófi, at random. handa-kenning, f. hand touching, Eluc. 20. handa-klapp, n. a clapping of hands, Skálda 174. handa-læti, n. pl. gestures with the arms, Sks. 116. handar-mál, n., in the phrase, at handarmáli, in heaps; var þá drepit lið hans at handarmáli, Fas. i. 41. handa-saumr, m. tight gloves, Bs. ii. 10. handa-síðr, adj. = handsíðr. handa-skil, n. pl., in the phrase, sjá ekki h., not to see one’s own hands, as in the dark, in a dense fog. handa-skol, n. pl. maladroitness; það er allt í handaskolum. handa-skömm, f. shameful work, a scandal; það er mesta h.! handa-staðr, m. the print of the hands. Fas. i. 285. handa-tak, n., -tekt, f., -tekja, u, f. a taking of hands, as a bargain, Háv. 42, H. E. ii. 194, D. N. i. 398. handa-tæki, n. pl. a laying hold, a fight, Bs. i. (Laur. S.): a pledging of hands, Dipl. ii. 6, D. N. passim. handa-upphald, n. a lifting the arms, Stj. 296. handa-verk, n. pl. one’s handiwork, doings, N. G. L. i. 76, Fms. vii. 295, Stj. 198; í handaverkum eða bókfræði, 46; handaverk manna, men’s handiwork, Blas. 47; Guðs h.; ek em þín h., Sks. 610; hans h., Fms. viii. 406.

II. sing., handar-bak, n. the back of the hand, Sdm. 7. handar-gagn, n. a being ready to the hand; leggja e-t til handargagns, to lay it so as to be ready at hand, Hkr. ii, 158, 249. handar-grip, n. a measure, = spönn, Karl. 481. handar-hald, proncd. handarald, n. a handle, Fas. ii. 355. handar-jaðarr, m. the hand’s edge; in the phrase, vera undir handar-jaðri e-s, to be in one’s hands, in one’s power, Fær. 201. handar-kriki, a, m. ‘hand’s-creek,’ the arm-pit, Eg. 396, Fms. vi. 348, Sturl. ii. 37. handar-mein, n. a sore in the hand, Bs. i. 115, 187, Sturl. ii. 177. handar-stúfr, m. a ‘hand-stump,’ stump of the arm, the hand being hacked off, Fms. x. 258, xi. 119. handar-vani, a, m. maimed in hand, Hm. 70, Matth. xviii. 8. handar-veif, n., í handarveifi, in a ‘wave of the hand,’ in a moment. handar-vik, n. the hands’ reach, movement, work; lítið handarvik, a small work. handar-væni, a, m. want of hands (?), Hm. 72.

☞ For the compds in hand- see pp. 237, 238.

prep with dat. and acc.;

I. with dat.

1) with verbs of motion, after (ríða, róa, fara, ganga, senda e-m);

2) denoting the aim and object of many verbs;

leita, spyrja, frétta, eptir e-u, to search, ask, inquire after;

líta eptir e-u, to look afler, attend to;

bíða eptir e-u, to wait for;

vaka eptir e-m, to sit up waiting for one;

segja eptir e-m, to report behind one’s back;

3) following the course of a track, road, etc., along;

niðr eptir hálsinum, down the hill;

eptir endilongu, from one end to the other;

eptir miðju, along the middle;

4) after, according to, in accordance with (eptir sið þeirra ok lögum);

hann leiddist eptir fortölum hennar, he was led by her persuasion;

gekk allt eptir því sem H. hafði sagt, according as H. had said;

5) denoting proportion, comparison;

fátt manna eptir því sem hann var vanr, few men in comparison to what he was want to have;

6) with verbs denoting imitation, indulgence, longing after;

láta eptir e-m, to indulge one;

breyta eptir e-m, to imitate;

7) behind (hann leiddi eptir sér hestinn);

fundust eptir þeim írskar bœkr, which they had left behind;

II. with acc.

1) of time, after, in succession to (vár kom eptir vetr);

hvern dag eptir annan, one day after the other;

ár eptir ár, dag eptir dag, year by year, day by day;

eptir þat, after that, thereafter;

2) denoting succession, inheritance;

taka e-t í arf eptir e-n, to inherit from one;

hann tók konungdóm eptir föður sinn, after his father;

vita þá skömm eptir sik, to leave such a bad report;

skaði mikill er eptir menn slíka, there is a great loss in such men;

III. as adv.

1) after;

annat sumar eptir, the second summer after;

um daginn eptir, the day after;

eptir um várit, later during the spring;

eptir koma úsvinnum ráð, the fool is wise when too late;

2) behind;

bíða sitja eptir, to wait, stay behind;

vera, standa eptir, to remain behind, be left;

halda e-u eptir, to keep back;

skammt get ek eptir þinnar æfi, I guess that little is left of thy life;

3) before the rel. part., eptir er = eptir þat er, after (ef maðr, andast á þingi eptir er menn eru á braut farnir);

4) eptir á, afterwards, later on;

in addition.

* * *

better spelt eftir, in common pronunciation ettir, a prep. with dat. and acc. and also used as adv. or ellipt. without a case: an older form ept or eft only occurs in poetry, Skm. 39, 41, Ýt. 2, Edda 91 (in a verse); ept víg, Hkr. i. 349 (in a verse), iii. 50 (Arnór); [cp. Goth. afar; Runic stone in Tune, after; A. S. æft; Engl. after, aft; Swed.-Dan. efter]:—after.

A. WITH DAT., LOC.; with verbs denoting following, pursuing, or the like; hann reið e. þeim, Eg. 149; hann bar merkit eptir honum, he bore the standard after him, 297; róa e. þeim, to pull after them, Ld. 118; þegar e. Kara, on the heels of Kari, Nj. 202; varð ekki e. honum gengit, none went after him, 270.

β. with the notion to fetch; senda e. e-m, to send after one, Eb. 22, Nj. 78, Fms. i. 2; ríða í Hornafjörð e. fé yðru, ride to H. after your things, Nj. 63.

γ. ellipt., viljum vér eigi e. fara, we will not follow after them. Eb. 242; ek mun hlaupa þegar e., Nj. 202.

2. metaph.,

α. with verbs denoting to look, stara, líta, sjá, gá, horfa, mæna, etc. e. e-u, to stare, look after a thing while departing, Ísl. ii. 261: leita, spyrja, frétta etc. e. e-u, to ask, ‘speer,’ seek after a thing, Nj. 75, Eg. 155, 686, Fms. i. 71, x. 148, etc.

β. segja e. e-m, to tell tales, report behind one’s back in a bad sense, 623. 62; þó at ek segða eigi óhapp eptir tengda-mönnum mínum, Sturl. i. 66; sjá e. e-u, to look after, miss a thing, Nj. 75; leggja hug e. e-u, to mind a thing, Ísl. ii. 426; taka e., to mind, mark a thing; ganga e. e-u, to retain a thing, Fms. x. 5.

γ. verbs denoting to expect; bíða, vænta e. e-u, to expect, wait for a thing; vaka e. e-m, to sit up waiting for one, but vaka yfir e-m, to sit up nursing or watching one, cp. Fas. ii. 535.

II. denoting along, in the direction of a track, road, or the like; niðr e. hálsinum, down the hill, Fms. iii. 192; út e. firði, stood out along the firth, i. 37; innar e. höllinni, Nj. 270; upp e. dal, Eb. 232; ofan e. dalnum, Nj. 34; ofan e. eyrunum, 143; upp e. eyrunum, 85; innar e. búðinni, 165; út e. þvertrénu, 202; ofan e. reykinum, Eb. 230; inn e. Skeiðum, 224; inn e. Álptafirði, id.; innar e. ísum, 236; inn e. ísum, 316; út e. ísnum, 236; út e. Hafsbotnum, Orkn. 1; e. endilöngu, from one end to another, Fms. x. 16; e. miðju, along the middle, vii. 89.

2. metaph. after, according to; e. því sem vera ætti, Ld. 66; e. sið þeirra ok lögum, Fms. i. 81; e. þínum fortölum, ii. 32; hann leiddisk e. fortölum hennar, he was led by her persuasion, v. 30; gékk allt e. því sem Hallr hafði sagt, Nj. 256; gékk allt e. því sem honum hafði vitrað verit, all turned out as he had dreamed, Fms. ii. 231; e. minni vísan, i. 71.

β. denoting proportion, comparison; þó eigi e. því sem faðir hans var, yet not like his father, Eg. 702; fátt manna e. því sem hann var vanr, few men in comparison to what he used to have, Sturl. ii. 253; þat var orð á, at þar færi aðrar e., people said that the rest was of one piece, Ld. 168.

γ. with verbs denoting imitation, indulgence, longing after, etc.; lifa e. holdi sínu, to live after the flesh, Hom. 25; lifa e. Guði, 73; lifit e. mér, follow after me, Blas. 45; láta e. e-m, to indulge one; mæla e. e-m, to take one’s part, Nj. 26: breyta e. e-m, to imitate; dæma e. e-m, to give a sentence for one, 150; fylgja e. e-m, to follow after one, N. T.; herma e. e-m, to mimic one’s voice and gesture, as a juggler; mun ek þar e. gera sem þér gerit fyrir, I will do after just as you do before, Nj. 90; hann mælti e. ( he repeated the words) ok stefndi rangt, 35; leika e. e-m, to follow one’s lead; telja e., to grudge; langa e., to long after, Luke xxii. 15.

δ. kalla, heita e. e-m, to name a child after one; kallaði Hákon eptir föður sínum Hákoni, Fms. i. 14; kallaðr e. Mýrkjartani móður-föður sínum, Ld. 108: lcel. now make a distinction, heita í höfuðit á e-m, of a living person, and heita e. e-m, of one deceased.

III. denoting behind; fundusk e. þeim Írskar bækr, Irish books were found which they had left behind, Landn. (pref.), Fms. xi. 410; draga þik blindan e. sér, vi. 323; bera e-t e. sér, to drag behind one; hann leiddi e. sér hestinn, he led the horse after him, Eg. 766.

β. as an adv., þá er eigi hins verra e. ván er slíkt ferr fyrir, what worse can come after, when such things went before? Nj. 34.

2. but chiefly ellipt. or adverb.; láta e., to leave behind, Sturl. i. 60; sitja e., to sit, stay behind, Fms. i. 66; bíða e., to stay behind; vera e., Grett. 36 new Ed., Bs. i. 21; standa e., to stay behind, remain, be left, Fms. ii. 231, vi. 248; dveljask e., to delay, stop, Sturl. ii. 253; leggja e., to lay behind, but liggja e., to lie behind, i. e. be left, Karl. 439; eiga e., to have to do, Nj. 56; ef ekki verðr e., if naught remain behind, Rb. 126; skammt get ek e., þinnar æfi, I guess that little is left of thy life, Nj. 182; þau bjoggu þar e., they remained, stayed there. 25.

B. WITH ACC., TEMP, after; vetri e. fall Ólafs, Eb. (fine); sextán vetrum e. dráp Eadmundar konungs …, vetrum e. andlát Gregorii, … e. burð Christi, Íb. 18; e. fall jarls, Eg. 297; e. verk þessi, Nj. 85: esp. immediately after, var kom e. vetr, spring came after winter, Eg. 260; hvern dag e. annan, one day after another, Hom. 158; ár e. ár, year after year, Rb. 292; dag e. dag, day after day, Fms. ii. 231; e. þat, or e. þetta, after that, Lat. deinde, deinceps, Nj. 151, Eb. 58, Bs. i. 5, etc. etc.; e. þingit, after the meeting, Eb. 108; e. sætt Eyrbyggja, 252.

2. denoting succession, inheritance, remembrance, etc.; eptir in this sense is frequent on the Runic stones, to the memory of, after; hón á arf allan e. mik, Nj. 3; tekit í arf e. föður þinn, inherited after thy father, Fms. i. 256; ef skapbætendr eru eigi til e. bauga, i. e. to receive the weregild, Grág. ii. 184; þeir er sektar-fé eiga at taka e. þik, Nj. 230; tók konungdóm e. föður sinn, took the kingdom after his father, Fms. i. 2; Þorkell tók lögsögu e. Þórarinn, Thorkel took the speakership after Thorarin, Íb. ch. 5, cp. ch. 8, 10: metaph., vita þá skömm e. sik, to know that shame [ will be] after one, i. e. leave such a bad report, Ld. 222; skaði mikill er e. menn slíka, there is a great loss in such men, Eg. 93; hann fastaði karföstu e. son sinn, he fasted the lenten fast after his son’s death, Sturl. ii. 231; sonr … e. genginn guma, a son to succeed his deceased father, Hm. 71; mæla e. en, or eiga vígsmál (eptir-mál) e. e-n, to conduct the suit after one if slain, Nj. 254 (freq.), hence eptir-mál; eptir víg Arnkels vóru konur til erfðar ok aðildar, Eb. 194; í hefnd e. e-n, to revenge one’s death, Nj. 118; heimta gjöld e. menn sína, to claim weregild, Fms. viii. 199.

β. the phrase, vera e. sig, to be weary after great exertion.

II. used as adv. after; síðan e. á öðrum degi, on the second day thereafter, Hom. 116: síðan e., Lat. deinceps, Fms. x. 210; um várit e., the spring after, Eb. 125 new Ed.; annat sumar e., the second summer after, Nj. 14; annat haust e., Eb. 184; annan dag e., the second day after, Nj. 3; um daginn e., the day after, Fms. vii. 153, Bs. i. 21; næsta mánuð e., Rb. 126.

β. by placing the adverb. prep. at the beginning the sense becomes different, later; e. um várit, later during the spring, Eb. 98.

III. used adverb. with the relat. particles er, at; e. er, Lat. postquam, Grág. i. 10; e. at, id., K. Þ. K. 32.

β. eptir á, afterward; the proverb, eptir (mod. eptir á) koma ósvinnum ráð í hug, the fool is wise too late, Vápn. 17, Fas. i. 98; eptir á, kvað hinn …, ‘ after a bit,’ quoth the …, (a proverb.)

* * *

1) a means off passage, ship; bjarga fari á floti, to save a vessel qflaat; in compds., a trading vessel (Íslands-far, Englands-far);

2) passage; taka (fá, ráða) sér fari or far, to take a passage in a ship; beiðast fars, to ask for a passage; synja e-m fars, to deny one a passage; banna e-m f., to forbid one to sail (cf. farbann);

3) trace, print, track (Sveinki rak lömb sín til fjöru í förin); villast hundarnir farsins, the hounds lose the track; of et sama f., on the same subject;

4) life, conduct, behaviour; í fari konungsins in the king’s character;

5) state, condition (gefa þeir eigi gaum um hennar far) f. veðranna, the course of the winds; at fornu fari, of yore, of old.

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f. [Dan. faar], a sheep, D. N. ii. 312, Boldt 165; vide fær.

n. [A. S. fær; Hel. fâr = dolus; Germ. fahr = treason, gefahr = danger; Engl. fear = terror; cp. also Germ. furcht:—but in the old Scandin. languages the word does not rightly mean either fear or danger; the mod. Dan. fare and Swed. fara are borrowed from Germ.]

1. evil passion, bale, harm, mischief; fár ok fjandskapr, Gísl. 125; eigi standa orð þín af litlu fári, baleful words, Fas. i. 195; lesa fár um e-n, to speak foul calumnies of one, Hm. 23; af fári, from evil passion, Og. 12. Hm. 151; er þú felldir mér fár af höndum, that thou brakest my spell, Og. 10; flytjandi fárs, bringing mischief, Am. 4; ef ek vissa þat fár fyrir, if I could foresee that bale, Skv. 2. 7; halda kvið til fárs e-m, to withhold the verdict to the injury of the other party, Grág. i. 58; verða e-m at fári, to be one’s bale, Korm. 12 (in a verse); full skal signa ok við fári sjá, i. e. make a sign over the cup to prevent harm in it, Sdm. 8; þat er fár mikit (‘tis a bad omen), ef þú fæti drepr, Skv. 2. 24; þá er hann réttlauss ef hann þiggr fár á sér, if he receives bodily harm, N. G. L. i. 255.

2. plague, esp. of animals; hunda-fár, sickness among dogs; kúa-fár, nauta-fár, cattle plague, cp. heljar-fár, morð-fár, murderous pestilence; urðar-fár, a weird plague, Sturl. ii. 213 (in a verse); feikna-fár, deadly pain, Pass. 2. 11; vera í fári, to be in an extremity; í dauðans fári, in the death-agony, etc.

β. of men, a dangerous illness; lá hann í þessu fári nær viku, Bs. i. 761; cp. fár-veikr, dangerously ill; fár er nokkurs-konar nauð, Edda 110, cp. far B.

γ. wrath; fár er reiði, Edda 110; vera í íllu fári (vide far B), to be bent on doing mischief.

3. as a law term, fraud, such as selling sand or dirt instead of flour or butter, defined N. G. L. i. 24; kaupa fals, flærð eða fár, 324.

COMPDS: fárhugr, fárleikr, fárliga, fárligr, fárramr, fárreiðr, fárskapr, fársótt, fársumar, fárveikr, fárverkr, fárviðri, fáryrði, fárskona, fársmaðr, fárssótt.

fem. fá, neut. fátt; dat. fám; acc. fá ( paucos and paucam); fán (paucum); fár ( paucae and paucas), but in mod. usage dissyllabic, fáum, fáa, fáan, fáar: gen. pl. fára, mod. fárra:—compar. færi, mod. færri with a double r; superl. fæstr, in books of last century sometimes spelt færstr,—a form warranted neither by etymology nor pronunciation: færst, however, occurs in the old MSS. Arna-Magn. 132. Ld. 210: [Lat. paucus; Ulf. faus; A. S. feá Engl. few; Hel. fáh; O. H. G. foh; lost in mod. Germ.; Dan. and Swed. få or faa]

I. few; Margr við Mývatn, en Fár í Fiskilækjar-hverfi (a pun), Rd. 311, Glúm. 361; með fá liði, with few men, Eg. 51; færa sauðfé, fewer sheep, Grág. (Kb.) 159; færi sauði, i. 423; í fám orðum, in few words, Stj. 29; við fá menn, Fms. i. 35; við fára manna vitni, Ld. 260; færi öfundarmenn, 204; fleiri … færi, Grág. i. 38; fáir einir, only a few; fá eina menn, Sturl. iii. 3; hjón fá ein, Eg. 573, vide einn.

2. used as noun, few, in the sense of few or none, none at all; fáir hafa af því sigrask, Nj. 103; þeir kváðu fá fúnað hafa fyrir honum, 263.

β. esp. in old sayings; e. g. fár er fagr ef grætr, Fb. i. 566; fár veit hverju fagna skal, Kvöldv. i. 47; fár bregðr hinu betra ef hann veit hit verra, Nj. 227: fár er hvatr er hrörask tekr ef í bernsku er blauðr, Fm. 6; fár er full-rýninn, Am. 11; fár hyggr þegjanda þörf, Sl. 28; fás er fróðum vant, Hm. 107; fátt er of vandlega hugat. Kvöldv. ii. 198; fátt veit sá er sefr, Mork. 36; fátt er svo fyrir öllu íllt að ekki boði nokkuð gott; fátt segir af einum, Volks. 62; fátt er ramara en forneskjan, Grett. 144; fátt er sköpum ríkra, Fs. 23; fár gengr of sköp norna, Km. 24; fátt er betr látið en efni eru til, Band. 2; fár er vamma vanr, Mirm. 68; fátt veit fyrr en reynt er, Fms. vi. 155; fátt gat ek þegjandi þar, Hm. 104. Many of these sayings are household words, and this use of the word is typical of the dry northern humour.

II. metaph. dismal, cold, reserved; Sigurðr konungr hafði verit nokkut fár (dismal, in low spirits) öndverðan vetr, en nú var hann glaðr ok spurall, Fms. iv. 82; varð hann fyrst fár ok úkátr, 192; vóru menn allir fáir við þá, v. 307; Vigdis varð fá um, Vigdis became silent about it, i. e. disliked it much, Sturl. iii. 180; var þá Gunnarr við hana lengi fár, for a long time G. was cold to her, Nj. 59.

2. neut. fátt, coldness, coolness; fátt var með þeim Rúti um samfarar, there was coolness between R. and his wife, Nj. 11; var fátt um með þeim bræðrum, 2, Eg. 199; var et fæsta með þeim, Ld. 234; verið hefir fátt með okkr, Gísl. 100: fátt kom á með þeim Gretti, Grett. 99.

III. neut., konungr svarar fá (dat.), Ó. H. 94; Guðrún talaði hér fæst um, Ld. 210; var eigi boðit færa en hundraði, not fewer than a hundred, Nj. 17; fátt af þeirra mönnum, only a few of their men, Fms. v. 290; fátt eina, only a few, Ld. 328: with gen., fátt manna, few men, Nj. 130; fátt góðs, but little good, Hom. 38; fátt einna hverra hluta, few of things, i. e. few things, Fms. iv. 175: þeir ugðu fátt at sér, they heeded them but little, Fms. vii. 201; hlutask til fás, Hrafn. 17.

β. as adv., in the phrases, sofa fátt, to sleep but little, be wakeful; leika fátt, to play but little, i. e. be in a dismal humour; tala fátt, to speak but little; syrgja fátt, to sorrow but little, i. e. to be gay, cp. Lex. Poët.

γ. with numerals, less than, short of, minus, save; vetri fátt í fjóra tigu, i. e. forty years save one, i. e. thirty-nine, Fms. x. 2, v. l.; tveimr ertogum fátt í átta merkr, eight marks less two ortogs, B. K. 84; lítið fátt í fimm tigi vetra, little short of fifty years, Fms. iii. 60; hálfum eyri fátt á átta merkr, eight marks less half an ounce; þremr mörkum fátt á laup, a bushel less three marks, B. K. 84, 11: at fæstu, the fewest, least, the minimum; tveir et fæsta, two at least, Grág. i. 9; sex menn et fæsta, 378; cp. the neut. afl-fátt, svefn-fátt, dag-fátt, q. v.

* * *

1) forward; hann féll f. á. fœtr konungi, he fell forward on his face at the king’s feet; f. rétt, straight on; koma f., to reappear;

2) out of the house; opp. to inn, innarr( var hon ávalt borin f. ok innarr);

3) on the fore part, in front, opp. to aptr( maðr f., en dýr aptr); aptr ok f., fore and aft, of a ship;

4) joined with preps. and particles, bíða f. á dag, f. á nótt, to wait far into the day, or night; bíða f. um jól, to wait till after Yule; fyrir lög f., in spite of the law; f. undan eyjunni; off the island;

5) of time, hversu er f. orðit, how late is it, what time is it? f. orðit dags, late in the day.

* * *

adv.—the Icel. has a triple adverbial form, fram, denoting the going to a place (ad locum); frammi, the being in a place (in loco); framan, the going from a place (a loco)—compar. framarr (mod. framar) or fremr, = Goth. framis; superl. framast (framarst) or fremst: proncd. with a double m = framm; and that such was the case in olden times may be seen from Fms. vi. 385 and Skálda 168, 171. This adv. with its compds and derivatives may be said to have been lost in Germ. as well as Engl., and at a very early time. Even Ulf. uses fram as a prep. in the sense of ἀπό, like the A. S. and Engl. from, Swed. från: only in two passages Ulf. uses fram as adv., viz. Rom. xiii. 12, where he renders ‘the night is far spent’ (nóttin er um liðin of the Icel. N. T.) by framis galeiþan, which recalls to mind the Icel. fram-liðinn = deceased, past; and Mark i. 19, where προβαίνειν is rendered by gaggan framis = Icel. ganga framarr or ganga fram; cp. also the Goth. compds fram-gahts = progress, Philipp. i. 25; fram-aldrs = stricken in years; fram-vigis = Icel. fram-vegis; fram-vairþis = further: in O. H. G. vram = ultra still occurs, but is now lost in Germ. as well as in Engl.: the Icel., on the other hand, makes a clear distinction between the prep. frá ( from) and fram, on, forward, = Gr. πρόσω, Lat. porro, pro-; in some compds the sense from appears, e. g. framandi, a stranger,—Ulf. framaþeis, prop. one who is far off or from far off; so also fram-liðinn, gone, past; ganga fram, to die.

A. fram, forward, (opp. to aptr, backward); aðra leið aptr en fram, 655 xxxii. 18; hann féll fram á fætr konungi, he fell forward on his face at the king’s feet, Eg. 92; stefna fram ( to go on) hina neðri leið, 582; brautin liggr þar fram í milli, id.; cf þeir vilja fram, or, fram á leið, forward, Sks. 483; fram rétt, straight on, Fms. ii. 273, v. l.; fram, fram! on, on! a war cry, Ó. H. 215: koma fram, to reappear, arrive, after being long unheard of; hann kom fram í Danmörku, Fms. i. 62; hann kom fram í kaupstað þeim er …, Ísl. ii. 332; ok kómu þar fram, er Kirjálar vóru á fjalli, Eg. 58: the phrase, fram í ættir, in a far or distant degree (of relationship), 343: people in Icel. in the 14th century used to say, fram til Noregs, up to Norway (cp. up to London), Dipl. ii. 15, 16.

II. fram is generally applied to any motion outwards or towards the open, opp. to inn, innar; thus fram denotes the outer point of a ness, fram á nes; Icel. also say, fram á sjó, towards the high sea, (but upp or inn at landi, landwards); also, towards the verge of a cliff or the like, fram á hamarinn (bergit), Eg. 583: when used of a house fram means towards the door, thus, fara fram í dyr (eldhús), but inn or innar í baðstofu (hence fram-bær), var hón ávalt borin fram ok innar, she was borne in a litter out and in, Bs. i. 343: of a bed or chair fram denotes the outside, the side farthest from the wall, horfir hón til þils, en bóndi fram, she turned her face to the wall, but her husband away from it, Vígl. 31.

β. again, Icel. say, fram á dal, up dale, opp. to ofan dalinn, down dale.

III. without motion, the fore part, opp. to aptr, hinder part (cp. fram-fætr); aptr krókr en fram sem sporðr, Fms. ii. 179; maðr fram en dýr aptr (of a centaur), 673. 2, Sks. 179; aptr ok fram, fore and aft, of a ship, Fms. ix. 310.

IV. joined with prepp. or particles, Lat. usque; bíða fram á dag, fram á nótt, fram í myrkr, to wait far into the day, night, darkness, Bs. ii. 145; bíða fram yfir, er fram um Jól, etc., to bide till after Yule; um fram, past over; sitja um þat fram er markaðrinn stóð, to stay till the fair is past, Fb. i. 124; fram um hamarinn (bergit), to pass the cliff, Eg. 582; ríða um fram, to ride past or to miss, Nj. 264, mod. fram hjá, cp. Germ. vorbei:—metaph., vera um fram e-n, above, surpassingly; um fram aðra menn, Fb. i. 91, Fms. vi. 58, passim; um alla hluti fram, above all things: yfir alla hluti fram, id., Stj. 7: besides, Sks. 41 new Ed.: fyrir lög fram, in spite of the law, Fms. iii. 157; fyrir rétt fram, 655 xx. 4; fyrir lof fram, without leave, Grág. i. 326; fyrir þat fram, but for that, ii. 99: the phrase, fyrir alla hluti fram, above all things, 623. 19.

β. temp., fyrir fram means beforehand, Germ. voraus; vita, segja fyrir fram, to know, tell beforehand, Germ. voraus-sagen.

γ. fram undan, projecting, stretching forward; fram undan eyjunni, Fms. ii. 305.

δ. the phrase, fram, or more usually fram-orðit, of time, hvað er fram-orðit, how late is it? i. e. what is the time? Ld. 224; þá var fram-orðit, it was late in the day, Clem. 51; þá er fram var orðit, 623. 30: dropping ‘orðit,’ þeir vissu eigi hvat fram var (qs. fram orðit), they did not know the time of day, K. Þ. K. 90: with gen., fram-orðit dags, late in the day, Fms. xi. 10, Ld. 174; áfram, on forward, q. v.

V. with verbs,

α. denoting motion, like pro- in Latin, thus, ganga, koma, sækja, falla, fljóta, renna, líða, fara … fram, to go, come, flow, fare … forward, Eg. 136, Fms. ii. 56, Jb. 75, passim: of time, líða fram, Bs. ii. 152 (fram-liðinn).

β. rétta, halda fram, to stretch, hold forth, Nj. 3; flytja, bera, draga, leiða, færa, selja, setja fram, to bring … forward, Sks. 567; leggja fram, to ‘lay forth,’ discharge, Fms. v. 293, Nj. 3, 11; bjóða fram, to offer; eggja, hvetja fram, to egg on; segja fram, to pronounce; standa, lúta fram, etc.

γ. sjá, horfa, stökkva … fram fyrir sik, to look, jump forward, opp. to aptr fyrir sik, Nj. 29:—impers., e-m fer fram, to grow, make progress; skara fram úr, to stand out.

B. frammi, (for the pronunciation with a double m vide Skálda 169,) denotes in or on a place, without motion, and is formed in the same way as uppi from upp, niðri from niðr; Icel. thus say, ganga fram, niðr, upp, to go on, go down, go up; but vera frammi, niðri, uppi, to be in, etc.; if followed by a vowel, the final i may be dropt, thus, vera frammi á dal, or framm’ á dal, Hrafn. 6; sitja framm’ fyrir hásæti (= frammi fyrir), Ó. H. 5; just as one may say, vera niðr’ á (qs. niðri á) engjum, upp’ á (= uppi á) fjalli: as to direction, all that is said of fram also applies to frammi, only that frammi can but denote the being in a place; Icel. thus say, frammi á dal in a dale, frammi í dyrum in-doors, frammi á fjalli on a fell, frammi á gólfi on the floor, frammi á sjó, etc.; þeir Leitr sitja frammi í húsum, Fær. 181, cp. also Hrafn. 1; sitja (standa) frammi fyrir e-m, to sit ( stand) before one’s face, Hkr. ii. 81.

II. metaph. the phrase, hafa e-t frammi, to perform a thing, Nj. 232, Sks. 161: to use, shew, in a bad sense, of an insult, threatening, or the like; hafa þeir f. mikil-mæli ok heita afarkostum, Hkr. i. 191: the particle í is freq. prefixed, hafa í frammi, (not á frammi as áfram, q. v.); svá fremi skaltú rógit í frammi hafa, Nj. 166; þarftú þá fleira í frammi at hafa en stóryrði ein ok dramblæti, Fas. i. 37; hafðú í frammi kúgan við þá uppi við fjöllin, Ísl. ii. 215: to exercise, Bs. i. 852; hafa f. ípróttir, Fms. ix. 8 (rare); láta, leggja f., to contribute, produce, Fas. iii. 118, Fms. vi. 211.

C. framan, from the front side; framan at borðinu, to the front of the table, Fb. ii. 302; framan at e-u, in the face or front of (opp. to aptan að, from behind); skaltú róa at framan borðum skútunnar, thou shall row towards the boards of the boat, of one boat trying to reach another, Háv. 46; taka framan af e-u, to take ( cut) from the fore part, Od. xiv. 474; framan á skipinu, the fore part of the ship, Fms. ii. 179; framan um stafninn, vi. 78.

β. temp., framan af sumri, vetri, hausti, váti, the beginning, first part of summer …; also simply framan af, in the beginning.

γ. of the fore part of the body; nokkut hafit upp framan nefit, Ld. 272; réttnefjaðr ok hafit upp í framan-vert, a straight nose and prominent at the tip, Nj. 29; framan á brjóstið, on the breast; framan í andlitið, in the face; framan á knén, í stálhúfuna framan, Fms. viii. 337; framan á þjóhnappana, Sturl. i. 14 (better aptan á).

δ. with the prep. í preceding; í framan, adv. in the face; rjóðr í framan, red in the face; fölr í framan, pale-faced, etc., freq. in mod. use.

2. fyrir framan, before, in front of, with acc. (opp. to fyrir aptan, behind); fyrir framan slána, Nj. 45; fyrir framan hendr honum, 60; fyrir framan hamarinn, Eg. 583; fyrir framan merki, Fms. i. 27, ii. 84: as adv., menn stóðu með vápnum fyrir framan þar sem Flosi sat, before F. ‘s seat, Nj. 220; þá var skotið aptr lokhvílunni ok sett á hespa fyrir framan, Fms. ii. 84: að framan, above.

3. as framan is prop. an adv. from the place, Icel. also say, koma framan af dal, framan af nesi, framan ór dyrum, etc., to come down the dale, etc., vide fram above.

4. ‘framan til’ in a temp. sense, up to, until; nú líðr til þings framan, it drew near to the time of parliament, Nj. 12; líðr nú til þings framan, Ld. 88; leið nú framan til Jóla, Ísl. ii. 42; framan til Páska, Stj. 148; framan til vetrnátta, D. N.; framan til þess er hann átti við Glám, Grett. 155; framan til Leiðar, Anal. 172; frá upphafi heims framan, from the beginning of the world, Ver. 1; in mod. usage simply fram in all such instances.

D. Compar. framarr, farther on; superl. framast, fremst, farthest on:

1. loc., feti framarr, a step farther on, Lv. 59; þar er þeir koma framast, the farthest point they can reach, Grág. i. 111; þar sem hann kömr framast, 497; hvar hann kom framarst, Fms. xi. 416; svá kómu þeir fremst at þeir unnu þá borg, i. 114; þeir eru mest til þess nefndir at framast ( foremost) hafi verit, Ísl. ii. 368; þeir er fremst vóru, Fms. v. 78.

2. temp. farthest back; er ek fremst um man, Vsp. 1; hvat þú fyrst um mant eða fremst um veizt, Vþm. 34; frá því ek má fremst muna, Dipl. v. 25.

II. metaph. farther, more, superl. farthest, most; erat hann framarr skyldr sakráða við menn, Grág. i. 11; nema vér reynim oss framarr, Fær. 75; meta, hvárra þörf oss litisk framarr ganga, whose claim appeared to us the strongest, Dipl. ii. 5.

β. with dat., venju framarr, more than usual; því framarr sem, all the more, Fms. i. 184.

γ. with ‘en’ following; framar en, farther than, more than; mun hér því ( therefore) framarr leitað en hvarvetna annars-staðar, Fms. i. 213; at ganga framarr á hendr Þorleiki en mitt leyfi er til, Ld. 154; hversu Þorólfr var framarr en ek, Eg. 112; framarr er hann en ek, he is better than I, Nj. 3; sókn framarr ( rather) en vörn, 236; framarr en ( farther than) nú er skilt, Js. 48; því at hann væri framarr en aðrir menn at sér, better than other men, Mar. 25.

2. superl., svá sem sá er framast ( foremost) elskaði, Fs. 80; svá sem framast má, 655 xi. 2; sem Guð lér honum framast vit til, Js. 5: with gen., konungr virði hann framast allra sona sinna, Fms. i. 6; at Haraldr væri framast þeirra bræðra, 59; framast þeirra at allri sæmd, viii. 272.

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(leik; lék, lékum; leikinn), v.

1) to play (við skulum nú leika fyrst);

leika leik, to play a play;

leika tveim skjöldum, to play a double game;

leika at e-u, to play (amuse oneself) with (Katla sat ok lék at hafri sínum);

leika at tafli, to play at chess;

leika sér, to play (hann lék sér þá enn á gólfi með öðrum börnum);

2) to perform, of a feat or act of prowess (en ek hygg, at engi annarr fái þat leikit);

3) to move, swing, wave to and fro, hang loosely (leika á lopti);

landit skalf sem á þræði léki, as if balanced on a string;

4) of flame, fire, water, waves, to play lightly about or over, lick (eldr tók at leika húsin);

eldrinn lék skjótt, the fire spread fast;

leikr hár hiti við himin sjálfan, the lofty blaze plays against the very heavens;

fig., e-m leikr e-t í skapi (í mun), one feels inclined to, has a mind to (þat leikr mér í skapi at kaupa Íslandsfar);

5) to deal (hardly) with, to (ill-)treat (leika e-n illa, hart, sárt, sárliga);

6) to play a trick upon, delude, = leika á e-n (djöfullinn leikr þá alla);

7) to bewitch, esp. in pp. (maðr sá var leikinn af flagði einu);

8) with preps.:

leika á e-n, to play a trick upon (mjök hefir þú á oss leikit);

fig., lék þat orð á, at, it was rumoured, that;

e-m leikr öfund á, to envy;

e-m leikr hugr á, to have a mind to;

þar leikr minn hugr á, my mind is bent upon that;

hón segir föður sínum um hvat at leika er, she told her father how things stood;

leika e-n út, esp. in pp., to ill-treat (konungr sér nú Áka, hversu hann er út leikinn);

leika við e-n, to play with one;

leika við, to continue (meinit hafð lengi við leikit);

9) refl., leikast, to be performed, done;

ef þat má leikast, if this can be done;

leikst á e-n, it goes against one, he gets the worst of it (mjök hefir leikizt á minn hluta);

leikast við, to play one against the other, play a match;

höfðu þeir leikizt við barna leikum, meðan þeir vóru ungir, they had been playmates.

(pl. leiku), n. plaything, doll.

1) = leika, n.;

2) play-sister (vér vórum leikur vetr níu).

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pres. leik; pret. lék, léku; part. leikinn; [Ulf. laikan = σκιρταν; A. S. lâcan; mid. H. G. leiche; Dan. lege; Swed. leka; North. E. to lake]:—to play, sport, Vsp. 42, Am. 76; hann leikr nú eptir magni, Lv. 28; leika leik, 68; hann lék fyrir honum marga fimleika, Fær. 66; leika at skáktafli, to play at chess, Fms. iv. 366; en er þeir léku at taflinu, þá lék konungr fingrbrjót mikinn, ok sagði hann skyldi annat leika, id.; leika hörpu, to play the harp, Stj. 458; leika sungfæri, 631:—leika sér, to play, esp. of children, passim; as also, leika sér at e-u, to play at a thing, passim.

2. to delude, play a trick on; Djöfullinn leikr þá alla, Andr. 66: esp. with prepp., leika á e-n, to play a trick on a person, Nj. 155; mjök hefir þú á oss leikit, nær sem vér fáum þess hefnt, Grett. 149; ef aðrir leita á oss, þá má vera at vér leikim þá enn nokkut í mot, to make a counter move, Boll. 346; lék hón feðr sinn af sér, she played him off, Stj. 181; svá at eins leikr þú við flesta vini þína, Fms. ii. 181.

3. ef svá ílla er, at um þat sé at leika, if that is on the cards, Fms. viii. 102, Al. 132, 134; hón segir föður sínum um hvat at leika er, she told her father how things stood, Ld. 206, Fms. viii. 93.

4. to perform, of a feat or act of prowess, of a play; þú fékt eigi leikit þat er mjúkleikr var í, Fms. vii. 119; þeir kváðu hann verðan vera at hafa, ef hann léki þat, Finnb. 220; en ek hygg at engi annarr fái þat leikit, Fms. i. 152; hann lék þat optliga, er hann barðisk, er fáir gátu við séð, ii. 106; þat má leikask, Fas. i. 88; þessa þrjá hluti lék hann senn, Eb. 240.

5. the phrases, leika lauss við, to be free, at large, disengaged (cp. ‘to play fast and lose with’); láti þér hann nú eigi lausan við leika lengi, Fms. xi. 154; en Hákon sjálfr skal leika lauss við svá, H. shall not be engaged in the battle, i. e. be in reserve, 127; leika lausum hala (see hali); leika tveim skjöldum, to play a double game, Hkr. i. (in a verse).

II. to move, swing, wave to and fro, hang loosely; leika á lopti, Hm. 156; leika á mars baki, Hðm. 12; lék þar grind á járnum, Fms. v. 331; landið skalf sem á þræði léki, Fas. i. 424; skjálfa þótti húsit sem á als oddi léki, 87; lét hann leika laust knéit í brókinni, Fms. vii. 170; árar léku lausar í höndum honum, vi. 446; þeir steypðo golli nýteknu ór afli leikanda ( melted gold) í munn honum, Hom. (St.) 69.

2. to lick, of flame, to catch, of fire = Lat. lambere; þeir vöknuðu eigi fyrr en logi lék um þá, Fms. i. 292; hiti leikr við himin, Vsp. 57; varð eldr lauss í miðjum bænum, eldrinn lék skjótt, ætluðu þeir at verja eldinum, en þá var þar svá mjök leikit (so much burnt) at þeir máttu ekki við festask, Fb. iii. 175; eldr tók at leika húsin, Gullþ. 28; eldrinn tók at leika vatns-keröldin ok viðinn, Fms. xi. 35; heldr en þar léki eldr yfir, viii. 341; lék eldrinn skjótt tjörgaða spónu í keröldunum, i. 128.

3. of water, waves, stream, to play, wash; unnir léku, Hkv. 2. 11, Lex. Poët.; þótti honum þat helzt frói at hafa höndina niðri í læknum, ok láta strauminn leika um sárit, Fas. iii. 388; vatnit var djúpt at landinu, ok hafði leikit undan bakkanum, svá at holt var með, the water had washed the earth away, and made the bank hollow, Grett. 131 A:—of wind, veðr var kalt ok lék á nordan, 113 new Ed.: allir ketill lék utan ok innan sem ein sía, Bs. ii. 9.

4. metaph., lék þat orð á, it was rumoured, Fms. i. 288, Fs. 75; var þá vinátta þeirra kær, þótt þat léki nökkut á ýmsu, though there were ups and downs in their friendship, Fms. vi. 369; leika á tvennu, id., Mag. 33; lék á hinu sama, it went all one way, Fms. v. 252; leika á tveim tungum, ‘to swing on two tongues,’ of various reports of the same thing, ix. 255; leikr þat sízt á tvímæli, hverr fræði-maðr sem frá þeim hefir sagt, Edda (pref.) 147; ef tortrygð leikr á, if there is any suspicion, Js. 26; þar leikr þó minn hugr á, have a mind for a thing, Eg. 520; þat leikr mér í skapi ( I have a mind) at kaupa Íslands-far, Fms. ii. 4; ok ef þér leikr aptr munr at, Ld. 318, v. l.; leika í mun, id., Skv. 3. 39; leika landmunir, to feel homesick, Bjarn.; e-m leikr öfund á e-u, to envy, Fms. vi. 342; leika hugr á, to have a mind to, love; hón er svá af konum, at mér leikr helzt hugr á, vii. 103.

III. esp. in the part. hag-ridden, bewitched, as madmen or people bedridden or taken by a strange illness were thought to be ‘ridden’ by trolls; syndisk mönnum þann veg helzt sem hann mundi leikinn, þvíat hann fór hjá sér ok talaði við sjálfan sik, Eb. 270; maðr sá er Snorri hét var leikinn af flagði einu, Bs. i. 464.

2. metaph. to ill-treat, vex; hví ertú svá ílla leikin? Nj. 18, Sd. 169; sárt ertú leikinn, Sámr fóstri, Nj. 114; sagði þeim engan frama at drepa fá menn ok þó áðr ílla leikna, Fms. ix. 47; börðu þeir mik ok léku sárliga, Fb. i. 547; þeir tóku hann ok léku hart ok börðu, Andr. 64; Loka mær hefir leikinn allvald, Loki’s maid (Death) has laid hands on the king, Ýt.:—to vex, annoy, cp. at þjófar né leiki, that the thieves shall not take it, Hm.; þau á vági vindr of lék, the wind swamped them, Gkv. 1; meinit hafði lengi við leikit, the illness had vexed him a long time, Bs. i. 190.

IV. reflex. to be performed, done; ef þat má leikask, if this can be done, Fas. i. 88; sögðu at þat mætti þá vel leikask, at vinda segl á Orminum ok sigla á haf út, Fms. ii. 326:—leikask á e-n, to get the worst of it; mjök hefir á leikisk minn hluta, I have been utterly worsted, Ísl. ii. 269; ok léksk mjök á mönnum Agða jarls, Fms. iii. 187; ok þótti nú opt á leikask í viðskiptum þeirra Grettis, Grett. 151.

2. recipr., leikask við, to play a match, to play one against another; ok er þat bezt at vit sjálfir leikimk við, Grett. 99 new Ed., Sturl. i. 23, Fms. ii. 269, Þórð. 15 new Ed.; ok höfðu þeir leikisk við barnleikum allir þrír meðan þeir vóru ungir, they had been playmates, Fms. vi. 343; ef þeir skyldi tveir við leikask, Glúm. 370:—at þér komizt undan með lausafé yðart, en þá leikisk um lönd sem auðit er, escape with the movable property and leave the land to its fate, and let them quarrel about the land as best they can, Eb. 98.

(-dda, -ddr), v.

1) to hurt, esp. to maim, injure seriously (hina rak hann ór landi, meiddi eðr drap);

2) of things, to damage (finna þeir at skipit var meitt neðan); to spoil, destroy (þá tók hann at m. hof ok hörga);

3) refl. to take hurt.

* * *

d, to hurt, of bodily injury; hann lék hann ílla ok kvaðsk mundu meiða hann, Eg. 189; munda ek þat ok vilja, at hann meiddi ykkr eigi opt, Fms. ii. 101; meiddu þig ekki, take heed not to hurt thee! hefirðu meitt þig?—esp. to maim, injure seriously, or if of things, to damage, sverðum þeir meiddu þann er saklauss var, Sól. 22, Sturl. ii. 181; en hina rak hann ór landi, meiddi eðr drap, Fs. 18, 99, Ó. H. 63; ok ætlaði at láta meiða eðr drepa ossa landa fyrir, Íb. 10; meiðit hvert skip svá at ekki sé sjófært, Fær. 260; finna þeir nú, at skipit var meitt neðan, Sturl. iii. 68:—to spoil, destroy, eptir þat kom hagl stórt ok meiddi allan ávöxt jarðar, Pr. 436; nú hefir yður vangeymsla mjök meiddan várn sigr, Fms. vi. 326; ef menn skeðja jörðu eðr meiða lands-nytjar, Grág. ii. 216; þá tók hann at meiða hof ok hörga, Bs. i. 10:—of a horse, to make it sore on the back, and part. meiddr, sore in the back.

II. reflex. to take hurt, be hurt, maimed, Grág. ii. 16, Fms. i. 273; meiddusk skipin þar fyrir, Ó. H. 164; ok hafði meizk (= meiðsk) þjóleggrinn, Bs. i. 344.

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(met; mat, mátum; metinn), v.

1) to estimate, value; ef þeir kynni m. sik, if they could value themselves rightly, not puff themselves up; m. e-t mikils, lítils, einskis, to attach great, little, no value to; make much, little, nothing of; munu þín orð hér um einskis metin, thy words will be counted for naught;

2) m. e-t fjár (kaups, etc.), to put a money-value on, to charge for (aldri mat hann fjár lækning sína); m. e-t við e-n, to name a price to one for a thing; met þú við mik rekkjubúnaðinn, tell me the price of the bed-furniture; ok vil ek eigi m. við þik ( I will not charge you anything), heldr vil ek, at þú þiggir skikkjuna; to leave it to another to decide; allir mátu við Erling atkvæði um skírsluna, they all left it to E. to decide about the ordeal; við Þorkel met ek at fá þá hluti til, er hafa þarf, I leave it to Th. to provide the necessary things;

3) refl., metast til e-s, to be reckoned as, counted for (bað þá gera þá smíð, er til afbragðs mætist); m. e-t við, to contend about; ef þeir metast eiða við, if there is a contest about taking the oaths.

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mat, mátu, metinn: imperat. met (mettu); pret. subj. mæti seems not to occur, but a weak metti (from metja) is used, Fas. ii. 464: with neg. suff., pret. matkat ek, Fbr. (in a verse): in mod. usage a weak pret. matti, mattist, mettist is often used, eg mattist um við hann, ef eg metti það nokkurs, and the like; þeir möttust um hin efstu sæti, N. T., and the like: [Ulf. mitan = μετρειν; A. S. metan; Engl. mete; O. H. G. mezan; Germ. messen: Swed. mäta.]

B. To tax, value, absol. or with acc.; ef þeir kynni meta sik, if they would value themselves rightly, not puff themselves up, Fms. viii. 40; hón mat sik eigi minna heldr en hón mat konunginn, Sks. 461: metaph., þá á eigi at meta kviðburð þeirra, their verdict is void, Grág. i. 54.

2. with gen. of the price; meta mikils, lítils, to value at much, little; mátu menn þat mikils, er Rútr hafði sett leysingjann niðr á úleyfðri jörðu Höskuldar, Ld. 102; konungr mat þá mikils, valued them much, Eg. 73; munu þín orð hér um einskis metin, thy words will he counted for naught, Sturl. iii. 139

3. to value money, charge for, the price in gen.; synjat er þá fars ef leigu er metið, Grág. ii. 268; engi skal meta kaups leg at kirkju eða líksöng, K. Á. 72; mörgum veitti Rafn smíðir sínar ok alldri mat hann þær fjár, Bs. i. 645; aldrei mat hann fjár lækning sína, 643; meta eigi leigu, D. I. i. 320.

4. meta e-t við e-n, to charge one; met þú við mik rekkju-búnaðinn, Eb. 256; þeir spurðu hversu dýrt vera skyldi, hann kvaðsk ekki meta mundu við konung en bað þá hafa ef þeir vildi, Fb. i. 333: hafði Björn falat þessa skikkju ok var af metinn, out-bidden, 577: to mete a thing out to one, to leave a thing to another to do: ætla ek at vér skylim ekki við aðra meta (= metask á við aðra) at skipta höggum við Ólaf ef vér komumk í færi um þat, i. e. we will do it ourselves, Ó. H. 214; allir mátu við Erling atkvæði um skírsluna, they all put to E. to decide about the ordeal, Fb. 11. 195; flestir munu hér meta svör við Þorleif, Sturl. iii. 139; en við Þorkel met ek, at fá þá hluti til er hafa þarf, but I will leave it to Th. to provide the necessary things, Þorf. Karl. 378; þetta höfuð mundi eigi við aðra meta at mæla eptir hann, ef þess þyrfti við, Eb. 126; en allir mátu við Fjölni þvíat hann var þeirra vitrastr ok mest virðr, Fms. xi. 64.

II. reflex., þá á lands-drottinn í lóðinni svá mikit sem húsit metzk. Gþl. 330; sem hús metzk, 333; þá smíð er til afbragðs mettisk, Fas. ii. 464; sakir er til brautgangs mætti metask, Ld. 52.

2. recipr., metask við, to contend; ef þeir metask eiða við þá skulu þeir hluta með sér, if there be a confest about taking the oaths they shall draw lots, Grág. i. 9; en ef goðarnir metask þat við, hvárr þeirra skal fá honum ok skal …, 33:—metask um e-t, to contend who is to be the first; síðan gengu þeir at dyrrunum ok möttusk þeir um hverr fyrst skyldi inn ganga, Þorst. hv. 43 (Ed. möttust from a paper MS.)

3. part., hann var vel metinn ( esteemed) hvar sem hann kom, Ld. 100, Nj. 7.

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(renn; rann, runnum; runninn), v.

1) to run (rakkar þar renna);

renna í köpp við e-n, to run a race with;

hón á þann hest, er rennr lopt ok lög, that runs through the air and over the sea;

renna e-m hvarf, to run out of one’s sight;

2) to run away, flee (rennr þú nú Úlfr hinn ragi);

renna undan e-m, to run away from one (ek get þess, at þú vilir eigi renna undan þeim);

3) to run, flow (rennr þaðan lítill lœkr);

4) to melt, dissolve (ok hafði runnit málmrinn í eldsganginum);

reiði rennr e-m, anger leaves one;

5) to arise (= renna upp);

sól rennr, the sun rises;

dagr rennr, it dawns;

6) with preps.:

renna af e-m, to leave one, pass away from one (reiði rann af honum);

renna á e-n, to come over one;

svefn, svefnhöfgi rennr á e-n, one falls asleep;

reiði rennr á e-n, one gets angry;

þá rann á byrr, then a fair wind arose;

renna eptir e-m, to run after one (þá var runnit eptir þeim, er flóttann ráku);

renna frá e-m, to run away from, leave one;

renna í e-t, to run into;

e-m rennr í skap, one is much (deeply) affected (er eigi trútt, at mér hafi eigi í skap runnit sonardauðinn);

renna saman, to heal up (þá var saman runninn leggrinn);

renna undir, to assist, give support (margar stoðir runnu undir, bæði frændr ok vinir);

renna upp, to originate (var þess ván, at illr ávöxtr mundi upp renna af illri rót);

of the sun or daylight, to rise;

sól (dagr) rennr upp (cf. 5);

7) recipr., rennast at (á), to attack one another, begin a fight.

(-da, -dr), v.

1) to make (let) run, with dat. (keyrði hann hestinn sporum ok renndi honum at);

2) to put to flight (þeir renndu þeim tíu, er undan kómust);

3) to prevent, thwart (eigi má sköpunum renna);

er rennt þeim ráðahag, that match is thwarted;

4) to slip, let loose;

renna veiðarfœri, to let the fishing-line run out;

Tjörvi renndi fyrir hann törgu, T. flung a target in his way;

impers., atgeirinum renndi gegnum skjöldinn, the halberd was run through the shield;

renna e-u niðr, to swallow;

renna grunum á e-t, to suspect;

5) renna augum, to direct the eyes, to look (renna ástaraugum til e-s);

6) to pour (var gulli rennt í skurðina);

7) with acc., renna mjólk, to run millk, by pouring out the thin milk;

renna ór tunnu, to let the liquid out from a cask;

8) with acc. to turn (renna tré, spánu);

9) absol. to move quickly, slide, glide (konungsskipin renndu at þeim);

þá renndi hringrinn af hendi mér, the ring slipped off my hand;

10) refl., rennast augum til, to look to one another;

þá renndust skipin hjá, the ships passed by one another.

f. run, course;

ok nú er skírðr allr Danaherr í þessi rennu, in one run, at one sweep.

* * *

(older form rinna, Hom. 125), pres. renn and rennr; pret. raun, rannt (mod. ranst), rann, pl. runnum; subj. rynni; imper. renn, renndú; part. runninn; with neg. suff. renni-a, Hkv. 2. 30: [Ulf. rinnan = τρέχειν, Mark ix. 25, = ρειν, John vii. 38; as also bi-rinnan, and-rinnan; a word common to all Teut. languages; the Engl. run is prob. formed from the pret. 3rd pers. plur.]:— to run = Lat. currere, of any swift, even, sliding motion (for hlaupa is to leap, bound), used not only of living things, but also of streams, water, wind, light, sun; rakkar þar renna, Am. 24; freki mun renna, Vsp. 41, Gm. 32; vargar runnu á ísi milli Noregs ok Daumerkr, Ann. 1047; rennia sá marr, Hkv. 2. 30; renni und vísa vígblær hinnig, Gh. 34; renni rökn bitluð, Hkv. i. 50; Grani rann at þingi, Gkv. 2. 4; hest inn hraðfæra láttú hinnig renna, Gh.18; þann hest er renn lopt ok lög, Edda 21; renna í köpp við e-n, 31; renna skeið, to run a race, id.; þeir runnu heim, Fas. ii. 101; r. at skeið, to take a run, 111; fór hann til ok rann bergit upp at manninum, 277; hann rennr upp vegginn, Nj. 202; r. e-m hvarf, to run out of one’s sight, Sturl iii. 50; mjúkr ok léttr bæði at ríða ok rinna, Hom. 125; renna ok ríða, Gþl 411; r. eptir e-m, to run after one, Nj. 275; runnit hefir hundr þinn, Pétr postuli, til Róms tysvar ok myndi renni it þriðja sinn ef þú leyfðir, id.; þat þolir hvergi, nema renn til trés eðr staurs, 655 xxx. 5; runnu þeir upp til bæjar með alvæpni. Eg. 388; hann rann þá fram í mót Bergönundi, 378; r. á hendr e-m, to use force, K. Á. 116, 150; margar stoðir runnu undir ( supported him) bæði frændr ok vinir, Ld. 18; renna á skíðum, to run in snow-shoes.

2. to run, fly; þá spurði Kerþjálfaðr hví hann rynni eigi svá sem aðrir, Nj. 275; hvárt skal nú renna, 96, 247; ef maðr stígr öðrum fæti út um höslur, ferr hann á hæl, en rennr ef báðum stígr, Korm. 86; nú hefir þú runnit, ok beðit eigi Skútu, Glúm. 310; rennr þú nú Úlfr inn ragi, … lengra mundir þú r. …, Ó. H. 167; r. undan e-m, Nj. 95; reyndusk ílla menn Þóris ok runnu frá honum, Fms. vii. 11.

II. of things; snara rennr at hálsi e-m, of a loop, Mar.; þat skal maðr eigi ábyrgjask at kýr renni eigi kálfi, ef hann hefir öxn í nautum sínum, N. G. L. i. 25:—of a weapon, hyrnan rann (= renndi) í brjóstið ok gékk á hol, Nj. 245:—of the sun, daylight, and the like, to arise, er sól rennr á fjöll Páska-dag, K. Þ. K. 124; sem leið móti degi ok sólin rann, Bév. 20; rennr dagr, rökkrið þrýtr, Úlf. 9. 83; renna upp, to rise; um mörguninn er sól rann upp ok var lítt farin, Fms. viii. 146; þat var allt senn, at dagrinn rann upp, ok konungr kom til eldanna, ix. 353; þá rann söl upp, ok litu allir bændr til sölarinnar, Ó. H. 109; en er hann vaknaði þa rann dagr upp, 207; dýr og fagr austri í upp er dagr renninn, a ditty; stjörnur renna upp ok setjask, Rb. 466; rennr ljós þat upp, 625. 66: less correctly of the setting sun, as, sólin rann, ljós leið, in a mod. hymn, (the Norsemen call the sunset sol-renning):—to run up, of plants, var þess ok ván, at íllr ávöxtr mundi upp renna af íllri rót, Fms. ii. 48; þar renna eigi upp þyrnar né íllgresi, 656 A. ii. 14; eru vér ok svá gamlir ok runnir bitar (?) upp, Fms. viii. 325, v. l.: the phrase, renna upp sem fífill í brekku (see fífill): to originate, æðar renna þar upp ok nætask, … renn ok rödd upp fyrir hverju orði, Skálda 169, Stj. 198, (upp-runi, origin):—of a stream, river, water, to flow, opin renna hón skal um aldrdaga, Vþm, 16; á hugða ek hér inn renna, Am. 25; rennr þaðan lítill lækr, Fms. i. 232; rennanda vatn, a running water, Bs. ii. 18; rennandi ár, Hom. 45: blóð rennr ór sári, a running sore, wound; þar rann blóð svá mjök at eigi varð stöðvat, Fms. i. 46; vatn, sjór rennr ór klæðum, etc.:—to run, lead, trend. þjóðvegir, er renna eptir endilöngum bygðum, ok þeir er renna frá fjalli ok til fjörn, Gþl. 413:—to run, melt, dissolve, ok hefði runnit málmrinn í eldsganginum, Orkn. 368; málmr rennr saman, Blas. 47; þat renn saman, blends together, 655, xxx. 5:—of wind, to arise, byrr rann á af landi, Eg. 389; þá rann á byrr, Nj. 135; en er Björn var albúinn ok byrr rann á, Eg. 158: hvergi var á runnit á klaæeth;i hans, his clothes were untouched, Fms. xi. 38:—of sleep or mental motion, rann á hann höfgi móti deginum, Ó. H. 207; þá rann á hann svemn, 240; rennr á hann svefnhöfgi, ok dreymir hann, Gísl. 67; þá rann á hann þegar reiði ok öfund, Sks. 154 new Ed.; rann þá úmegin á hann, he swooned, Fms. viii. 332: þá rann af Gretti úmegit, he recovered his senses, Grett. 114; lét hann r. af sér reiðina, Fms. i. 15, iii. 73; rann nú af konunginum reiði við mág sinn, xi. 13: e-m rennr í skap, to be affected to tears; er eigi trautt at mér hafi í skap runnit sonar-dauðinn, Þorst. Stang. 55 (cp. Gísl. 39, allt í skap ‘komit’): to be angry, var nú svá komit at honum rann í skap ok reiddisk hann, Fms. vi. 212, and so in mod. usage.

III. recipr., rennask at (á), to attack one another, run together, fight; síðan rennask at hestarnir, … þá er á rynnisk hestarnir, Nj. 91; þeir runnusk á allsterkliga, of wrestlers, Ld. 158.

* * *

pp. (cf. búa),

1) prepared, fit, adapted;

ek em gamall ok lítt til búinn at (little fit to) hefna sona minna;

2) búinn at e-u, endowed with (at flestum íþróttum vel búinn);

3) ready, willing;

margir munu búnir at kaupa, ready, willing to buy;

engir munu sínu sik búnari (more willing) til liðveizlu;

with gen., búinn þeirrar ferðar, ready to make that journey;

4) búinn til es, við e-u, on the point of;

hann var búinn til falls, he was just about to tumble;

var búit við váða miklum, there was an imminent danger;

5) svá búit, as matters stand, thus;

eigi má hlýða svá búinn, it will not do thus, something else must be done;

stendr nú svá búinn um hríð, matters stand thus (unchanged) for a while;

þeir segja Eyjólfi til svá búins, they tell Eyolf the present state of things;

þér skulut ganga með vápnum, en berjast eigi svá búit, not fight as yet;

at svá búnu, as matters stand (hann kvaðst ekki fýsast til Íslands at svá búnu); at present, as yet (þenna draum segjum vér engum at svá búnu);

við svo búit, thus, things being so (þeir skildu við svá búit).

* * *

prep. w. dat.

I. Of place:

1) off, from;

G. hljóp af hesti sínum, G. jumped off his horse;

ganga af mótinu, to go away from the meeting;

Flosi kastaði af sér skikkjunni, threw off his cloak;

Gizzur gekk af útsuðri at gerðinu, from the south-west;

hann hafði leyst af sér skúa sína, he had taken off his shoes;

Steinarr vildi slíta hann af sér, throw him off;

tók Gísli þá af sér vápnin, took off his arms;

bréf af Magnúsi konungi, a letter from king Magnus;

land af landi, from one land to the other;

hverr af öðrum, one after another, in succession;

vil ek þú vinnir af þér skuldina, work off the debt;

muntu enga sætt af mér fá, no peace at my hand;

rísa af dauða, to rise from the dead;

vakna af draumi, to awaken from a dream;

lúka upp af hrossi, to open a gate from off a horse;

vindr stóð af landi, the wind blew from the land;

2) out of;

verða tekinn af heimi, to be taken out of the world;

gruflar hón af læknum, she scrambles out of the brook;

Otradalr var mjök af vegi, far out of the way.

Connected with út; föstudaginn fór út herrinn af borginni, marched out of the town.

II. Of time; past, beyond:

af ómagaaldri, able to support oneself, of age;

ek em nú af léttasta skeiði, no longer in the prime of life;

þá er sjau vikur eru af sumri, when seven weeks of summer are past;

var mikit af nótt, much of the night was past.

III. In various other relations:

1) þiggja lið af e-m, to receive help from one;

hafa umboð af e-m, to be another’s deputy;

vera góðs (ills) maklegr af e-m, to deserve good (bad) of one;

féll þar lið mart af Eyvindi, many of Eyvind’s men fell there;

þá eru þeir útlagir ok af goðorði sínu, have forfeited their goðorð;

þá skalt þú af allri fjárheimtunni, forfeit all the claim;

ek skal stefna þér af konunni, summon thee to give up;

2) off, of;

höggva fót, hönd, af e-m, to cut off one’s foot, hand;

vil ek, at þú takir slíkt sem þér líkar af varningi, whatever you like of the stores;

þar lá forkr einn ok brotit af endanum, with the point broken off;

absol., beit hann höndina af, bit the hand off;

fauk af höfuðit, the head flew off;

3) of, among;

hinn efniligasti maðr af ungum mönnum, the most promising of the young men;

4) with;

hláða, (ferma) skip af e-u, to load (freight) a ship with;

fylla heiminn af sínu kyni, to fill the world with his offspring;

5) of (= ór which is more frequent);

húsit var gert af timbr stokkum, was built of trunks of trees;

6) fig., eigi vita menn hvat af honum er orðit, what has become of him;

hvat hefir þú gert af Gunnari, what hast thou done with Gunnar?;

7) denoting parentage, descent, origin;

ok eru af þeim komnir Gilsbekkingar, are descended from them;

kominn af Trójumönnum, descended from the Trojans;

8) by, of (after passive);

ek em sendr hingat af Starkaði, sent hither by;

ástsæll af landsmónnum, beloved of;

9) on account of, by reason of, by;

úbygðr at frosti ok kulda, because of frost and cold;

ómáli af áverkum, speechless from wounds;

af ástæld hans, by his popularity;

af því, therefore;

af hví, wherefor why;

af því at, because;

10) by means of, by;

framfœra e-n af verkum sínum, by means of his own labour;

af sínu fé, by one’s own means;

absol., hann fekk af hina mestu sœmd, derived great honour from it;

11) with adjectives, in regard to;

mildr af fé, liberal of money;

góðr af griðum, merciful;

fastr af drykk, close (stingy) in regard to drink;

12) used absol. with a verb, off away;

hann bað hann þá róa af fjörðinn, to row the firth off;

ok er þeir höfðu af fjörðung, when they had covered one forth of the way;

sofa af nóttina, to sleep the night away.

* * *

prep. often used elliptically by dropping the case, or even merely adverbially, [Ulf. af; A. S. and Engl. of, off; Hel. ab; Germ. ab; Gr. άπό; Lat. a, ab.] With dat. denoting a motion a loco; one of the three prepp. af, ór, frá, corresponding to those in loco—á, í, við, and ad locum—á, í, at. It in general corresponds to the prepp. in loco—á, or in locum— til, whilst ór answers more to í; but it also frequently corresponds to yfir, um or í. It ranges between ór and frá, generally denoting the idea from the surface of, while ór means from the inner part, and frá from the outer part or border. The motion from a hill, plain, open place is thus denoted by af; by ór that from an enclosed space, depth, cavity, thus af fjalli, but ór of a valley, dale; af Englandi, but ór Danmörk, as mörk implies the notion of a deep wood, forest. The wind blows af landi, but a ship sets sail frá landi; frá landi also means a distance from: af hendi, of a glove, ring; ór hendi, of whatever has been kept in the hand (correl. to á hendi and í hendi). On the other hand af is more general, whilst frá and ór are of a more special character; frá denoting a departure, ór an impulse or force; a member goes home af þingi, whereas ór may denote an inmate of a district, or convey the notion of secession or exclusion from, Eb. 105 new Ed.; the traveller goes af landi, the exile ór landi: taka e-t af e-m is to take a thing out of one’s hand, that of taka frá e-m to remove out of one’s sight, etc. In general af answers to Engl. of, off, ór to out of, and frá to from: the Lat. prepp. ab, de, and ex do not exactly correspond to the Icelandic, yet as a rule ór may answer to ex, af sometimes to ab, sometimes to de. Of, off, from among; with, by; on account of by means of, because of concerning, in respect of.

A. Loc.

I. With motion, off, from:

1. prop. corresp. to á,

α. konungr dró gullhring af hendi sér (but á hendi), Ld. 32; Höskuldr lætr bera farm af skipi, unload the ship (but bera farm á skip), id.; var tekit af hestum þeirra, they were unsaddled, Nj. 4; Gunnarr hafði farit heiman af bæ sínum, he was away from home, 82; Gunnarr hljóp af hesti sínum, jumped off his horse (but hl. á hest), 83; hlaupa, stökkva af baki, id., 112, 264 ; Gunnarr skýtr til hans af boganum, from the bow, where af has a slight notion of instrumentality, 96; flýja af fundinum, to fly from off the battle-field, 102; ríða af Þríhyrningshálsum, 206; út af Langaholti, Eg. 744 ; sunnan ór Danmörk ok af Saxlandi, 560; ganga af mótinu, to go from the meeting, Fms. vii. 130; af þeirra fundi reis María upp ok fór, 625. 85 ; Flosi kastaði af ser skikkjunni, threw his cloak off him (but kasta á sik),Nj. 176; taka Hrungnis fót af honum, of a load, burden, Edda 58; land þat er hann fiskði af, from which he set off to fish, Grág. i. 151, is irregular, frá would suit better; slíta af baki e-s, from off one’s back, ii. 9 ; bera af borði, to clear the table, Nj. 75.

β. where it more nearly answers to í; þeir koma af hafi, of sailors coming in (but leggja í haf), Nj. 128 ; fara til Noregs af Orkneyjum (but í or til O.), 131; þeim Agli fórst vel ok komu af hafi i Borgarfjörð, Eg. 392 ; hann var útlagi ( outlawed) af Noregi, where ór would be more regular, 344; af Islandi, of a traveller, Fms. x. 3; búa her af báðum ríkjunum, to take a levy from, 51; hinir beztu bændr ór Norðlendingafjórðungi ok af Sunnlendingafjórðungi, the most eminent Southerners and Northerners, 113; Gizzurr gékk af útsuðri at gerðinu, from south-west, Sturl. ii. 219; prestar af hvárutveggja biskupsdæmi, from either diocess, Dipl. ii. 11; verða tekinn af heimi, to be taken out of the world, 623. 21; gruflar hon af læknum, scrambles out of the brook, Ísl. ii. 340; Egill kneyfði af horninu í einum drykk, drained off the horn at one draught, literally squeezed every drop out of it, Eg. 557; brottuaf herbúðunurn, Fms. x. 343.

γ. of things more or less surrounding the subject, corresp. to yfir or um; láta þeir þegar af sér tjöldin, break off, take down the tents in preparing for battle, Eg. 261; kyrtillinn rifnaði af honum, his coat burst, caused by the swollen body, 602; hann hafði leyst af sér skúa sína, he untied his shoes (but binda á sik), 716; Steinarr vildi slíta hann af sér, throw him off, of one clinging to one’s body, 747; tók Gísli þá af sér vápnin, took off his arms, Fms. vii. 39. Of putting off clothes; fara af kápu, Nj. 143; far þú eigi af brynjunni, Bs. i. 541; þá ætlaði Sigurðr at fara af brynjunni, id.; þá var Skarphéðinn flettr af klæðunum, Nj. 209: now more usually fara or klæðum, fötum, exuere, to undress.

δ. connected with út; föstudaginn for út herrinn af borginni, marched out of the town, Nj. 274; ganga út af kirkjunni, to go out of the church, now út úr, Fms. vii. 107: drekki hann af þeirri jörðunni, of something impregnated with the earth, Laekn. 402.

ε. more closely corresponding to frá, being in such cases a Latinism (now frá); bréf af páfa, a pope’s bull, Fms. x. 6; rit af hánum, letter from him, 623. 52; bréf af Magnúsi konungi, a letter from king Magnus, Bs. i. 712; farið þér á brautu af mér í eilífan eld, Hom. 143; brott af drottins augliti, Stj. 43.

ζ. denoting an uninterrupted continuity, in such phrases as land aflandi, from land to land, Eg. 343, Fas. ii. 539; skip af skipl. from ship to ship, Fms. v. 10; brann hvat af öðru, one after another, of an increasing fire, destroying everything, i. 128; brandr af brandi brenn, funi kveykist af funa, one from another, Hm. 56; hverr af öðrum, one after another, in succession, also hverr at öðrum, Eb. 272, 280 (where at in both passages).

2. metaph., at ganga af e-m dauðum, to go from, leave one dead on the spot, of two combatants; en hann segiz bani hins ef hann gekk af dauðum manni, Grág. ii. 88, Hkr. 1. 327; undr þykir mér er bróðir þinn vildi eigi taka af þér starf þetta, would not take this toil from thee, Nj. 77; þegnar hans glöddust af honum, were fain of him, Fms. x. 380; at koma þeim manni af sér er settr var á fé hans, to get rid of, Ld. 52; vil ek þú vinriir af þér skuldina, work off the debt, Njarð. 366; reka af sér, to repel, Sturl. ii. 219; hann á þá sonu er aldri munu af oss ganga, who will never leave us, whom we shall never get rid of, Fas. i. 280; leysa e-n af e-u, to relieve, 64; taka e-n af lífi, to kill, Eg. 48, 416, Nj. 126; af lífdögum, Fms. vii. 204; ek mun ná lögum af því máli, get the benefit of the law in this case, Eg. 468; muntu enga sætt af mér fá, no peace at my hand, 414; rísa af dauða, to rise from death, Fms. ii. 142; guð bætti honum þó af þessi sótt, healed him of this sickness, ix. 390; vakna af sýn, draumi, svefni, to awaken from a vision, dream, sleep, 655 xxxii. I, Gísl. 24, Eb. 192, Fas. i. 41. Rather with the notion out of, in the phrase af sér etc., e. g. sýna e-t af scr, to shew, exhibit a disposition for or against, Ld. 18; gera mikit af sér, to shew great prowess, Ísl. ii. 368; éf þú gerir eigi meira af þér um aðra leika, unless you make more of thyself, Edda 32; Svipdagr hafði mikit af sér gert, fought bravely, Fas. i. 41; góðr (illr) af sér, good ( bad) of oneself, by nature; mikill af sjálfum sér, proud, bold, stout, Nj. 15; ágætastr maðr af sjálfum sér, the greatest hero, Bret.: góðr af ser, excellent, Hrafn. 7; but, on the contrary, af sér kominn, ruinous, in decay; this phrase is used of old houses or buildings, as in Bs. i. 488 = Sturl. l. c.; af sér kominn af mæði can also be said of a man fallen off from what he used to be; kominn af fotum fram, off his legs from age, Sturl. i. 223, Korm. 154 (in a verse).

II. WITHOUT MOTION:

1. denoting direction from, but at the same time continuous connection with an object from which an act or thing proceeds, from; tengja skip hvárt fram af stafni annars, to tie the ships in a line, stem to stern, Fms. i. 157, xi. 111; svá at þeir tóku út af borðum, jutted out of the boards, of rafters or poles, iv. 49; stjarna ok af sem skaft, of a comet, ix. 482; lúka upp af hrossi, to open a gate from off a horse, Grág. ii. 264; hon svarar af sínu sæti sem álpt af baru, Fás. i. 186; þar er sjá mátti utau af firði, af þjóðleið, that might be seen from the fareway on the sea when sailing in the firth, Hkr. ii. 64; þá mun hringt af (better at) Burakirkju, of bells rung at the church, Fms. xi. 160; gengr þar af Meðalfellsströnd, projects from, juts out, of a promontory, Ld. 10.

2. denoting direction alone; upp af víkinni stóð borg mikil, a burg inland from the inlet, Eg. 161; lokrekkja innar af seti, a shut bed inward from the benches in the hall, Ísl. ii. 262; kapella upp af konungs herbergjum, upwards from, Fms. x. 153; vindr stóð af landi, the wind stood off the land, Bárð. 166.

β. metaph., stauda af e-u, vide VI. 4.

γ. ellipt., hallaði af norðr, of the channel, north of a spot, Boll. 348; also, austr af, suðr af, vestr af, etc.

3. denoting absence; þingheyendr skulu eigi vera um nótt af þingi ( away from the meeting), eðr lengr, þá eru þeir af þingi ( away from (be meeting) ef þeir eru or ( out of) þingmarki, Grág. i. 25; vera um nótt af várþingi, 115; meðan hann er af landi héðan, abroad, 150.

β. metaph., gud hvíldi af öllum verkum sínum á sjaunda degi, rested from his labours, Ver. 3.

4. denoting distance; þat er komit af þjóðleið, out of the high road, remote, Eg. 369; af þjóðbraut, Grág. ii. 264, i. 15; Otradalr (a farm) var mjök af vegi, far out of the way, Háv. 53.

B. TEMP, past, from, out of, beyond:

1. of a person’s age, in the sense of having past a period of life; af ómaga aldri, of age, able to support oneself, Grág. i. 243; af aeskualdri, stricken in years, having past the prime of life, Eg. 202; lítið af barnsaldri, still a child, Ld. 74; ek em nú af léttasia skeiði, no longer in the prime of life, Háv. 40.

2. of a part or period of time, past; eigi síðar en nótt er af þingi, a night of the session past, Grág. i. 101; þá er sjau vikur eru af sumri, seven weeks past of the summer, 182; tíu vikur af sumri, Íb. 10; var mikit af nótt, much of the night was past, Háv. 41; mikið af vetri, much of the winter was past, Fas. ii. 186; þriðjungr af nótt, a third of the night past, Fms. x. 160; stund af degi, etc.; tveir mánoðr af sumri, Gþl. 103.

3. in adverbial phrases such as, af stundu, soon; af bragði, at once; af tómi, at leisure, at ease; af nýju, again; af skyndingu, speedily; af bráðungu, in a hurry, etc.

C. In various other relations:

I. denoting the passage or transition of an object, concrete or abstract, of, from.

1. where a thing is received, derived from, conferred by a person or object; þiggja lið af e-m, to derive help from, Edda 26; taka traust af e-m, to receive support, comfort from, Fms. xi. 243; taka mála af e-m, to be in one’s pay, of a soldier, Eg. 266; halda land af e-m, to hold land of any one, 282; verða viss af e-m, to get information from, 57, Nj. 130; taka við sök af manni (a law term), to undertake a case, suit, Grág. i. 142; hafa umboð af e-m, to be another’s deputy, ii. 374; vera góðs (ills) maklegr af e-m, to deserve good (bad) of, Vd. 88 (old Ed., the new reads frá), Fs. 45; afla matar af eyjum, to derive supplies from, Eb. 12.

2. where an object is taken by force:

α. prop. out of a person’s hand; þú skalt hnykkja smíðit af honum, wrest it out of his hand, Nj. 32; cp. taka, þrífa, svipta e-u (e-t) af e-m, to wrest from.

β. metaph. of a person’s deprival of anything in general; hann tók af þér konuna, carried thy wife off, Nj. 33; tók Gunnarr af þér sáðland þitt, robbed thee of seedland, 103; taka af honum tignina, to depose, degrade him, Eg. 271; vinna e-t af e-m, to carry off by force of arms, conquer, Fms. iii. 29; drepa menn af e-m, for one, slay one’s man, Eg. 417; fell þar lið mart af Eyvindi, many of Eyvind’s people fell there, 261.

γ. in such phrases as, hyggja af e-u (v. afhuga), hugsa af e-u, to forget; hyggja af harmi; sjá af e-u, to lose, miss; var svá ástúðigt með þeim, at livargi þóttist mega af öðrum sjá, neither of them could take his eyes off the other, Sturl. i. 194; svá er mörg við ver sinn vær, at varla um sér hon af hoiuun nær, Skálda 163.

3. denoting forfeiture; þá eru þeir útlagir, ok af goðorði sínu, have forfeited their priesthood, Grág. i. 24; telja hann af ráðunum fjár síns alls, to oust one, on account of idiocy or madness, 176; verða af kaupi, to be off the bargain, Edda 26; þá skalt þú af allri fjárheimtunni, forfeit all the claim, Nj. 15; ek skal stefna þér af konunni, summon thee to forfeit, a case of divorce, id.; ella er hann af rettarfari um hana, has forfeited the suit, Grág. i. 381.

β. ellipt., af ferr eindagi ef, is forfeited, Grág. i. 140.

II. denoting relation of a part to a whole, off, of, Lat. de; höggva hönd, höfuð, fót af e-um, to cut one’s hand, head, foot off, Nj. 97, 92, Bs. i. 674; höggva spjót af skapti, to sever the blade from the shaft, 264; hann lét þá ekki hafa af föðurarfi sínum, nothing of their patrimony, Eg. 25; vil ek at þú takir slíkt sem þér líkar af varningi, take what you like of the stores, Nj. 4; at þú eignist slíkt af fé okkru sem þú vili, 94.

β. ellipt., en nú höfum vér kjörit, en þat er af krossinum, a slice of, Fms. vii. 89; Þórðr gaf Skólm frænda sínum af landnámi sínu, a part of, Landn. 211; hafði hann þat af hans eigu er hann vildi, Sturl. ii. 169; þar lá forkr einn ok brotið af endanum, the point broken off, Háv. 24, Sturl. i. 169.

γ. absol. off; beit hann höndina af, þar sem nú heitir úlfliðr, bit the hand off, Edda 17; fauk af höfuðit, the head flew off, Nj. 97; jafnt er sem þér synist, af er fótrinn, the foot is off, id.; af bæði eyru, both ears off, Vm. 29.

2. with the notion of—among; mestr skörungr af konum á Norðrlöndum, the greatest heroine in the North, Fms. i. 116; hinn efniligasti maðr af ungum mönnum í Austfjörðum, the most hopeful of youths in the Eastfirths, Njarð. 364; af ( among) öllurn hirðmönnuni virði konungr mest skáld sín, Eg. 27; ef hann vildi nokkura kaupa af þessum konum, Ld. 30; ör liggr þar útiá vegginum, ok er sú af þeirra örum, one of their own arrows, Nj. 115.

β. from, among, belonging to; guð kaus hana af ollum konum sér til móður, of the Virgin Mary, Mar. A. i. 27.

γ. metaph., kunna mikit (lítið) af e-u, to know much, little of, Bragi kann mest af skáldskap, is more cunning of poetry than any one else, Edda 17.

δ. absol. out of, before, in preference to all others; Gunnarr bauð þér góð boð, en þú vildir eingi af taka, you would choose none of them, Nj. 77; ráða e-t af, to decide; þó mun faðir minn mestu af ráða, all depends upon him, Ld. 22; konungr kveðst því mundu heldr af trúa, preferred believing that of the two, Eg. 55; var honum ekki vildara af ván, he could expect nothing better, 364.

3. with the additional sense of instrumentality, with; ferma skip af e-u, to freight a ship with, Eg. 364; hlaða mörg skip af korni, load many ships with corn, Fms. xi. 8; klyfja tvá hesta af mat, Nj. 74; var vágrinn skipaðr af herskipum, the bay was covered with war ships, 124; fylla ker af glóðum, fill it with embers, Stj. 319; fylla heiminn af sínu kyni, to fill the world with his offspring, Ver. 3.

III. denoting the substance of which a thing is made, of; used indifferently with ór, though ór be more frequent; þeir gerðu af honum jörðina, af blóði hans sæinn ok vötnin, of the creation of the world from the corpse of the giant Ymir; the poem Gm. 40, 41, constantly uses ór in this sense, just as in modern Icelandic, Edda 5; svá skildu þeir, at allir hlutir væri smíðaðir af nokkru efni, 147 (pref.); húsit var gert af timbrstokkum, built of trunks of timber, Eg. 233; hjöhin vóru af gulli, of gold, golden, Fms. i. 17; af osti, of cheese, but in the verse 1. c. ór osti, Fms. vi. 253; línklæði af lérepti, linen, Sks. 287.

2. metaph. in the phrases, göra e-t af e-n ( to dispose of), verða af ( become of), hvat hefir þú gört af Gunnari, what hast thou done with Gunnar? Njarð. 376; hvat af motrinuni er orðit, what has become of it? of a lost thing, Ld. 208; hverfr Óspakr á burt, svá eigi vita menn hvat af honum er orðit, what has become of him? Band. 5.

IV. denoting parentage, descent, origin, domicile, abode:

1. parentage, of, from, used indifferently with frá; ok eru af þeim komnir Gilsbekkingar, descend from them, but a little below—frá honum eru konmir Sturlungar, Eb. 338, cp. afkvæmi; af ætt Hörðakára, Fms. i. 287; kominn af Trojumönnum, xi. 416; af Ása-ætt (Kb. wrongly at), Edda I.

β. metaph., vera af Guði (theol.), of God, = righteous, 686 B. 9; illr ávöxtr af íllri rót, Fms. ii. 48; Asia er kölluð af nafni nokkurar konu, derives her name from, Stj. 67; af honum er bragr kallaðr skáldskapr, called after his name, Edda 17.

2. of domicile; af danskri tungu, of Danish or Scandinavian origin, speaking the Danish tongue, Grág. ii. 73; hvaðan af löndum, whence, native of what country? Ísl.

β. especially denoting a man’s abode, and answering to á and í, the name of the farm (or country) being added to proper names, (as in Scotland,) to distinguish persons of the same name; Hallr af Síðu, Nj. 189; Erlingr af Straumey, 273; Ástríðr af Djúpárbakka, 39; Gunnarr af Hlíðarenda (more usual frá); þorir haklangr konungr af Ögðum, king of Agdir, Eg. 35, etc.; cp. ór and frá.

V. denoting a person with whom an act, feeling, etc. originates, for the most part with a periphrastic passive:

1. by, the Old Engl. of; as, ek em sendr hingað af Starkaði ok sonum hans, sent hither by, Nj. 94; inna e-t af hendi, to perform, 257; þó at alþýða væri skírð af kennimönnum, baptized of, Fms. ii. 158; meira virðr af mönnum, higher esteemed, Ld. 158; ástsæll af landsmönnum, beloved, íb. 16; vinsæll af mönnum, Nj. 102; í allgóðu yfirlæti af þeim feðgum, hospitably treated by them, Eg. 170; var þá nokkut drukkið af alþjóð, there was somewhat hard drinking of the people, Sturl. iii. 229; mun þat ekki upp tekið af þeim sükudólgum mínum, they will not clutch at that, Nj. 257; ef svá væri í hendr þér búit af mér, if í had so made everything ready to thy hands, Ld. 130; þá varð fárætt um af föður hans, his father said little about it, Fms. ii. 154.

2. it is now also sometimes used as a periphrase of a nom., e. g. ritað, þýtt af e-m, written, translated, edited by, but such phrases scarcely occur in old writers.

VI. denoting cause, ground, reason:

1. originating from, on account of, by reason of; af frændsemis sökum, for kinship’s sake, Grág. ii. 72; ómáli af áverkum, speechless from wounds, 27; af manna völdum, by violence, not by natural accident, of a crime, Nj. 76; af fortölum Halls, through his pleading, 255; af ástsæld hans ok af tölum þeirra Sæmundar, by his popularity and the eloquence of S., Íb. 16; af ráðum Haralds konungs, by his contriving, Landn. 157; úbygðr af frosti ok kulda, because of frost and cold, Hkr. i. 5.

β. adverbially, af því, therefore, Nj. 78; af hví, why? 686 B. 9; þá verðr bóndi heiðinn af barni sínu, viz. if he does not cause his child to be christened, K. Þ. K. 20.

2. denoting instrumentality, by means of; af sinu fé, by one’s own means, Grág. i. 293; framfæra e-n af verkum sinum, by means of one’s own labour, K. Þ. K. 142; draga saman auð af sökum, ok vælum ok kaupum, make money by, 623. I; af sínum kostnaði, at hi s own expense, Hkr. i. 217.

β. absol., hún fellir á mik dropa svá heita at ek brenn af öll, Ld. 328; hann fékk af hina mestu sæmd, derived great honotur from it, Nj. 88; elli sótti á hendr honum svá at hann lagðist í rekkju af, he grew bedridden from age, Ld. 54; komast undan af hlaupi, escape by running, Fms. viii. 58; spinna garn af rokki, spin off a wheel (now, spinna á rokk), from a notion of instrumentality, or because of the thread being spun out (?), Eb. 92.

3. denoting proceeding, originating from; lýsti af höndum hennar, her hands spread beams of light, Edda 22; allir heimar lýstust ( were illuminated) af henni, id.; en er lýsti af degi, when the day broke forth, Fms. ii. 16; lítt var lýst af degi, the day was just beginning to break, Ld. 46; þá tók at myrkja af nótt, the ‘mirk-time’ of night began to set in, Eg. 230; tók þá brátt at myrkva af nótt, the night grew dark, Hkr. ii. 230.

4. metaph., standa, leiða, hljótast af, to be caused by, result from; opt hlýtst íllt af kvenna hjali, great mischief is wrought by women’s gossip (a proverb), Gísl. 15, 98; at af þeim mundi mikit mein ok úhapp standa, be caused by, Edda 18; kenna kulda af ráðum e-s, to feel sore from, Eb. 42; þó mun her hljótast af margs manns bani, Nj, 90.

5. in adverbial phrases, denoting state of mind; af mikilli æði, in fury, Nj. 116; af móð, in great emotion, Fms. xi. 221; af áhyggju, with concern, i. 186; af létta, frankly, iii. 91; af viti, collectedly, Grág. ii. 27; af heilu, sincerely, Eg. 46; áf fári, in rage; af æðru, timidly, Nj. (in a verse); af setning, composedly, in tune, Fms. iii. 187; af mikilli frægð, gallantly, Fas. i. 261; af öllu afli, with all might, Grág. ii. 41; af riki, violently, Fbr. (in a verse); af trúnaði, confidently, Grág. i. 400.

VII. denoting regard to, of, concerning, in respect of, as regards:

1. with verbs, denoting to tell of, be informed, inquire about, Lat. de; Dioscorides segir af grasi því, speaks of, 655 xxx. 5; er menn spurðu af landinu, inquired about it, Landn. 30; halda njósn af e-u, Nj. 104; er þat skjótast þar af at segja, Eg. 546, Band. 8.

β. absol., hann mun spyrja, hvárt þér sé nokkut af kunnigt hversu for með okkr, whether you know anything about, how, Nj. 33; halda skóla af, to hold a school in a science, 656 A. i. 19 (sounds like a Latinism); en ek gerða þik sera mestan mann af öllu, in respect of all, that you should get all the honour of it, Nj. 78.

2. with adjectives such as mildr, illr, góðrafe-u, denoting disposition or character in respect to; alira manna mildastr af fo, very liberal, often-banded, Fms. vii. 197; mildr af gulli, i. 33; góðr af griðum, merciful, Al. 33; íllr af mat en mildr af gulli, Fms. i. 53; fastr af drykk, close, stingy in regard to, Sturl. ii. 125; gat þess Hildigunnr at þú mundir góðr af hestinum, that you would be good about the horse, Nj. 90, cp. auðigr at, v. at, which corresponds to the above phrases; cp. also the phrase af sér above, p. 4, col. I, ll. 50 sqq.

VIII. periphrasis of a genitive (rare); provincialis af öllum Predikaraklaustrum, Fms. x. 76; vera af hinum mesta fjandskap, to breathe deep hatred to, be on bad terms with, ix. 220; af hendi, af hálfu e-s, on one’s behalf, v. those words.

IX. in adverbial phrases; as, af launungu, secretly; af hljóði, silently; v. those words.

β. also used absolutely with a verb, almost adverbially, nearly in the signification off, away; hann bað þá róa af fjörðinn, pass the firth swiftly by rowing, row the firth off, Fms. ix. 502; var pá af farit þat seni skerjóttast var, was past, sailed past, Ld. 142; ok er þeir höfðu af fjórðung, past one fourth of the way, Dropl. 10: skína af, to clear up, of the skv, Eb. 152; hence in common language, skína af sér, when the sun breaks forth: sofa af nóttina, to sleep it away, Fms. ii. 98; leið af nóttin, the night past away, Nj. 53; dvelja af stundir, to kill the time, Band. 8; drepa af, to kill; láta af, to slaughter, kill off;

γ. in exclamations; af tjöldin, off with the awnings, Bs. i. 420, Fins, ix. 49.

δ. in the phrases, þar af, thence; hér af, hence, Fms. ii. 102; af fram, straight on, Nj. 144; now, á fram, on, advance.

X. it often refers to a whole sentence or to an adverb, not only like other prepp. to hér, hvar, þar, but also redundantly to hvaðan, héðan, þaðan, whence, hence, thence.

2. the preposition may sometimes be repeated, once elliptically or adverbially, and once properly, e. g. en er af var borit at borðinu, the cloth was taken off from the table, Nj. 176; Guð þerrir af (off, away) hvert tár af ( from) augum heilagra manna, God wipes off every tear from the eyes of his saints, 655 xx. vii. 17; skal þó fyrst bætr af lúka af fé vegaiula, pay off, from, Gþl. 160, the last af may be omitted—var þá af borið borðinu—and the prep. thus be separated from its case, or it may refer to some of the indecl. relatives er or sem, the prep. hvar, hér, þar being placed behind them without a case, and referring to the preceding relative, e. g. oss er þar mikit af sagt auð þeim, we have been told much about these riches, Band. 24; er þat skjótast þar af at segja, in short, shortly. Eg. 546; þaðan af veit ek, thence í infer, know, Fms. i. 97.

XI. it is moreover connected with a great many verbs besides those mentioned above, e. g. bera af, to excel, whence afbragð, afbrigði; draga af, to detract, deduct, hence afdráttr; veita ekki af, to be hard with; ganga at, to be left, hence afgangr; standast af um e-t, to stand, how matters stand; sem af tekr, at a furious rate; vita af, to be conscious, know about (vide VII).

D. As a prefix to compounds distinction is to be made between:

I. af privativum, denoting diminution, want, deduction, loss, separation, negation of, etc., answering indifferently to Lat. ab-, de-, ex-, dis-, and rarely to re- and se-, v. the following COMPDS, such as segja, dicere, but afsegja, negare; rækja, colere, but afrækja, negligere; aflaga, contra legem; skapligr, normalis, afskapligr, deformis; afvik, recessus; afhús, afhellir, afdalr, etc.