mus

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(pl. mýss), f.

1) mouse (svá hræddr sem m. í skreppu);

2) the biceps muscle in the arm (kom ein ör í handlegginn í músina).

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f., pl. mýss, acc. mýs, mod. mýs; [A. S. mûs, pl. mýs; Engl. mouse, pl. mice; O. H. G. mûs; Germ. maus, pl. mäuser; Dan. muus; Lat. mus; Gr. μυς]:—a mouse, H. E. i. 482, Al. 169, Stj. 23; spilltu mýss kornum ok ökrum, var þar víða jörð hol ok full af músum, Bs. i. 293; mús hljóp áðan á kinn mér, Fs. 140; sér köttrinn músina? Ísl. ii. 309; svá hræddr sem mús í skreppu, Fms. vii. 21; hlaupa hingat ok þangat sem mýss í holur, viii. 39; veiða mýs, to catch mice; mýss svá stórar sem kettir, Ó. H. 109 ( rats?); þá sá hann mýs tvær aðra hvíta en aðra svarta, Barl. 56; mýss Valkar, Welsh mice, strange mice = rats, Fms. xi. 279; whence mod. Icel. valska, q. v.; flæðar-mús, skógar-mús, a wood-mouse, mus sylvaticus, Eggert Itin.: allit., maðr og mús, thus in Danish if a ship is lost, ‘med mand og muus,’ i. e. with all hands. In tales mice are said to pass over rivers on cakes of cow-dung (skán), steering with their tails, see Eggert Itin. ch. 329, and Ísl. Þjóðs., which reminds one of the witch who sails ‘like a rat without a tail’ in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. For the fabulous tales of wizards keeping a flæðar-mús that it may always provide them with money see Maurer’s Volks.; when the wizard dies, the mouse breaks loose into the sea and a tempest arises, called Músar-bylr, mouse-tempest; that a similar superstition existed in olden times may be inferred from the name Músa-Bölverkr, Landn.

2. the name of a mouse-gray young cow, Ísl. ii. 401.

COMPDS: músarbragð, músarbróðir, músarrindill, músareyra, músagangr, músagildra.

B. Metaph. the biceps muscle in the arm; þá flaug ör ein ok kom í hönd Hákoni konungi upp í músina fyrir neðan öxl, Hkr. i. 159; kom ein ör í handlegginn í músina, Bs. i. 781: mûs in A. S. and O. H. G. is used in a similar sense; cp. also Lat. musculus = a little mouse, whence muscle: the chief muscles of the body were named from lively animals, thus fiskr of the cheek (kinn-fiskr), mús of the arm, kálfi ( calf) of the leg.

adj. mouse-gray, cp. Ísl. ii. 401 (for myrkrar read mýskrar?).

f. ‘flood-mouse,’ a fabulous animal in nursery tales, vide Ísl. Þjóðs. and Maurer’s Volksagen; the word is, however, probably only a corruption from Germ. ‘fleder-maus,’ the bat.

f. a ‘scythe-mouse,’ a slice of sod cut with ths scythe in mowing.

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(há, hátt), a.

1) high; á háfum fjöllum, in high mountains; hæri en, higher than;

2) tall (hár maðr vexti);

3) superl. at the highest pitch; meðan hæst væri vetrar, sumars, in the depth of winter, in the height of summer;

4) high, glorious; hæstu hátíðir, the highest feasts;

5) loud (hár brestr); mæla hátt, to speak loud; hón verðr há við, she becomes clamorous or excited.

(gen. hás, pl. háir), m. thole.

n. hair (jarpr á hár).

m. dog-fish.

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adj., fem. há, neut. hátt, vide Gramm. p. xix; compar. hæri or hærri, superl. hæstr; hæðstr and hærstr, which are found in old printed books, are bad forms; for the inflexions, (which vary much, sometimes inserting f or v, sometimes not,) see the references below; in mod. usage the v is usually dropped, but the cases are bisyllabic, e. g. háir, háar, háa, háum, instead of the old hávir, hávar, háva, háfum or hám; the definite form in old writers is hávi or háfi, in mod. hái: [Ulf. hauhs = ὑψηλός; A. S. heah; Engl. high; O. H. G. hoh; Hel. hoh; Germ. hoch; old Frank, hag or hach; Swed. hög; Dan. höj; all of them with a final guttural, which in mod. Dan. has been changed into j; the final labial f or v, which in olden times was so freq. before a vowel, may be compared to laugh, rough, etc. in mod. Engl.; the g remains in the cognate word haugr]:—high; stiga sex álna háfan, Vm. 129; í hám fjalla-tindum, Edda 144 (pref.); á háfum fjöllum, Skálda 181; há fjöll, Getsp.; á hám gálga, Fsm. 45; á bekk hám, Akv. 2; hár bylgjur, Edda (Ht.); á borg inni há, Am. 18; á há fjalli, Gm. 17, Bs. i. 26 (in a verse); enar hæstu fjalla hæðir, Stj. 59; hár turn, Hkr. iii. 63; skaptið var eigi hæra, en …, Eg. 285 (of a spear); hátt hlaup, a high leap, i. e. from a high place, Fms. i. 166; hæri en grön er vex á hæsta fjalli, Hom. 152; hávar bárur, Gh. 13: hávar unnir, Skv. 2. 16; háfan garð, Fms. vi. (in a verse); hávu grasi, Hm. 120; but há grasi. Gm. 17; upp-háfa skúa, high boots, Fms. vii. 321: phrases, bera hæra skjöld, hlut, to carry the highest shield, lot, Fas. i. 383, Ld. 322.

2. tall; hárr maðr vexti ( tall of stature), manna hæstr, very tall, Fms. i. 155; hárr maðr ok harðvaxinn, vii. 321.

3. a metrical term; syllables in rhyme having the same consonants and quantity of vowels are jafn-háfar, in the same strain; kvattú svá? ‘gröm skömm’ eigi eru þær hendingar jafn háfar; ‘hrömm skömm’ þat væri jafnhátt, Fms. vi. 386.

II. metaph. high, sublime, glorious; hærri tign, Fms. i. 214; enir hæstu Guðs postular, 625. 82; í hærra haldi, Fms. vii. 112; margar ræður þvílíkar eða enn hæri, or still sublimer, Sks. 635; hljóta háfan sigr, a glorious victory, Merl. 2. 69; háfan ávöxt, Mar. kv. 17; hæstu daga, hæstu hátíðir, the highest days or feasts (hátíð), Fms. x. 22.

2. at the highest pitch; meðan hæstir eru stormar um vetrinn, Sks. 46; at hann væri kyrr meðan hæst væri vetrar, in the depth of winter, Fms. ix. 480; meðan hæst væri sumars, in the height of summer, Lv. 43; hátt vetrar megin, Sks.; cp. há-degi, há-vetr, há-sumar (below).

3. loud; blása hátt (a trumpet), Vsp. 47; brestr hár, Fms. xi. 10, Glúm. 375; mæla hátt, to speak loud, Nj. 33; ok söng í hátt, it gave a loud sound, 83; kveða við hátt ok öskurliga, Fms. v. 164; þó þetta væri eigi hátt talat í fyrstu, ix. 250; æpa hátt, Sks. 653; hafa hátt, to make a noise; cp. gráta hástöfum (below), há-vaði (below); hón verðr há við, she became clamorous, excited, Ísl. ii. 350; hlæja hátt, to laugh loud, Skv. 2. 15.

III. a mythol. pr. name, both Hár and Hávi, Edda; Hávi and Hár are names of Odin the High, whence Háva-mál, n. pl. the name of a poem, the Sayings of the High.

2. prefixed in the pr. names Há-kon, Há-leygr, Há-rekr, Há-mundr, Há-steinn, Há-varðr, Há-varr; and in local names, Háfa-fell, etc.

IV. neut. as adverb; geisa hátt, Edda 146 (pref.); skín hann nú því hærra, Fms. v. 241; unna e-m hærra en öðrum, to love one higher (more) than another, Sturl. i. 198; taka e-n hátt, to make much of one, Bs. i. 727; stökkva hátt, to make a high leap, look high, Fær. 57; sitja skör hærra en aðrir, a step higher, Fms. i. 7.

B. COMPDS: háaltari, hábakki, hábakkaflæðr, hábeinn, hábjarg, hábogaðr, háborð, hábrók, hábrókan, hábrókask, hádegi, hádegisskeið, háeyrr, háfeti, háfjall, háflæðr, háfæta, háfættr, háhestr, hákirkja, háleggr, háleikr, háleitliga, háleitligr, háleitr, háliga, háligr, hálimar, hámessa, hámessumál, hámælgi, hámæli, hámæltr, hánefjaðr, hánefr, hápallr, háreysti, háreystr, hásalir, hásegl, háseymdr, háskeptr, háskóli, hástaðr, hástafir, hásteint, hástigi, hásumar, hásumartími, hásæti, hásætisborð, hásætiskista, hásætismaðr, hásætisstóll, hátalaðr, hátimbra, hátíð, hátíðaraptan, hátíðardagr, hátíðarhald, hátíðisdagr, hátíðiskveld, hátíðliga, hátíðligr, hávaði, hávaðamaðr, hávaðamikill, hávaðasamr, hávarr, háværr, háværð, hávegir, hávella, hávetr, hávetri.

mod. háfr, m. [Germ. hai], a dog-fish, squalus acanthius, Skálda 162. In compds há- marks fish of the shark kind, as há-karl (q. v.), a shark, carcharias, Ann.: há-kerling, f. = hákarl: há-meri, f. squalus glaucus: há-mús, f. chimaera monstrosa, Linn.; also called geirnyt, Eggert Itin. 360: há-skerðingr, m. = hákarl, Edda (Gl.), Grág. ii. 337, 359, Pm. 69: háskerðinga-lýsi, n. shark’s oil, H. E. i. 395: háfs-roð, n. shark’s skin, shagreen.

m., acc. há, pl. háir, a thole, Am. 35, Grett. 125, Fas. i. 215, Þiðr. 313; whence há-benda, u, f. = hamla, q. v.; há-borur, f. pl., q. v.; há-reiðar, f. pl. rowlocks, prop. ‘thole-gear,’ synonymous with hamla; inn féll (sjór) um söxin ok háreiðarnar, Sturl. iii. 66, (Cd. Brit. Mus., Cd. Arna-Magn. háborurnar); leggja árar í háreiðar, to lay the oars in the rowlocks, Fms. xi. 70 (v. 1. to hömlur), 101, x. 285; lágu þar árar í háreiðum, Eg. 360 (v. l. to hömlu-böndum), Lex. Poët.: há-seti, a, m. a ‘ thole-sitter,’ oarsman, opp. to the captain or helmsman, Grág. i. 90, N. G. L. i. 98, Landn. 44, Fbr. 62 new Ed., Fms. vi. 239, 246: há-stokkar, m. pl. the gunwale, Bs. i. 385, 390.

β. in poetry a ship is called há-dýr, n., há-sleipnir, m. the horse of rowlocks.

n. [A. S. hær; Engl. hair; Germ. har; Dan.-Swed. hår; Lat. caesaries]:— hair, including both Lat. crines and capilli, Skálda 162, Nj. 2, Sks. 288; fara ór hárum, to change the hair, of beasts, passim; eitt hár hvítt eðr svart, Matth. v. 36; höfuð-hár, the hair of the head; lík-hár, the hair on the body, breast, or hands of men, opp. to the head; úlfalda-hár, iii. 4; hross-hár, horse-hair; hunds-hár, kattar-hár.

COMPDS: háralag, hárslitr.

☞ For the hair of women, see Nj. ch. 1, 78, 117, Landn. 2, ch. 30, Edda 21, passim; of men, Nj. ch. 121, Ld. ch. 63, and passim.

may be prefixed to almost every adjective and adverb in an intensive sense, very, extremely.

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may in old writers be prefixed to almost every adjective and adverb in an intensive sense, like Engl. very, Lat. per-, Gr. οια-, ζα-. In common talk and modern writings it is rare (except after a negative), and denotes something below the average, viz. tolerably, pretty well, not very well; but in the Sagas, something capital, exceeding. In high style it may perhaps be used in the old sense, e. g. allfagrt ljós oss birtist brátt, a transl. of the Ambrosian hymn, Aurora lucis rutilat. The instances in old writers are nearly endless, e. g. all-annt, n. adj. very eager, Fms. ii. 41; ironically, 150. all-apr, adj. very sore, very harsh, v. apr. all-auðsóttligt, n. adj. very easy, Fs. 40. all-auðveldliga, adv. very easily, Fms. iv. 129. all-auðveldligr, adj. very easy, Fms. v. 331. all-auðveldr, adj. id., Fbr. 158: neut. as adv., Hkr. ii. 76. all-ágætr, adj. very famous, Fms. ii. 76. all-áhyggjusamliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very careful, Fms. vi. 184. all-ákafliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very hot, impetuous, Hkr. i. 234, ii. 32. all-ákaft, adj. very fast, Nj. 196. all-áræðiliga, adv. very likely, Fær. 183. all-áræðislítill, adj. very timid, Fms. vi. 217. all-ástúðligt, n. adj. very hearty, intimate, Fms. ii. 20. all-banvænn, adj. very likely to prove mortal, Orkn. 148. all-beinn, adj. very hospitable, Fms. ii. 84, Eb. 286: neut. as adv., Fær. 259. all-beiskr, adj. very harsh, bitter, Sturl. iii. 167. all-bert, n. adj. very manifest, Lex. Poët. all-bitr, adj. very biting, sharp, Sks. 548. all-bitrligr, adj. of a very sharp appearance, Vígl. 20. all-bjartr, adj. very bright, Fms. viii. 361. all-bjúgr, adj. very much bent, curved, Ölkofr. 39. all-blár, adj. very blue, Glúm. 394. all-blíðliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very blithely, kindly, Fær. 132. all-blíðr, adj. very mild, amiable, Sd. 158, Fms. i. 202. all-bráðgörr, adj. very soon mature, Eb. 16. all-bráðliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very hastily, Orkn. 72. all-bráðr, adj. very hot-headed, Njarð. 370: neut. as adv. very soon, Fms. xi. 51: dat. pl. all-bráðum, as adv. very suddenly, 139. all-bros-ligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very funny, laughable, Fms. iii. 113. all-dasigr, adj. very sluggish, Lex. Poët. all-digr, adj. very big, stout; metaph. puffed up, Nj. 236. all-djarfliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very boldly, Fms. ii. 313, Orkn. 102. all-djúpsettr, adj. very deep, thoughtful, Bret. 158. all-drengiliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very bold, gallant, Lv. 110. all-dræmt, n. adj. very boastfully, from dramb, superbia, (the modern word is dræmt = slowly, sluggishly); þeir létu a. yfir sér, boasted, Sturl. ii. 56. MS. Mus. Brit. 1127; Cod. A. M. has allvænt, prob. wrongly. all-dyggr, adj. very doughty, Lex. Poët. all-dýrr, adj. very dear, Fms. iii. 159. all-eiguligr, adj. very worth having, Sd. 146. all-eina (theol.), á Guð alleina (a hymn), alone: Hkr. iii. 339 (in a spurious chapter). all-einarðliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very sincere, candid, open, Ld. 334. all-eldiligr and -elliligr, adj. of a very aged appearance, Fms. iii. 125. all-fagr, adj. very bright, fair, Orkn. 296 old Ed.: neut. as adv. very fairly, Sturl. i. 72. all-fast, n. adj. very firmly, steadfastly, Eb. 290, Fær. 259. all-fastorðr, adj. very ‘wordfast,’ very true to his word, Fms. vii. 120. all-fálátr, adj. very taciturn, close, Fas. iii. 408. all-fáliga, adv. on very cold terms, Sturl. iii. 298. all-fámáligr, adj. very close, of very few words, Fms. iii. 85, iv. 366. all-fámennr, adj. followed by very few people, Sturl. ii. 122, Magn. 386. all-far, adj. very few, Eg. 512, Ld. 272, Ísl. ii. 356: neut. on very cold terms, Fms. xi. 55. all-fáræðinn, adj. of very few words, Fms. iv. 312. all-feginn, adj. very ‘fain,’ glad, Eg. 240, Ld. 330. all-feginsamliga, adv. very ‘fain,’ gladly, Eg. 27. all-feigligr, adj. having the mark of death very plain on one’s face, v. feigr, Sturl. iii. 234. all-feitr, adj. very fat, Fms. x. 303. all-ferliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very rudely, Fms. iv. 263. all-fémikill, adj. very costly, Ld. 298. all-fjarri, adv. very far, far from, metaph., Hkr. ii. 246; eigi a., not improper, Fbr. 15. all-fjartekit, part. very far-fetched, Skálda 166. all-fjölgan, adj. acc. very numerous (does not exist in nom.), Sks. 138 A. all-fjölkunnigr, adj. very deeply versed in sorcery, Fms. ii. 175, Fas. i. 412. all-fjölmeðr and -mennr, adj. followed, attended by very many people, much frequented, Eg. 724, 188, Hkr. i. 215: n. sing. in very great numbers, Fms. i. 36. all-fjölrætt, n. adj. very heedful, much talked of, Nj. 109. all-forsjáll, adj. very prudent, Hom. 115. all-framr, adj. very famous, Lex. Poët.; very far forward, Grett. 161 A. all-frekliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very daringly, impudently, Fas. i. 24. all-frekr, adj. too eager, too daring, Fms. vii. 164. all-friðliga, adv. in very great peace, Lex. Poët. all-fríðr, adj. very beautiful, Eg. 23, Hkr. i. 225, ii. 354, Fms. i. 2. all-frjáls, adj. very free, independent, v. alfrjáls. all-fróðligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very wise, learned, Sks. 306 B. all-fróðr, adj. very learned, Sks. 30. all-frægr, adj. very famous, Fms. ii. 324, Hkr. i. 232, ii. 187, Ld. 122. all-frækiliga, adv. and -ligr, adj., and all-frækn, adj. and -liga, adv. very bold, boldly, Ísl. ii. 267, Hkr. i. 239, Fms. i. 121. all-fúss, adj. and -liga, adv. very eager, eagerly, Eg. 488, Fms. xi. 89. all-fýsiligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very desirable, Eg. 19, 468. all-fölr, adj. very pale, Lex. Poët. all-gagnsamr, adj. very profitable, gainful, Ísl. ii. 56. all-gamall, adj. very old, Hkr. i. 34. all-gegniliga and -gegnliga, adv. very fittingly, Sturl. ii. 63. all-gemsmikill, adj. very wanton, frolicsome, Sturl. ii. 57. all-gerla and -görviligr, v. -görla, -görviligr. all-gestrisinn, adj. very hospitable, Háv. 40. all-geysilegr, adj. and -liga, adv. very impetuous, Fms. x. 81. all-gildliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. with a very grand air, Grett. 121. all-gildr, adj. very grand, Lex. Poët. all-giptusam-liga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very lucky, Fms. x. 53. all-glaðliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very joyfully, joyful, Fms. iii. 143, Lv. 55. all-glaðr, adj. very joyful, Eg. 163, Ld. 176. all-gleymr, adj. very gleeful, mirthful, in high spirits, [glaumr], verða a. við e-t, Sturl. iii. 152, Eb. 36. all-glæsiliga, adj. and -ligr, adv. very shiny, Eb. 34, Fas. iii. 626, Fms. ix. 430. all-glöggsær, adj. very transparent, dearly visible, metaph., þorf. Karl. 380. all-glöggt, n. adj. very exactly, Hkr. iii. 253, Fas. iii. 13. all-góðmannliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very kindly, kind, Mag. 6. all-góðr, adj. very good, Nj. 222, Eg. 36, 198. all-greiðliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very easy, easily, Eb. 268: neut. as adv., Eb. l. c. all-grimmliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very grimly, fiercely, Fas. iii. 414. all-grimmr, adj. very cruel, fierce, Hkr. iii. 167. all-grun-samliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very suspiciously, Ísl. ii. 364. all-göfugr, adj. very distinguished, Eg. 598, Bs. i. 60. all-görla, adv. very clearly, precisely, Hkr. iii. 133, Fms. xi. 15. all-görviligr, adj. very stout, manly, Fms. ii. 28. all-hagstæðr, adj. with a very fair wind, Sturl. iii. 109. all-harðligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very hard, stern, Fas. i. 382. all-harðr, adj. very hard, stern, Fms. i. 177: n. sing. severely, Nj. 165, Grág. i. 261. all-háskasamligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very hazardous, Fms. v. 135. all-heiðinn, adj. quite heathen, Fs. 89 (in a verse). all-heilagr, adj. very sacred, Lex. Poët. all-heimskliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very foolish, frantic, Hkr. ii. 190, Fas. iii. 293. all-heimskr, adj. very silly, stupid, Eg. 376, Grett. 159. all-heppinn, adj. very lucky, happy, Lex. Poët. all-herðimikill, adj. very broad-shouldered, Eg. 305. all-hermannliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very martial, Fms. xi. 233. all-hjaldrjúgr, adj. very gossipping, chattering, Lv. 57: neut. as adv., Vápn. 10. all-hógliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very gently, Fms. xi. 240, vi. 274. all-hóleitr and -háleitr, adj. very sublime, Hom. 23. all-hór and -hár, adj. very high, tall, v. -hár. all-hratt, n. adj. in all speed, Lex. Poët. all-hraustliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very bravely, Fms. viii. 289, Eb. 34. all-hraustr, adj. very valiant, Fms. viii. 267. all-hreystimannliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very valiantly, Fms. xi. 95. all-hrumliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very infirmly from age, Fas. ii. 91. all-hræddr, adj. very much afraid, Fbr. 94. all-hræðinn, adj. very timid, Fms. vi. 155. all-huml;mgsjúkr, adj. very grieved, heart-sick, Hkr. i. 243, Fms. vi. 133. all-hvass, adj. of the wind, blowing very sharp, Fms. ix. 20, Lex. Poët. all-hyggi-ligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very carefully, Fas. iii. 610. all-hýrliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very blandly, with a very bright face, Fas. iii. 636. all-hæðiligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very ridiculous, Finnb. 312. all-hældreginn, adj. walking very much on one’s heels, dragging the heels very much in walking, of an aged or beggarly person, Band. 9. all-hœgliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very softly, meekly, Fms. xi. 389. all-hœlinn, adj. very bragging, Lex. Poët. all-iðinn, adj. very diligent, laborious, Bs. i. 278. all-illa, adv. and -illr, adj. very badly, bad, wicked, Nj. 242, cp. ilia; ill-willed, Eg. 542: compar., vera allver um, to be worse off, Nj. 221 (Ed. allvant); angry, Lv. 145; disgraceful, Eg. 237; unfortunate, Sturl. ii. 47. all-jafnlyndr, adj. very calm, even-tempered, Fms. vi. 287. all-kaldr, adj. very cold, Vápn. 21. all-kappsamliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. with very much zeal, liberally, Hkr. i. 271; veita a., of hospitality, Ld. 292; mæla a., frankly, peremptorily, 296. all-kappsamr, adj. very eager, vehement, Eg. 187. all-karlmannliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very manfully, Fms. x. 141. all-kaupmannliga, adv. in a very businesslike, tradesmanlike way, Fms. v.255. all-kátligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very funny, Grett. 112. all-kátr, adj. very joyful, Nj. 18, Eg. 44, 332. all-keppinn, adj. very snappish, Lex. Poët. all-kerskiligr and -keskiligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very sarcastic, biting, Sturl. ii. 196. all-klókr, adj. very shrewd, Hkr. iii. 317. all-knáliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very stoutly, vigorously, Rd. 312. all-kostgæflliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very earnestly, in a very painstaking way, Stj. all-kostigr, adj. very excellent, Lex. Poët. all-kviklatr, adj. very quick, lively, Ld. 270. all-kynliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very strangely, strange, Ísl. ii. 58, Fms. ii. 227, Grett. 160. all-kyrrligr, adj. very quiet, tranquil, Háv. 49. all-kærr, adj. very dear, beloved, Eg. 139, Fms. i. 48; very fond of, Hkr. i. 194: neut., Eg. 116, of mutual love. all-langr, adj. very long, Háv. 49. all-laust, n. adj. very loosely, Fms. xi. 103. all-lágr, adj. very low, short of stature, Fbr. 68. all-lengi, adv. very long, K. Þ. K. 158. all-léttbrúnn, adj. of very brightened, cheerful countenance, Ld. 94. all-léttiliga, adv. very lightly, Fas. iii. 612. all-léttmælt, n. adj., vera a. um e-t, to speak in a very lively way, Fms. iv. 261. all-léttr, adj. very light (in weight), Fas. iii. 487. all-líkliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. in very agreeable, courteous terms, Fas. i. 84. all-likligr, adj. very likely, Fas. ii. 247, Sks. 669. all-líkr, adj. very like, Fas. iii. 579, Sd. 160, Korm. 142. all-lítilfjörligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very puny, prop. having little life in one, Háv. 54. all-lítill, adj. very little, Fær. 268: n. sing. all-lítt, as adv. very little, Nj. 108, 130, Korm. 172; poorly, Grett. 116. all-lyginn, adj. very given to lying, Fbr. 157. all-makligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very deserving, fitting, Sturl. iii. 127, Bjarn. 22. all-mann-fátt, n. adj. with very few people, Gísl. 31. all-mannhættr, adj. very dangerous, Fas. iii. 34. all-mannskæðr, adj. very full of manskathe, very murderous, Fms. ii. 512. all-mannæenligr, adj. a very promising man, Fms. iv. 254. all-mannvænn, adj. a man of very great promise, Hkr. ii. 182. all-margliga, adv. very affably, Sturl. iii. 27. all-margmæltr, part. very talkative, Sturl. ii. 179. all-margr, adj. very numerous, pl. very many, Nj. 32, Grág. ii. 176, Sks. 328, Gþl. 329. all-margrætt, n. adj. part. very much spoken of, Fms. viii. 275. all-málugr, adj. very loquacious, Hkr. iii. 152, 655 xi. 2. all-máttfarinn, adj. very much worn out, with very little strength left, Fas. ii. 356. all-máttlítill, adj. very weak, Fms. i. 159. all-meginlauss, adj. very void of strength, Fms. xi. 103. all-mikilfengligr, adj. very high and mighty, very imposing, Fs. all-mikill, adj. very great, Ísl. ii. 269, Nj. 193, Eg. 29, 39: neut. as adv. greatly, Fms. i. 24, vii. 110. all-mikilmannliga, adv. very nobly, Sturl. i. 33. all-misjafn, adj. very variously, unfavourably, in such phrases as, mæla a. um e-t, there were very different stories about the matter, leggja a. til, ganga a. undir, taka a. á, Eg. 242, Hkr. ii. 123, Fms. i. 86, vii. no, Ld. 166. all-mjór, adj. very slim, slender, narrow, Hkr. iii. 117, Gþl. 173. all-mjök, adv. very much, Nj. 134, Ld. 196, Eg. 19; féllu þá a. menn, in very great numbers, Fms. i. 173. all-myrkr, adj. very dark, Fms. ix. 23. all-mæðiliga, adv. with very great effort, heavily, Fms. ix. 16. all-nauðigr, adj. and -liga, adv. very reluctant, unwilling, Grett. 153; a. staddr, dangerously, Fms. v. 212. all-náinn, adj. very near, nearly related, Sks. 330. all-náttförull, adj. very much given to wandering by night, Lex. Poët. all-níðskárr, adj. of a poet, given to mocking, satirical verse, [níð and skáld (?)], Fms. ii. 7. all-nóg, adv. very abundantly, Sd. 182. all-nær, adv. very near, Fms. vii. 289; metaph., lagði a. at, pretty nearly, well-nigh, Fs., Sks. 684 B. all-nærri, adv. very near, Ld. 202, Fas. iii. 339. all-opt, adv. very often, Anecd. 38, Gþl. 169. all-orðfátt, n. adj. in the phrase, göra a. urn, to be very short of words as to, Bjarn. 31. all-ógurligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very frightful, Edda 41. all-ólmliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very furiously, Fas. iii. 546, Bárð. 177. áll-óttalaust, n. adj. with very little to fear, Eg. 371, v. l. all-ramskipaðr, adj. part. very strongly manned, Fms. iii. 13. all-rauðr, adj. very red, Ld. 182. all-ráðligr, adj. very expedient, advisable, Grett. 145. all-reiðiligr, adj. looking very wrathful, Fms. iv. 161. all-reiðr, adj. very wroth, angry, Edda 57, Nj. 135, Eg. 139. all-ríkmarmligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very grand, pompous, magnificent, Fms. i. 213. all-ríkr, adj. very powerful, Fms. i. 115. all-rýrliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very feebly, puny, Fbr. 28. all-röskliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very smart, brisk, Fms. viii. 317. all-sannligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very likely, ‘soothlike,’ Fms. iv. 270. all-sáttgjarnliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very placable, of mild disposition, Sturl. iii. 288. all-seinn, adj. very slow, Bs. i. 192: neut. as adv. slowly, Grett. 151 A. all-sigrsæll, adj. very victorious, having very good luck in war, Hkr. i. 28. all-skammr, adj. very short, very scant, Nj. 264: neut. substantively, a very short way, Finnb. 324; short distance, Fms. iv. 329. all-skapliga, adv. very fittingly, properly, Grett. 120. all-skapværr, adj. of a very gentle, meek disposition, Sturl. all-skapþungt, n. adj., vera a., to be in a very gloomy, depressed state of mind, Fms. iv. 26. all-skarpr, adj. very sharp, Lex. Poët. all-skeinuhættr, adj. very dangerous, vulnerable, Sturl. ii. 139. all-skemtiligr, adj. very amusing, Sturl. ii. 77. all-skillítill, adj. very slow-witted, dull, Sturl. j. 89. all-skjallkænliga, adv. [skjalla, to flatter], very coaxingly, Grett. 131 A. all-skjótt, n. adj. as adv. very soon, Nj. 236. all-skrautligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very smart, splendid, Fas. ii. 366, Mag. 11. all-skygn, adj. very sharp-sighted, Hrafn. 33. all-skyldr, adj. bound to, very obligatory; neut. = bounden duty, Sks. 484; deserved, Gþl. 61:

β. nearly related, near akin, Fms. xi. 75. all-skyndiliga, adv. very quickly, Blas. 40. all-skynsamliga, adv. very judiciously, Sturl. iii. 161. all-skyrugr, adj. all curd-besprent, Grett. 107 A. all-sköruliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very frankly, boldly, dignified, Sturl. iii. 39, Fms. ix. 5, Ld. 94 C, 226, Bs. i. all-sljáliga, adv. very slowly, sluggishly, Grett. 101 A. all-smár, adj. very small, Fms. v. 55, xi. 61. all-snarpliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very sharply, smartly, Fms. viii. 346. all-snarpr, adj. very sharp, Fms. i. 38, Nj. 246. all-snemma, adv. very early, Fms. ii. 223. all-snjallr, adj. very shrewd, clever, Fms. viii. 367. all-snúðula, adv. very quickly, Lex. Poët. all-snæfr, adj. very brisk, id. all-snöfurmannligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very brisk and energetic looking, of a man, Fms. xi. 79. all-spakliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very mildly, moderately, wisely, Hkr. ii. 41. all-spakr, adj. very gentle, wise, Fms. vi. 298. all-starsýnn, adj. who stares very hard at a thing, looking fixedly upon, Fms. vi. 203. all-sterkliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very briskly, strongly, Ld. 158, Fas. iii. 612. all-sterkr, adj. very strong, Hkr. i. 238, Eg. 285; Ísl. ii. 461 ( very vehement); as a pr. name, Fms. iii. 183. all-stilliliga, adv. very calmly, in a very composed manner, Ld. 318. all-stirðr, adj. very stiff, Háv. 46. all-stórhöggr, adj. dealing very hard blows, Fms. i. 171. all-stórliga, adv. very haughtily, Hkr. ii. 63, Ld. 168. all-stórmannliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very munificently, nobly, Fas. iii. 45; haughtily, Sd. 146. all-stórorðr, adj. using very big words, Eg. 340, Ld. 38 ( very boisterous). all-stórr, adj. very great, metaph. big, puffed up, Ld. 318; dat. all-stórum, as adv. very largely, Edda 32. all-strangr, adj. very rapid, Lex. Poët. all-styggr, adj. very ill-humoured, cross, Grett. 103 A. all-styrkliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very stoutly, Stj. 402. all-styrkr, adj. very strong, Fms. i. 177. all-svangr, adj. very hungry, Lex. Poët. all-svinnliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very wisely, prudently, wise, Fas. i. 95, ii. 266. all-sættfúss, adj. very placable, peace-loving, very willing to accept an atonement, Sturl. iii. 19. all-sœmiliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very seemly, decorous, honourable, Hkr. i. 215, Ísl. ii. 163. all-tiginn, adj. very princely, Lex. Poët. all-tillátsamr, adj. very indulgent, lenient, Þórð. 12. all-tíðrætt, n. adj. very much talked of, much spoken of, Eg. 99, Sturl. i. 199. all-tíðvirkr, adj. very quick at work, Fms. xi. 377. all-torfyndr, adj. very hard to find, Fms. vii. 356. all-torfært, n. adj. very hard to pass, cross, Eg. 546. all-torsótt, n. adj. part. very difficult to reach, Eg. 546. all-tortryggiliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very suspiciously, Sturl. ii. 47. all-torveldligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very difficult, Str. all-trauðr, adj. very slow, unwilling, Fms. xi. 39. all-tregr, adj. very tardy, Fær. 114, Bárð. 178. all-trúr, adj. very true. Fms. vi. 377. all-tryggr, adj. very trusty, Hkr. iii. 167. all-tvítugr, false reading, instead of eigi alls t., not quite twenty, Sturl. i. 181. all-undarligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very odd, wonderful, Fms. ii. 150. all-ungr, adj. very young, Eg. 268, Fms. i. 14, Ld. 274. all-úbeinskeyttr, adj. shooting very badly, Fms. ii. 103. all-úblíðr, adj. very harsh, unkind, Fas. ii. all-úbragðligr, adj. very ill-looking, Sturl. iii. 234. all-údæll, adj. very spiteful, untractable, Sturl. i. 99. all-úfagr, adj. very ugly, metaph., Fms. iii. 154. all-úfimliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very awkwardly, Fas. ii. 543. all-úframliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very backward, shy, timid, Fbr. 38 C. all-úfríðr, adj. very ugly, Fms. xi. 227. all-úfrýnn, adj. very sullen, ‘frowning,’ sour, Eg. 525. all-úfrægr, adj. very inglorious, Fms. iv. 259. all-úglaðr, adj. very gloomy, sad, Hkr. iii. 379. all-úhægr, adj. very difficult, Eg. 227. all-úhöfðingligr, adj. very low-looking, very plebeian, Finnb. 222. all-úkátr, adj. very sorrowful, Edda 35, Eg. 223, Fms. i. 37. all-úknár, adj. very weak of frame, Grett. 119 A, very badly knit; Bs. i. 461 (of boys). all-úkonungligr, adj. very unkingly, Fms. viii. 158. all-úkunnigr, adj. quite unknown, Ísl. ii. 412. all-úlífligr, adj. very unlikely to live, Hkr. ii. 200. all-úlíkliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very unlikely, Gísl. 24, Sd. 123, Finnb. 310. all-úlíkr, adj. very unlike, Glúm. 364. all-úlyginn, adj. not at all given to lie, truthful, Fbr. 157. all-úmáttuliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. weakly, very weak, tender, Fms. iv. 318. all-úráðinn, adj. part. very ‘unready’ (cp. Ethelred the ‘unready’), undecided, Lv. 9. all-úráðliga, adv. very unadvisedly, rashly, Odd. 12 old Ed. all-úsannligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very untruthful, unjust; also, unlikely, Fms. vii. 141. all-úsáttfúss, adj. very implacable, unwilling to come to terms, Sturl. iii. 275. all-úskyldr, adj. very strange to, not at all bound to…, Eg. 10. all-úspakr, adj. very unruly, Sturl. ii. 61. all-úsváss, adj. very uncomfortable, of weather, cold and rainy, Bs. i. 509. all-úsýnn, adj. very uncertain, doubtful, Glúm. 358, Sturl. i. 105. all-úsæligr, adj. of very poor, wretched appearance, Niðrst. 109. all-úvinsæll, adj. very unpopular, Fms. iv. 369, Fas. iii. 520. all-úvísliga, adv. very unwisely, Niðrst. 6. all-úvænliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. of very unfavourable prospect, Fas. ii. 266; n. adj. very unpromising, Grett. 148 A. all-úvænn, adi. very ugly, Fas. i. 234; very unpromising, unfavourable, Ísl. ii. 225: neut. as adv. unfavourably, Fms. xi. 134. all-úþarfr, adj. very unthrifty, very unprofitable, something that had better be prevented, Eg. 576, Hkr. ii. 245. all-vandlátr, adj. very difficult, hard to please, Fms. vi. 387. all-vandliga, adv. with very great pains, exactly, carefully, Sks. 658 B. all-vant, n. adj., vera a. um e-t, to be in a very great strait, Nj. 221. all-varfærr, adj. very careful, solicitous, Eg. 63. all-vaskligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very brisk, smart, gallant, Hkr. i. 104; compar. v. alvaskligr. all-vaskr, adj. very brisk, gallant, Fms. viii. 226. all-vandr, adj. very bad, of clothes, much worn, Pm. 11. all-vápndjarfr, adj. very bold, daring in arms, Hkr. iii. 63. all-veðrlítið, n. adj. very calm, with little wind, Fms. vi. 360. all-vegliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very grand, princely, nobly, Fms. i. 20, Eg. 332, Hkr. i. 15. all-vel, adv. very well, Nj. 12, Eg. 78, 198; compar. albetr, v. alvel. all-vesall, adj. very puny, wretched, Nj. 97. all-vesalliga, adv. very wretchedly, Ölk. 35. all-vesalmannliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. id., Ísl. ii. 416. all-vesæll, adj. very miserable, base, vile, Nj. 97. all-vingjarnliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very friendly, amicable, Sturl. ii. 168. all-vingott, n. adj. on very friendly terms, Fbr. 129. all-vinsæll, adj. very popular, used of a man blessed with many friends, Fms. i. 184, ii. 44, Orkn. 104 old Ed. all-virðuligr, adj. and -liga, adv. very worthy, dignified, Fms. x. 84, Bs. i. 83. all-vitr, adj. very wise, Sks. 29 B (superl.) all-vitrliga, adv. very wisely, Fas. ii. 66. all-víða and all-vítt, n. adj. very widely, Hkr. iii. 141, Lex. Poët. all-vígliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. in a very warlike manner, Fms. ix. 488, Fas. ii. 112. all-vígmannliga, adv. very martially, Fas. iii. 150. all-vígmóðr, adj. quite wearied out with fighting, Introd. to Helgakviða (Sæm.) all-víss, adj. very wise, sure, Sks. 520, Lex. Poët.: neut. to a dead certainty, Lex. Poët. all-vænliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very promising, handsome, Glúm. 349, Fms. v. 260, Fbr. 114. all-vænn, adj. id., Clem. 24, Bs. i. 340: neut., þykja a. um, to be in high spirits, Ísl. ii. 361; make much of, Fms. ii. 76; as adv. favourably, Fms. iv. 192. all-vörpuligr, adj. of a very stout, stately frame, Hkr. ii. 254. all-vöxtuligr, adj. very tall, of large growth, Fas. iii. 627. all-þakkligr, adj. very pretty, = þekkiligr, Lex. Poët. all-þakksamliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very thankfully, Fms. i. 120, Ld. 298. all-þarfliga, adv. very thriftily, very pressingly; biðja a., to beg very hard, Edda 45. all-þarfr, adj. very thrifty, Lex. Poët. all-þéttr, adj. very crowded, cp. Lex. Poët. all-þrekligr, adj. of a very robust frame, Hkr. ii. 2. all-þröngr, adj. as neut. in a very great crowd, Edda 24. all-þungliga, adv. and -ligr, adj. very hard, unwilling, reluctant, Sturl. ii. 120; taka a. á e-m, to be very hard upon, Mag. 1. all-þungr, adj. very unfavourable, Hkr. ii. 358; hostile, badly disposed towards, Eb. 108, Eg. 332; þykja a., to dislike, Fms. viii. 441; a. orð, to blame, Sturl. ii. 62. all-þykkr, adj. very thick, Fas. i. 339: n. sing. as adv. thickly, Fms. vii. 70 (of great numbers slain on the battle-field). all-æfr, adj. very furious, wrath, Ísl. ii. 258, Lv. 60, Fas. i. 404. all-ægiligr, adj. very terrible, Dropl. 18. all-æstr, adj. very incited, vehement, Nj. 231. all-örorðr, adj. very quick-tongued, frank, outspoken, Eg. 340. all-öruggliga, adv. very steadfastly, very firmly, Grett. 153 A. all-öruggr, adj. very unflinching, Bs. i. 624.

adj. all-wise, now partic. used of God, Clem. 33; superl. alvitrastr, of greatest wisdom, used of a man of science, Sturl. i. 167. MS. Brit. Mus. 1127.

a, m.

1. the true name of the mythical prince of Denmark, Amlethus of Saxo, Hamlet of Shakespeare.

2. now used metaph. of an imbecile, weak person, one of weak bodily frame, wanting in strength or briskness, unable to do his work, not up to the mark. It is used in phrases such as, þú ert mesti Amlóði, what a great A. you are, i. e. poor, weak fellow. In a poem of the 10th century (Edda 67), the seashore is called the flour-bin of Amlode (meldr-lið Amlúða, navis farinae Amlodif), the sand being the flour, the sea the mill: which recals the words of Hamlet in Saxo,—‘sabulum perinde ac farra aspicere jussus eadem albicantibus maris procellis permolita esse respondit.’ From this poem it may be inferred that in the 10th century the tale of Hamlet was told in Icel., and in a shape much like that given it by Saxo about 250 years later. Did not Saxo (as he mentions in his preface) write his story from the oral tradition of Icelanders? In Iceland this tale was lost, together with the Skjöldunga Saga. The Icel. Ambales Saga MS. in the Brit. Mus. is a modern composition of the 17th century.

COMPDS now in freq. use: amlóðaligr, adj. imbecile; amlóða-skapr, m., or amlóða-háttr, imbecility; also amlóðast, dep. Torfaeus, in his Series Reg. Dan. p. 302, quotes an old Swedish rhyme running thus: ‘Tha slog konungen handom samman | och log fast och gorde aff gamnian | rett some han vore en Amblode | then sig intet godt forstode,’ where it means a fool, simpleton, denoting a mental imbecility. [No one knows the origin of this name: an etymology attempted by Prof. Säve of Upsala is, we believe, equally inadmissible.]

f. a clear mark, sure sign, Sturl. i. 70. MS. A. M. 122 B; áminning suits better, so the Ed. and Brit. Mus. 11, 127.

mod. dans, n. a word of for. origin; [cp. mid. Lat. dansare; Fr. danser; Ital. danzare; Engl. dance; Germ. tanz, tanzen.] This word is certainly not Teutonic, but of Roman or perhaps Breton origin: the Icel. or Scandin. have no genuine word for dancing,—leika means ‘to play’ in general: the word itself (danza, danz, etc.) never occurs in the old Sagas or poetry, though popular amusements of every kind are described there; but about the end of the 11th century, when the Sagas of the bishops (Bs.) begin, we find dance in full use, accompanied by songs which are described as loose and amorous: the classical passage is Jóns S. (A. D. 1106–1121), ch. 13. Bs. i. 165, 166, and cp. Júns S. by Gunnlaug, ch. 24. Bs. i. 237—Leikr sá var kær mönnum áðr en hinn heilagi Jón varð biskup, at kveða skyldi karlmaðr til konu í danz blautlig kvæði ok rægilig; ok kona til karlmanns mansöngs vísur; þenna leik lét hann af taka ok bannaði styrkliga; mansöngs kvæði vildi hann eigi heyra né kveða láta, en þó fékk hann því eigi af komið með öllu. Some have thought that this refers to mythical (Eddic) poetry, but without reason and against the literal sense of the passage; the heathen heroic poems were certainly never used to accompany a dance; their flow and metre are a sufficient proof of that. In the Sturl. (Hist. of the 12th and 13th century) dancing is mentioned over and over again; and danz is used of popular ballads or songs of a satirical character (as those in Percy’s ballads): flimt ( loose song) and danz are synonymous words; the Sturl. has by chance preserved two ditties (one of A. D. 1221, running thus—Loptr liggr í Eyjum, bítr lunda bein | Sæmundr er á heiðum, etr berin ein. Sturl. ii. 62, and one referring to the year 1264—Mínar eru sorgirnar þungar sem blý, Sturl. iii. 317) sufficient to shew the flow and metre, which are exactly the same as those of the mod. ballads, collected in the west of Icel. (Ögr) in the 17th century under the name of Fornkvæði, Old Songs, and now edited by Jon Sigurdsson and Svend Grundtvig. Danz and Fornkvæði are both of the same kind, and also identical with Engl. ballads, Dan. kæmpeviser. There are passages in Sturl. and B.S. referring to this subject — færðu Breiðbælingar Lopt í flimtun ok görðu um hann danza marga, ok margskonar spott annat, Sturl. ii. 57, cp. 62; Danza-Bergr, the nickname of a man (Stud, ii), prob. for composing comic songs; danza-görð, composing comic songs; fylgðar-menn Kolbeins fóru með danza-görð, … en er Brandr varð varr við flimtan þeirra, iii. 80; þá hrökti Þórðr hestinn undir sér, ok kvað danz þenna við raust, 317.

β. a wake, Arna S. ch. 2; in Sturl. i. 23; at the banquet in Reykhólar, 1119, the guests amused themselves by dancing, wrestling, and story-telling; þá var sleginn danz í stofu, ii. 117; í Viðvík var gleði mikil ok gott at vera; þat var einn Drottins dag at þar var danz mikill; kom þar til fjöldi manna; ok ríðr hann í Viðvík til danz, ok var þar at leik; ok dáðu menn mjök danz hans, iii. 258, 259; honum var kostr á boðinn hvat til gamans skyldi hafa, sögur eða danz um kveldit, 281;—the last reference refers to the 21st of January, 1258, which fell on a Sunday (or wake-day): in ballads and tales of the Middle Ages the word is freq.:—note the allit. phrase, dansinn dunar, Ísl. Þóðs. ii. 8: the phrases, stiga danz; ganga í danz; brúðir í danz, dansinn heyra; dans vill hun heyra, Fkv. ii. 7. Many of the burdens to the mod. Icel. ballads are of great beauty, and no doubt many centuries older than the ballads to which they are affixed; they refer to lost love, melancholy, merriment, etc., e. g. Blítt lætur veröldin, fölnar fögr fold | langt er síðan mitt var yndið lagt í mold, i. 74; Út ert þú við æginn blá, eg er hér á Dröngum, | kalla eg löngum, kalla eg til þin löngum; Skín á skildi Sól og sumarið fríða, | dynur í velli er drengir í burtu riða, 110; Ungan leit eg hofmann í fögrum runni, | skal eg í hljóði dilla þeim mér unm; Austan blakar laufið á þann linda, 129; Fagrar heyrða eg raddirnar við Niflunga heim; Fagrt syngr svanrinn um sumarlanga tíð, | þá mun list að leika sér mín liljan fríð, ii. 52: Einum unna eg manninum, á meðan það var, | þó hlaut eg minn harm að bera í leyndum stað, 94; Svanrinn víða. svanurinn syngr viða, 22; Utan eptir firðinum, sigla fagrar fleyr | sá er enginn glaður eptir annan þreyr, 110; Svo er mér illt og angrsamt því veldur þú, | mig langar ekki í lundinn með þá jungfrú, Espol. Ann. 1549. The earliest ballads seem to have been devoted to these subjects only; of the two earliest specimens quoted in the Sturl. (above), one is satirical, the other melancholy; the historical ballads seem to be of later growth: the bishops discountenanced the wakes and dancing (Bs. l. c., Sturl. iii), but in vain: and no more telling proof can be given of the drooping spirits of Icel. in the last century, than that dancing and wakes ceased, after having been a popular amusement for seven hundred years. Eggert Olafsson in his poems still speaks of wakes, as an eyewitness; in the west of Icel. (Vestfirðir) they lasted longer, but even there they died out about the time that Percy’s ballads were published in England. The Fornkvæði or songs are the only Icel. poetry which often dispenses with the law of alliteration, which in other cases is the light and life of Icel. poetry; vide also hofmaðr, viki-vakar, etc. In the 15th century the rímur (metrical paraphrases of romances) were used as an accompaniment to the danz, höldar danza harla snart, ef heyrist vísan mín; hence originates the name man-söngr ( maid-song), minne-sang, which forms the introduction to every ríma or rhapsody; the metre and time of the rímur are exactly those of ballads and well suited for dancing. An Icel. MS. of the 17th century, containing about seventy Icel. Fornkvæði, is in the Brit. Mus. no. 11,177; and another MS., containing about twenty such songs, is in the Bodl. Libr. no. 130.

1) before, sooner; því betr þykki mér er vér skiljum f., the sooner we part the better; svá sem f. sögðum vér, as we said before; f. en, before (conj.), sooner than;

2) rather.

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compar. adv. sooner; FYRST, superl. first, soonest: [cp. Goth. faurþis = πρωτον, πρότερον, and faurþizei = πρίν; Engl. for-mer; Swed.-Dan. för, först; Lat. prius.]

I. compar. sooner, before; því betr þykki mér er vér skiljum fyrr, the sooner we part the better, Fas. ii. 535; at vér bræðr myndim þetta fyrr gört hafa, Nj. 61; veitti Eirekr fyrr, Landn. 216: fyrr enn, before that, Lat. priusquam, enginn veit sína æfina fyrr en öll er (a saying); fyrr enn ek hefir eignask allan Noreg, Fms. i. 3, Nj. 5, Stj. 135, Ld. 176.

2. before; ekki hefi ek þar fyrr verit, er …, Eb. 224; sem engi veit fyrr gört hafa verit, K. Á. 28; svá sem fyrr sögðum vér, Fms. x. 366.

II. superl. first; fyrst sinna kynsmanna, Ld. 162; þá sök fyrst er fyrst er fram sögð, Grág. i. 79; sá fyrst ( first) er hánum var first ( last) boðit, N. G. L. i. 14: first, in the beginning, foremost, opp. to síðarr or síðast, Eirekr veitti fyrst vel ok ríkmannliga en Hallsteinn síðarr, Landn. 216, v. l.; gékk Hrútr fyrst, foremost, Nj. 6; hreppsóknar-menn eru fyrst aðiljar at þessum sökum, Grág. i. 295; at eigi sé fyrst ( for a while) samlendir, Ísl. ii. 386.

β. sem fyrst, as soon as possible, Nj. 4, Eg. 602.

2. for that, because, as, very freq. in mod. usage, but hardly ever found in old writers; and the following passages—fyrst þín bón kemr þar til, Bárð. 171; fyrst hestunum mátti eigi við koma, Sturl. i. 19; fyrst hón er karls dóttir, Fas. i. 22—are all taken from paper MSS.; Bárð. new Ed. 20 has ‘síðan þú leggr þat til,’ and Sturl. MS. Brit. Mus. the proper word ‘er.’

III. as imitations of Latin supradictus or praedictns are the following—á fyrr-greindum árum (jörðum), aforesaid, Vm. 44, Dipl. ii. 4; fyrr nefndr, afore-named, Stj., Bs. passim, but never in old vernacular writings. fyrr-meir, adv. ‘fore-more,’ i. e. formerly, in former times, Ísl. ii. 365, Finnb. 212, Lv. 64, H. E. i. 434.

(pl. -ir), m. lemming.

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m., pl. ir, [Ivar Aascn lemende and lomhund; Swed. lemmel]:—the mus lemmus, lemmer; kvikendi þau er locustae heita ok sumir kalla lómundi, Pr. 436, (the Icel. writer has here confounded the lemmer with the locust.)

m. [A. S. mâse; Engl. tit-‘mouse’ (a different word from mouse, Icel. mús); O. H. G. meisa; Germ. meise; Ivar Aasen meis]:—a titmouse, Lat. parus. Edda (Gl.)

u, f. [Swed. mört = cyprinus rutilus, see Ivar Aasen], a kind of small trout, as also of any small fish; steldú ekki murtu mús, Snót 268; silungs-m., fisk-m.; the word seems to occur in Eyvind’s verse Hkr. i. 185, vita ef murtur (not murur or mútur) verði falar vinum mínum, for the poet was going to purchase a herring: hence murtr, m. and murti, a, m. a nickname = a little fellow, Sturl., Orkn.

n. the name of an abode of fire; in the old mythology peopled by Múspells lýðir, the men of Muspell, a host of fiends, who are to appear at Ragnarok and destroy the world by fire; the prose in Edda 3 may have been derived from some lost verses of the Völuspá, for the name appears at the end of that poem (Vsp. 51) as if it were already known; it occurs nowhere else in the Norse mythical songs, except in Ls. 42 (múspells-megir). Múspells-heimr, the abode of Muspell, Edda 4. This interesting word was not confined to the Norse mythology, but appears twice in the old Saxon poem Heliand—mutspelli cumit on thiustra naht, also thiof ferit, m. comes in dusky night, as a thief fares, i. e. but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, 2 Pet. iii. 10; and, mutspellis megin obar man ferit, the main of m. fares over men, see Schmeller’s Edition; a third instance is in an Old High German poem on the Last Day—dâr ni mac denne mac andremo helfan vora demo muspille = there no man can help another against the muspell-doom. In these instances muspell therefore stands for the day of judgment, the last day, and answers to Ragnarok of the Northern mythology. The etymology is doubtful, for spell may be = the weird, doom, = Lat. Fatum; or it may be = spoil, destruction; the former part mut or muod is more difficult to explain. The Icel. mús is an assimilated form.

(acc. myrkan, -van, -jan), a.

1) dark, murky (um kveldit, er myrkt var); myrkt var af nótt, the night was dark; gørði-myrkt, it grew dark;

2) dark, obscure in meaning, hard to understand (myrkt þykki mér þat mælt at kalla skáldskap með þessum heitum).

n. darkness (m. var mikit).

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adj., myrk, myrkt, or myrt, Ó. H. 216; with a characteristic v before a vowel, myrkvan, myrkva, myrkvir; compar. myrkvari; superl. myrkvastr; later, as also in mod. usage, the v was dropped, which form occurs in later vellums of the 14th century, thus myrkar, Stj. 30; myrkari, Fms. vi. 229 (Hulda): j for v, myrkjar, Róm. 373: [A. S. myrc; Hel. mirki; Old Engl. and Scot. mirk; Engl. murky; Dan.-Swed. mörk]:—mirk, murky, dark; myrkvar grímr, Fas. i. 519 (in a verse); myrkvan veg, Rm. 34; inn myrkvan við, through the mirk-wood, Og. 25; myrkvan vafurloga, Skm. 8, 9; myrkt er úti, ’tis dark outside, Skm. 10; um kveldit er myrkt var orðit, Bs. i. 544; þeir biðu nætr, en er myrkt var, Eg. 80; myrkt var í stofunni, 215; görði myrt, Ó. H. 216; myrkt, 218; um kveldit er myrkt var, Hkr. i. 61; aldri varð svá myrkt af nótt, at eigi væri ærit ljóst þar er hann fór, Edda 70, Þiðr. 326; þá var sem myrkvast nætr, Fb. iii. 410, Fms. ix. 484; görði stundinn daginn svá myrkjan sem nótt væri, Róm. 373; of aptan er myrkt var, Ó. H. 139; í myrkri stofu, Bs. i. 508; myrk augu, dim eyes, Pr. 473: neut., gengu þeir þann dag allan til myrks, Edda 28: of colour, var vant kvígu þrévetrar myrkrar, hón hét Mús (but perh. read mýskrar or the like), Ísl. ii. 401.

II. metaph. dark, obscure, hard to read; myrkvar kenningar, Gd. 78; myrk orð, dark sayings, riddles; myrkr stafr, þat verðr mörgum manni at um myrkvan staf villisk, of spell Runes with hidden powers, Eg. (in a verse); þá mælti Ægir, myrkt þykki mér þat mælt, at kalla skáldskap þessum heitum, Edda 48; hér hefr upp ok segir frá því er flestum er myrkt, N. G. L. i. 184; bækr myrkvar ok úskiljanligar, Stj. 30; þat mun ek sýna jafnan at ek em eigi myrkr í skapi, Nj. 179; myrkari ok kaldari ráð, Fms. vi. 229.

III. local names, Myrk-á, Landn.; Myrk-viðr, Fms. xii, Gl.

f. little mouse.

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u, f. [mús; Germ. mäuslein], a little mouse, Fas. i. 55.

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(að), v. to saw, cut with a saw (krossinn var sagaðr í sundr).

(gen. sögu, pl. sögur), f.

1) what is said, statement (má vera, at sönn sé s. þín);

2) tale, story, history; segja, ríta sögu, to tell, write a story; hann kemr eigi við þessa sögu, he is not connected with this ‘saga’; vera ór sögunni, to be out of the story; vera í sögu, to be mentioned in a story; svá sem sögu, to be mentioned in a story; svá sem sögur eru til, as the story goes;

3) the events which gave rise to the story; hann var þá mjök hniginn á efra aldr, er sjá saga gørðist, when this came to pass;

4) tale, report (eigi veit ek um sögur slíkar, hvárt satt er).

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u, f., gen. sögu, pl. sögur; gen. pl. sagna is rare; and in compds the gen. sing. sögu- is preferred, thus sögu-bók, sögu-fróðr, where sögu-is used in a collective sense; when gen. sagna- is used it is often to be regarded as borrowed from sögn, as in sagna-fróðr, sagna-meistari; sagna from saga, however, occurs in dæmi-sagna, Stj. 560; Orkneyinga-sagna, Ó. H. 90, l. 3 from the bottom: [from segja; cp. Engl. saw; Germ. sage.]

B. A story, tale, legend, history. The very word owes its origin to the fact that the first historical writings were founded on tradition only; the written record was a ‘saga’ or legend committed to writing; the story thus written was not even new, but had already taken shape and had been told to many generations under the same name; hence the written history and the story told were both alike called Saga, just as in Gr. both were called λόγος (Herod, i. 184, ii. 161, vi. 19). In some instances when history is mentioned by name it is difficult to say whether a told or written Saga be meant; the former seems to be the case, esp.in the Landnáma—þar hefsk saga Harðar Grímkels-sonar ok Geirs, Landn. 62; þar görðisk saga þeirra Þorbjarnar ok Hávarðar ens halta, 127; Vé-björn var víga-maðr mikill, ok er saga mikil frá honum, 150; þar af görðisk saga Ísfirðinga ok víg Þorbjarnar, id.; þar af görðisk saga Böðmóðs gerpis ok Grímólfs, 157; þar af görðisk Svarfdæla saga, 208; þar af görðisk Þorskfirðinga saga, 124; ok þar var Þórðr gellir leiddr í áðr hann tók mannvirðing, sem segir í sögu hans, 111. Some of these Sagas were perhaps never committed to writing; others not till a later date, when the tradition had deteriorated; but they were told and known by name at the time when the Landn. was first composed, see Safn i. 191. Written Sagas, again, are those recorded in later works,—ok getr hans í Laxdæla sögu, Eb. 334; sem segir í sögu Laxdæla, Grett. 15; sem segir í Bandamanna sögu, 22;. vísar svá til í sögu Bjarnar, 132; sem segir í sögu Njarðvíkinga, Ld. 296; sem í sögu Þorgils Höllu-sonar segir, 290; sem segir í Eyrbyggja sögu, Landn. (Kb.) 90; sem segir í sögu Eireks, Fms. ii. 214; sem segir í Vápnfirðinga sögu, 239; sem segir í Njáls sögu, Þorst. Síðu H. 170; ok nokkut vísar til í enum efra hlut sögu Hróks ens svarta, Sturl. i. 3 (lost): sem segir í sögu Ragnars konungs, Fas. i. 346, cp. 510; sem segir í Skjöldunga sögu, Yngl. S. ch. 33; sem segir í sögu Sigurðar hrings, Fas. iii. 216; í Ólafs sögu Tryggva sonar, 237; sem segir í Konunga sögum, as is said in the Lives of the Kings, 509, Jómsv. (1824) 52; sem segir í Jarla sögum, as is said in the Lives of the Earls (of Orkney), Fb. ii. 347; sem ritað es í sögu hans, Landn. 41, Eg. 589; hann kemr ok við Heiðarvíga sögu, Eb. 334.

2. phrases, hér hefr or hér lýkr N. M. Sögu, see hefja and lúka; hann kemr eigi við þessa sögu, he touches not the saga, is not connected with it, Grett. 22; or kemr hann við margar sögur, Eb. 334; hann er ór sögunni, he is out of the story, Nj. 22, 29, passim; or N. M. kemr til sögunnar, comes into the story; nú víkr sögunni til …, now the tale turns, to …, Nj. 6; þat er löng saga at segja frá, it is a long tale to tell, Fms. xi. 89; lesa sögu, to read a story, x. 371; er engin saga af honum, no record of him, Grett.; skal við sögu súpa en eigi of mikit drekka, Str.; svá sem sögur eru til, as the story goes, Fms. i. 7: saga also includes the events which gave rise to the tale, hence the phrase, er saga þessi görðisk, when this tale came to pass, Fs. 3, and above. Classical passages referring to the Icel. Saga writings: þat var meirr en tvau hundruð vetra tólfræð er Ísland var byggt, áðr menn tæki hér sögur at rita, Ó. H. (pref.); flestar allar sögur, þær er görzt höfðu á Íslandi áðr Brandr biskup Sæmundarson andaðisk, vóru ritaðar, en þær sögur er síðan hafa görzt vóru lítt ritaðar, áðr Sturla skúld Þórðarson sagði fyrir Íslendinga sögur, Sturl. i. 107 (Arna-Magn. No. 122 B, whence Cod. Brit. Mus.) Story-telling was one of the entertainments at public meetings in Icel., at feasts, weddings, wakes; this was called sagna-skemtan, cp. the banquet of Reykhólar, A. D. 1119; hann sagði sögu Orms Barreyjar-skálds ok vísur margar, Sturl. i. 23; dansleikr, glímur sagna-skemtan, id.; honum var kostr á boðinn hvat til gamans skyldi hafa, sögur eða dans, um kveldit, iii. 281; such entertainments are mentioned even at the meetings of the Icel. alþing, as also at Yule time, see the interesting record of the Icel. story-teller in Harald S. harðr. ch. 99 (Fms. vi. 354–356), see also Sturl. iii. 304, 305, Fbr. (Fb. ii. 210); Íngimundr var fræði-maðr mikill, ok fór vel með sögur, Sturl. i. 9; þar vóru mjök töfl uppi höfð ok sagna-skemtan, Þorf. Karl. ch. 7; hálf-sögð er saga hver er aðrir einir segja, i. e. ‘audiatur et altera pars,’ Bs. i. 582, (mod., það er ekki nema hálfsögð saga ef einn segir.)

II. tales, reports; eigi veit ek um sögur slíkar hvárt satt er, Nj. 259; jarteinir hans urðu ágætar ok fór sagan fyrir í hvert þorp, Blas. 41; seg heill sögu! Fms. vi. 207; er yðr þá eigi segjandz-saga til, Ó. H. 206; það verðr að segja svá hverja sögu sem hún gengr, a saying, every saga must be told as it happened:—sönn saga, a true story; skrök-saga, lygisaga, a fable; dæmi-saga, a parable; álfa-sögur, trolla-sögur, galdra-sögur, útilegu-manna sögur.

COMPDS: sögubók, sögubrot, söguefni, söguligr, Söguljóð, sögumaðr, sögumeistari, sögusögn, söguþáttr.

f. scrip, bag.

(skrepp; skrapp, skruppum; skroppinn), v.

1) to slip; skruppu honum fœtr, his feet slipped;

2) to slip away, absent oneself, margir bœjarmenn skruppu inn í garða sína, skulked away into their homesteads.

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u, f. [Dan. skreppe; Engl. scrip], a scrip, bag, Stj. 464, 616, Fms. vi. 374, viii. 26, Barl. 104, Skíða R. (of the beggar’s skrip): allit., stafr ok s., of pilgrims; taka staf ok skreppu ok fara til Jórsala, H. E. i. 243, Fms. vi. 303, Fagrsk. 93, Karl. 467 (v. l.), Symb. 17: a mouse-trap, sem mús í skreppu, Fms. vii. 21.

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t, to twitter, of a small bird; to squeak, of a mouse; hestr, mús, titlingr … gneggjar, tístir, syngr, a ditty.