out of shape

(að), v. to work in wood or metals, to make, build, erect (s. skála, kirkju);

refl., smíðast, to proceed, take shape, in a smith’s hands (tók hann ok smíðaði, ok smíðaðist ekki sem hann vildi).

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að, [Dan. smede], to work in wood or metals; fara upp í smiðju ok s. þar, Ísl. ii. 315; auð smíðuðu, Vsp. 7; belti ok kníf… ek lét s. þessa gripi í Englandi, Fb. ii. 76; hagliga smíðað, Fms. vi. 217; konungs-garðrinn var þá eigi upp smíðaðr, ix. 338, Stj. 50; smíða skála, s. kirkju, Anal. 203; hann smíðaði himin ok jörð, Edda (pref.): mun ek yfir þann stein s. ( build) Kristni mína, 656 C. 3: metaph., smíða sér ráð, Fms. xi. 445.

II. reflex. to proceed, turn out, take shape, in a smith’s hands; þá tók hann ok smíðaði, ok smíðaðisk ekki sem hann vildi, hann mælti, aldri smíðaðisk mér svá fyrr, sagði hann, Gestrinn mælti, smíðaðu sem sjálft vill fara, Fms. ix. 55.

(bregð; brá, brugðum; brugðinn), v. with dat.

1) to cause to move (quickly);

bregða sverði, knífi, to draw a sword, knife;

bregða fingri, hendi í e-t, to put (thrust) the finger, hand, into;

hón brá hárinu undir belti sér, she put (fastened) her hair under her belt;

bregða kaðli um e-t, to pass a rope round a thing;

bregða augum sundr, to open the eyes;

bregða e-m á eintal, to take one apart;

bregða sér sjúkum, to feign illness;

2) to deviate from, disregard (vér höfum brugðit af ráðum þínum);

3) to alter, change;

bregða lit, litum, to change colour, to turn pale;

bregða e-m í e-s líki, to turn one (by spell) into another shape (þú brátt þér í merar líki);

4) to break up, leave off, give up;

bregða tjöldum, to strike the tents;

bregða samvist, to leave off living together;

bregða ráðahag, to break off an engagement (wedding);

bregða boði, to countermand a feast;

bregða sýslu, to leave off working;

bregða svefni, blundi, to awake;

bregða tali, to break off talking;

bregða orrustu, kaupi, to break off a battle, bargain;

5) to break (bregða trúnaði, heiti, sáttmáli);

6) bregða e-m e-u, to upbraid, reproach one with a thing (Kálfr brá mér því í dag);

7) with prepp.,

bregða e-m á loft, to lift one aloft;

bregða e-u á, to give out, pretend (hann brá á því, at hann mundi ríða vestr til Miðfjarðar);

absol., bregða á e-t, to begin (suddenly) doing a thing;

bregða á leik, to begin playing or sporting;

Kimbi brá á gaman, took it playfully, laughed at it;

þeir brugðu á glímu ok á glens, they started wrestling and playing;

hestrinn brá á leik, broke into play, ran away;

hönd bregðr á venju, is ready for its old work;

þá brá Ingimundr til útanferðar, I. started to go abroad;

bregða e-u undan, to put it out of the way, to hide it;

bregða upp hendi, höndum, to hold up the hand;

bregða e-u við, to ward off with (bregða við skildi); fig. to put forth as an example, to praise, wonder at (þínum drengskap skal ek við bregða);

absol., bregða við, to start off, set about a thing without delay;

brá hann við skjótt ok fór, he started off at once and went;

8) refl., bregðast;

9) impers., e-u bregðr, it ceases, fails;

svá hart, at nyt bregði (to drive the ewes) so fast that they fail to give milk;

veðráttu brá eigi, there was no change in the weather;

of a sudden appearance, kláða brá á hvarmana, the eye-lids began to itch;

þá brá ljóma af Logafjöllum, then from L. there burst flashes of light;

ljósi bregðr fyrir, a light passes before the eye;

with preps., bregðr af vexti hans frá öðrum selum, his shape differs from that of other seals;

e-m bregðr í brún, one is amazed, startled (nú bregðr mönnum í brún mjök);

e-m bregðr til e-s, one person takes after, resembles another;

en því bregðr mér til foreldris míns, in that I am like my father;

þat er mælt, at fjórðungi bregði til fóstrs, the fostering makes the fourth part of a man;

e-m bregðr við e-t = e-m bregðr í brún;

brá þeim mjök við, er þeir sá hann inn ganga, it startled them much when they saw him come in;

en þó brá fóstru Melkorku mest við þessi tíðindi, this news most affected M.’s nurse.

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pret. sing. brá, 2nd pers. brátt, later brást; pl. brugðu, sup. brugðit; pres. bregð; pret. subj. brygði: reflex, (sk, z, st), pret. brásk, bráz, or brást, pl. brugðusk, etc.: poët. with the neg. suff. brá-at, brásk-at, Orkn. 78, Fms. vi. 51.

A. ACT. WITH DAT.

I. [A. S. bregdan, brædan; Old Engl. and Scot. to brade or braid; cp. bragð throughout]:—to move swiftly:

1. of a weapon, to draw, brandish; b. sverði, to draw the sword, Gísl. 55, Nj. 28, Ld. 222, Korm. 82 sqq., Fms. i. 44, ii. 306, vi. 313, Eg. 306, 505; sverð brugðit, a drawn sword, 746; cp. the alliterative phrase in Old Engl. Ballads, ‘the bright browne (= brugðinn) sword:’ absol., bregð (imperat.), Korm. l. c.: b. knífi, to slash with a knife, Am. 59; b. flötu sverði, to turn it round in the band, Fms. vii. 157; saxi, Bs. i. 629: even of a thrust, b. spjóti, Glúm. 344.

2. of the limbs or parts of the body, to move quickly; b. hendi, fingri, K. Þ. K. 10, Fms. vi. 122; b. augum sundr, to open the eyes, iii. 57, cp. ‘he bradde open his eyen two,’ Engl. Ballads; b. fótum, Nj. 253; b. fæti, in wrestling; b. grönum, to draw up the lips, 199, Fms. v. 220.

3. of other objects; b. skipi, to turn the ship (rare), Fms. viii. 145, Eb. 324; b. e-m á eintal, einmæli, to take one apart, Fms. vi. 11, Ölk. 35; b. sér sjúkum, to feign sickness, Fagrsk. ch. 51; bregða sér in mod. usage means to make a short visit, go or come for a moment; eg brá mér snöggvast til …, etc.

4. adding prepp.; b. upp; b. upp hendi, höndum, to hold up the hand, Fms. i. 167; b. upp glófa, 206, Eb. 326: b. e-m á lopt, to lift aloft, Eg. 122, Nj. 108; b. e-u undan, to put a thing out of the way, to hide it, Fas. i. 6; undir, Sturl. ii. 221, Ld. 222, Eb. 230: b. e-u við (b. við skildi), to ward off with …, Vápn. 5; but chiefly metaph. to put forth as an example, to laud, wonder at, etc.; þínum drengskap skal ek við b., Nj. 18; þessum mun ek við b. Áslaugar órunum, Fas. i. 257; nú mun ek því við b. ( I will speak loud), at ek hefi eigi fyr náð við þik at tala, Lv. 53: b. e-u á, to give out, pretend; hann brá á því at hann mundi ríða vestr til Miðfjarðar, Sturl. iii. 197, Fms. viii. 59, x. 322. β. to deviate from, disregard; vér höfum brugðit af ráðum þínum, Fær. 50, Nj. 13, 109, Ísl. ii. 198, Grág. i. 359; b. af marki, to alter the mark, 397.

5. to turn, alter, change; b. lit, litum, to change colour, to turn pale, etc., Fms. ii. 7, Vígl. 24; b. sér við e-t, to alter one’s mien, shew signs of pain, emotion, or the like, Nj. 116; b. e-m í (or b. á sik) e-s líki, to turn one (by spell) into another shape, Bret. 13; at þú brátt þér í merar líki, Ölk. 37; hann brá á sik ýmissa dýra líki, Edda (pref.) 149.

II. to break up or off, leave off, give up; b. búi, to give up one’s household, Grág. i. 153, Eg. 116, 704; b. tjöldum, to break up, strike the tents, Fms. iv. 302; b. samvist, to part, leave off living together, ii. 295; b. ráðahag, to break off an engagement, esp. wedding, 11; b. boði, to countermand a feast, 194; b. kaupi, to break off a bargain, Nj. 51, Rd. 251; b. sýslu, to leave off working, Fms. vi. 349; b. svefni, blundi, to awake, Sdm. 2; smátt bregðr slíkt svefni mínum, Lv. 53; b. tali, to break off talking, Vápn. 22; b. orustu, to break off the battle, Bret.: esp. freq. in poetry, b. hungri, föstu, sulti, to break or quell the hunger (of the wolf); b. gleði; b. lífi, fjörvi, to put to death, etc., Lex. Poët.

2. to break faith, promise, or the like; b. máli, Grág. i. 148; trúnaði, Nj. 141; brugðið var öllu sáttmáli, Hkr. ii. 121; b. heiti, Alvm. 3: absol., ef bóandi bregðr við griðmann ( breaks a bargain), Grág. i. 153.

3. reflex., bregðask e-m (or absol.), to deceive, fail, in faith or friendship; Gunnarr kvaðsk aldri skyldu b. Njáli né sonum hans, Nj. 57; bregðsk þú oss nú eigi, do not deceive us, Fms. vi. 17; vant er þó at vita hverir mér eru trúir ef feðrnir b., ii. 11; en þeim brásk framhlaupit, i. e. they failed in the onslaught, vii. 298; þat mun eigi bregðask, that cannot fail, Fas. ii. 526, Rb. 50; fáir munu þeir, at einörð sinni haldi, er slíkir brugðusk við oss, Fms. v. 36, Grett. 26 new Ed.

III. [A. S. brædan, to braid, braider], to ‘braid,’ knot, bind, the band, string being in dat.; hann bregðr í fiskinn öðrum enda, he braided the one end in the fish, Finnb. 220; hón brá hárinu undir belli sér, she braided her hair under her belt; (hann) brá ( untied) brókabelti sínu, Fas. i. 47; er þeir höfðu brugðið kaðli um, wound a cable round it, Fms. x. 53; hefir strengrinn brugðizk líttat af fótum honum, the rope had loosened off his feet, xi. 152: but also simply and with acc., b. bragð, to braid a braid, knit a knot, Eg. (in a verse); b. ráð, to weave a plot, (cp. Gr. ράπτειν, Lat. suere), Edda (in a verse); in the proper sense flétta and ríða, q. v., are more usual.

2. in wrestling; b. e-m, the antagonist in dat., the trick in acc., b. e-m bragð (hæl-krók, sveiflu, etc.)

3. recipr., of mutual strife; bregðask brögðum, to play one another tricks; b. brigzlum, to scold one another, Grág. ii. 146; b. frumhlaupum, of mutual aggression, 13, 48; bregðask um e-t, to contest a thing, 66, cp. i. 34.

4. part., brugðinn við e-t, acquainted with a thing; munuð þit brátt brugðnir við meira, i. e. you will soon have greater matters to deal with, Fs. 84; hann er við hvárttveggja b., he is well versed in both, Gísl. 51.

IV. metaph. to upbraid, blame, with dat. of the person and thing; fár bregðr hinu betra, ef hann veit hit verra (a proverb), Nj. 227; Þórðr blígr brá honum því ( Thord threw it in his face), á Þórsnesþingi, at …, Landn. 101; Kálfr brá mér því í dag, Fms. vi. 105; b. e-m brizglum, Nj. 227.

B. NEUT. OR ABSOL. without a case, of swift, sudden motion.

I. b. á e-t, as, b. á leik, gaman, etc., to start or begin sporting, playing; Kimbi brá á gaman, K. took it playfully, i. e. laughed at it, Landn. 101; b. á gamanmál, Fms. xi. 151; þeir brugðu á glímu ok á glens, they started wrestling and playing, Ld. 220; bregðr hann (viz. the horse) á leik, the horse broke into play, ran away, Fms. xi. 280; Glúmr svaraði vel en brá þó á sitt ráð, Glum gave a gentle answer, but went on in his own way, Nj. 26, Fas. i. 250: the phrase, hönd bregðr á venju, the hand is ready for its old work, Edda (Ht.) verse 26, cp. Nj. ch. 78 (in a verse).

2. b. við, to start off, set about a thing without delay, at a moment’s notice, may in Engl. often be rendered by at once or the like; brá hann við skjótt ok fór, he started off at once and went, Fms. i. 158; þeir brugðu við skjótt, ok varð þeim mjök við felmt, i. e. they took to their heels in a great fright, Nj. 105; þeir brugðu við skjótt, ok fara þaðan, 107; bregðr hon við ok hleypr, Grett. 25 new Ed., Bjarn. 60; hrossit bregðr nú við hart, id.; en er Ólafr spurði, at Þorsteinn hafði skjótt við brugðit, ok hafði mikit fjölmenni, Ld. 228.

β. b. til e-s, þá brá Ingimundr til utanferðar, Ingimund started to go abroad, Sturl. i. 117; b. til Grænlands ferðar, Fb. i. 430.

II. reflex, to make a sudden motion with the body; Rútr brásk skjótt við undan högginu, Nj. 28, 129; b. við fast, to turn sharply, 58, 97; bregðsk (= bregðr) jarl nú við skjótt ok ferr, the earl started at once, Fms. xi. 11; hann brásk aldregi við ( he remained motionless) er þeir píndu hann, heldr en þeir lysti á stokk eðr stein, vii. 227.

2. metaph. and of a circumlocutory character; eigi þætti mér ráðið, hvárt ek munda svá skjótt á boð brugðisk hafa, ef …, I am not sure whether I should have been so hasty in bidding you, if …, Ísl. ii. 156; bregðask á beina við e-n, to shew hospitality towards, Fms. viii. 59, cp. bregða sér above.

β. b. yfir, to exceed; heyra þeir svá mikinn gný at yfir brásk, they heard an awful crash, Mag. 6; þá brásk þat þó yfir jafnan ( it surpassed) er konungr talaði, Fms. x. 322, yet these last two instances may be better read ‘barst,’ vide bera C. IV; bregðask úkunnr, reiðr … við e-t, to be startled at the novelty of a thing, v. 258; b. reiðr við, to get excited, angry at a thing, etc.

C. IMPERS.

I. the phrase, e-m bregðr við e-t, of strong emotions, fear, anger, or the like; brá þeim mjök við, er þau sá hann inn ganga, it startled them much, when they saw him come in, Nj. 68; Flosa brá svá við, at hann var í andliti stundum sem blóð, 177; en þó brá fóstru Melkorku mest við þessi tíðindi, i. e. this news most affected Melkorka’s nurse, Ld. 82; aldri hefi ek mannsblóð séð, ok veit ek eigi hve mér bregðr við, I wot not how it will touch me, Nj. 59; brá honum svá við, at hann gerði fölvan í andliti … ok þann veg brá honum opt síðan ( he was oft since then taken in such fits), þá er vígahugr var á honum, Glúm. 342; en við höggit brá Glæsi svá at …, Eb. 324; Þorkell spurði ef honum hefði brugðit nokkut við þessa sýslu.—Ekki sjám vér þér brugðit hafa við þetta, en þó sýndist mér þér áðr brugðit, Fms. xi. 148.

β. bregða í brún, to be amazed, shocked, Fms. i. 214; þá brá Guðrúnu mjök í brún um atburð þenna allan saman, Ld. 326, Nj. 14; þat hlægir mik at þeim mun í brún b., 239; nú bregðr mönnum í brún mjök ( people were very much startled), því at margir höfðu áðr enga frétt af haft, Band. 7.

II. with prepp. við, til, í, af; of appearances, kynligu, undarliga bregðr við, it has a weird look, looks uncanny, of visions, dreams, or the like; en þó bregðr nú kynligu við, undan þykir mér nú gaflaðit hvárt-tveggja undan húsinu, Ísl. ii. 352, Nj. 62, 197, Gísl. 83; nú bregðr undrum við, id., Fms. i. 292.

III. e-m bregðr til e-s, one person turns out like another, cp. the Danish ‘at slægte en paa;’ þat er mælt at fjórðungi bregði til fóstrs, the fostering makes the fourth part of the man, Nj. 64; en því bregðr mér til foreldris míns, in that I am like my father, Hkr. iii. 223; er þat líkast, at þér bregði meir í þræla ættina en Þveræinga, it is too likely, that thou wilt show thyself rather to be kith and kin to the thrall’s house than to that of Thweræingar, Fb. i. 434; b. til bernsku, to be childish, Al. 3.

β. bregðr af vexti hans frá öðrum selum, his shape differs from that of any other seals, Sks. 41 new Ed. (afbrigði).

IV. to cease; e-u bregðr, it ceases; svá hart … at nyt (dat.) bregði, ( to drive the ewes) so fast that they fail ( to give milk), Grág. ii. 231; þessu tali bregðr aldri (= þetta tal bregzk aldri), this calculation can never fail, Rb. 536; veðráttu (dat.) brá eigi, there was no change in the weather, Grett. 91; skini sólar brá, the sun grew dim, Geisü 19; fjörvi feigra brá, the life of the ‘feys’ came to an end (poët.), Fms. vi. 316 (in a verse); brá föstu, hungri, úlfs, ara, the hunger of wolf and eagle was abated, is a freq. phrase with the poets.

V. of a sudden appearance; kláða (dat.) brá á hvarmana, the eye-lids itched, Fms. v. 96: of light passing swiftly by, þá brá ljóma af Logafjöllum, Hkv. 1. 15; ljósi bregðr fyrir, a light passes before the eye; mey brá mér fyrir hvarma steina, a maid passed before my eyes, Snót 117; þar við ugg (dat.) at þrjótum brá, i. e. the rogues were taken by fear, 170.

(að; pret. also skóp), v.

1) to shape, form, mould, make (ór Ymis holdi var jörð sköpuð); to create (guð, er mik skóp); s. skegg, to trim the beard; s. skeið, to take a run (þetta dýr skapaði skeið at oss); s. ok skera e-t, or um e-t, to decide, settle (ek skal einn skera ok s. okkar á milli);

2) to assign as one’s fate or destiny (ek skapa honum þat, at hann skal eigi lifa lengr en kerti þat brenner); s. e-m aldr, to fashion one’s future life; syni þínum verðr-a sæla sköpuð, bliss is not fated to thy son;

3) to fix, appoint (haf þá eina fémuni, er ek skapa þér); s. e-m víti, to impose a fine or penalty; at sköpuðu, in the order of nature, according to the course of nature (væri þat at sköpuðu fyrir aldrs sakir, at þú lifðir lengr okkar); láta skeika at sköpuðu, to let things go their own course (according to fate); láta skapat skera, to let fate decide;

4) refl., skapast, to take shape; freista, hvé þá skapist, try how things will go then; Ámundi kvað jarl úáhlýðinn ok mun lítt at s., A. said the earl was self-willed, and little will come of it.

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the forms of this word vary much; there was a strong form, skapa, skóp, but defective, for only the pret. (skóp, skópu) remains; the other tenses follow the weak form skapa, að (of the first weak conjugation), which is freq. in old writers, while it is the only form in mod. usage.

2. there are also remains of another weak verb, skepja (answering to Goth. skapjan), to which belong the pret. skapði, part. skapið, skaptr; the infin. skepja, however, only occurs in a few instances, Kormak, D. I. i. 243. l. 31 (H. E. iv. 154), Bs. i. 734; as also the pres. part. skepjandi (in ein-skepjandi): [Ulf. skapjan = κτίζειν; A. S. and Hel. scapan; Engl. shape; O. H. G. skafan; Germ schaffen; Dan. skabe.]

B. To shape, form, mould, which is the original sense; takit einn trédrumb, ok skapit þar af líkneskjur, Barl. 165: the saying, engi skapar sik sjálfr, Grett. 103 new Ed.; á hverfanda hveli vóru þeim hjörtu sköpuð, Hm. 83; Skíðblaðni að skapa, to shape (build) the ship S., Gm. 43; skepja skil, to shape one’s words, Korm. 164 (in a verse).

2. to make; ór Ýmis holdi var jörð um sköpuð, Vþm. 21; áðr væri jörð sköpuð, 29: to create, Guð skóp allar skepnur senn, Rb. 78; Guðs er mik skóp, Fms. i. 3; með þeim hætti er Kristr hefir skapat, iv. 175; sá maðr er Guð skapði fyrstan í heim þenna, Hom. (St.); mörgum þeim hlutum er skapara-spekðin skapði, 677. 2; í upp-hafi skapaði Guð himin og jörð, Gen. i. 1, passim.

3. to shape for one, assign as one’s fate or destiny, as denoting also what is natural or inborn; ek skapa honum þat, at hann skal eigi lifa lengr en kerti þat brennr, er upp er tendrat hjá sveininum, Fas. i. 341; s. e-m aldr, to shape one’s future life, of the weird-sisters; Nornir kómu þær er öðlingi aldr um skópu, Hkv. 1. 2; at eigi skapi Hallgerðr þér aldr (ironic.), Nj. 57; einu sinni var mér aldr skapaðr ok allt líf um lagit, Skm. 13; skapa e-m kaldan aldr, to ‘shape one a cold age,’ i. e. to make life sad, Korm.; var þér þat skapat, at…, Hkv. 2. 26; af þeim væri þat skapað, if that was fated to them, Grág. i. 368; syni þínum verðra sæla sköpuð, bliss is not fated to thy son, Skv. 2. 6; mun engi renna undan því sem honum er skapat, Grett. 159 new Ed.; mér var skapat at eiga hana, Bjarn. (in a verse); láta skapað skera, let doom decide, Fms. viii. 88; láta skeika at sköpuðu, to let things go their own course, ii. 112; vera at sköpuðu, to be according to the course of nature, Eg. 82; mun þat svá fara sem minnr er at sköpuðu, Sturl. iii. 7 (sköp).

4. to appoint, fix; at Þórólfr hafði sjálfr sér þar laun fyrir skapit, Th. had taken the reward himself, Eg. 65 A; ok þar sinn hag eptir skapa, Hom. 68: s. e-m víti, to impose a fine or penalty; sklít víti á honum at s. fyrir þat á sitt hóf sem karlmanni, ef…, Ld. 136; ok væri henni sjálf-skapat víti, self-injlicted punishment, 140; s. honum fimmtar-grið af því þingi ór landeign konungs várs, N. G. L. i. 13; þá skal s. þeim leiðar-lengd, 32; skapði hón svá skæru, Am. 48; þá eina fjár-muni er ek skapa þér, which I grant thee, Hrafn. 21; skapa sinn hug eptir e-u, Hom.; segja svá skapaða sök fram, Grág. i. 39, Nj. 110; berum vér svá skapaðan níu búa kvið, 238.

5. to shape, trim, the beard, hair; var skegg skapat, Rm. 15; breiðleitr ok vel farit andlitinu, optast skapat skegg, Fms. viii. 447; bandingjar ok útlagar láta ekki hár sitt skapa ok skera, Stj. 202; Cato skar aldrei hár sitt né skapaði skegg, Róm. 190; með saurgum búnaði ok ú-skapaðu skeggi, Stj. 538.

6. special phrases; skapa skeið, prop. to ‘shape a race,’ take a run; þetta dýr skapaði skeið at oss, Al. 169; Jökull skapar at skeið, Fs. 51 (see v. l., so undoubtedly the vellum Vh., not skopa); skjaldmærin skapaði skeið, ok ætlaði at hlaupa eptir honum, en er hón kom á bakkann varð henni bilt, Fas. ii. 553; whence in later vellums and in mod. usage, skopa skeið, 283 (l. c.), Gísl. 69.

II. reflex. to take shape, grow; þá mátti hann eigi skilja né skapask til trúar, 655 ix. B. 1; svá skapaðisk ok Kristnin ór síðu ens krossfesta Krists, 656 C. 25; freista, hve þá skapisk, how things will shape themselves, Fms. viii. 421; vildi Þórgautr þá fara aptr, þótti ekki at skapask, iv. 112; Ámundi kvað jarl ú-áhlýðinn ok mun lítið at skapask, little will come out of it, Orkn. 40; hafði mjök skapask um bygðir, Sd. 138; at nú skyli nokkut skapask at með oss, Fms. ix. 509; ef nokkut má at skapask, if any opportunity should arise, Eb. 186.

(-s, -ir), m.

1) skin, slough; hleypa hömum, to cast the slough (of snakes);

2) shape, form; skipta hömum, to change one’s shape.

* * *

m., pl. hamir, dat. hami, Vsp. 36, but ham, Höfuðl. (where ham, gram, and fram form a rhyme), as also Haustl. 2, Hkr. i. 228, all of them poems of the 10th century; [A. S. hama, homa; Hel. hamo; O. H. G. hemedi, whence mod. Germ. hemd; Dan. ham; akin to hamr is Ital. camisa, Fr. chemise, with a final s answering to hams below]:—a skin, esp. the skin of birds flayed off with feathers and wings; álptar-hamr, a swan’s skin; fugls-hamr, a bird’s skin; arnar-hamr, an eagle’s skin; gásar-hamr, a goose’s skin, etc.; hams, q. v., of snakes: ham bera svanir hvítfjaðraðan (of a swan’s skin), Fas. i. 471 (in a verse); hleypa hömum (of snakes), to cast the slough, Konr. 34; hlátra hamr, poët. laughter’s cover, the breast, Höfuðl. 19.

II. shape, esp. in a mythol. sense, connected with the phrase, skipta hömum, to change the shape, described in Yngl. S. ch. 7, Völs. S. ch. 7, 8, and passim; cp. also the deriv. ein-hamr, ham-farir, ham-ramr, ham-stola, hamingja, hamask, etc.,—an old and widespread superstition found in the popular lore and fairy tales of almost every country;—Óðinn skipti hömum, lá þá búkrinn sem sofinn eðr dauðr, en hann var þá fugl eða dýr, fiskr eða ormr, ok fór á einni svipstund á fjarlæg lönd, Yngl. S. l. c., Fas. i. 128 (Völs. S. l. c.); it is described in Völs. S. ch. 8,—þeir hafa orðit fyrir úsköpum, því at úlfa-hamir ( wolf-coats) héngu yfir þeim; it tíunda hvert dægr máttu þeir komask ór hömunum, etc.; þeir fundu konur þrjár ok spunnu lín, þar vóru hjá þeim álptar-hamir þeirra, Sæm. 88 (prose to Vkv.); fjölkyngis-kona var þar komin í álptar-ham, Fas. i. 373, cp. Helr. 6; víxla hömum, to change skins, assume one another’s shape, Skv. 1. 42; Úlf-hamr, Wolf-skin, the nickname of a mythol. king, Hervar. S., prob. from being hamramr; manns-hamr, the human skin, Str. 31; hugða ek at væri hamr Atla, methought it was the form or ghost of Atli, Am. 19; jötunn í arnar-ham, a giant in an eagle’s skin, Vþm. 37, Edda; í gemlis-ham, id., Haustl.; fjaðr-hamr, Þkv.; í faxa-ham, in a horse’s skin, Hkr. i. (in a verse); í trölls-hami, in an ogre’s skin, Vsp. 36; vals-hamr, a falcon’s skin, Edda (of the goddess Freyja): it remains in mod. usage in metaph. phrases, að vera í góðum, íllum, vondum, ham, to be in a good, bad, dismal frame of mind or mood; vera í sínum rétta ham, to be in one’s own good frame of mind; færast í annan ham, to enter into another frame of mind: in western Icel. an angry, ill-tempered woman is called hamr, hún er mesti hamr (= vargr): hams-lauss, adj. distempered, furious, esp. used in Icel. of a person out of his mind from restlessness or passion, the metaphor from one who cannot recover his own skin, and roves restlessly in search of it, vide Ísl. Þjóðs. passim.

COMPDS: hamdökkr, hamfagr, hamljótr, hamvátr, Hamðir.

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(að), v.

1) to shape, form; m. e-t eptir e-u, to shape after, imitate;

2) to aim, point = munda; m. til e-s, to hint at (ekki þarf hér at m. til þess, er oss er í hug).

* * *

d, [mundr; Germ. münden = discharge], to weigh, measure, of the mundr, q. v.; gripir metnir ok myndir í hendr þeim er konu fær, N. G. L. i. 230; mynda skal meyjar-fé allt, ok koma eyrir eyri í gegn, 29; for in the mundmál (q. v.) the mundr was to be set off or balanced against the damsel’s dowry.

að, to shape, form, Hom. 130; mynda e-t eptir e-n, to shape after, imitate, Hom. (St.): to shape, form, vér höfum mælt ok myndat vegginn, Fms. xi. 432, freq. in mod. usage.

II. = munda; ekki þarf hér at mynda til þess sem oss er í hug, ’tis no use to hint at it, i. e. let us speak it out at once, Nj. 224.

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(sker; skar, skárum; skorinn), v.

1) to cut (þeir skáru böndin);

skera e-n á háls, to cut one’s throat (Karkr þræll skar hann á háls);

skera út ór, to cut right through;

2) to slaughter (skera sauði, kálf, kið, dilk, geldinga);

3) to shape, cut (hann skar hár hans ok negl);

4) to cut, mow, reap (skera akr);

5) to carve, cut out (á brúðum stólsins var skorinn Þórr, ok var þat líkneski mikit);

6) skera e-m höfuð, to make faces at one;

skapa ok skera, to have all the say in a matter;

láta skapat skera, to let fate decide;

7) with preps. and advs.:

skera e-t af, to cut off;

skera af manni, to be reserved or reticent;

skera lítt af manni, to speak one’s mind;

skera niðr kvikfé, to slaughter the live stock (for want of fodder);

skera ór e-u, to decide, settle (skera ór vanda-málum);

nú er þat vili várr, at einn veg skeri ór, that the case be settled;

skera upp herör, þingboð, to dispatch a war-arrow, gathering-stick;

skera upp akr, to reap a field;

8) refl., skerast, to stretch, branch, of a fjord, valley;

fjörðr skarst langt inn í landit, stretched far into the land;

höfðarnir skárust á víxl, the headlands stretched across, overlapped one another;

s. í setgeira-brœkr, to put on a mzn’s breeches;

ef nökkut skerst í, if anything happens;

skarst allt í odda með þeim, þat sem við bar, they fell at odds about everything that happened;

s. ór e-u máli, to withdraw (shrink) from a cause (gangi nú allir til mín ok sveri eiða, at engi skerist ór þessu máli);

s. undan e-u, to refuse, decline doing a thing (mun lokit okkrum samförum, ef þú skerst undan förinni);

s. undan, to hang back (Þeir fýstu hann at sættast, en hann skarst undan).

* * *

sker, pret. skar, pl. skáru; subj. skæri; part. skorinn: [A. S. sceran; Engl. shear; Germ. scheren; Dan. skjære]:—to cut; skera með knífi, klippa með söxum, Str. 9; þeir skáru böndin, Fms. iv. 369; hann skar af nokkurn hlut, x. 337; s. tungu ór höfði manni, Grág. ii. 11; hann skar ór egg-farveginn ór sárinu, Þórð. 54 new Ed.; þann flekk skera ór með holdi ok blóði, Fms. ii. 188; s. á háls, Nj. 156; skera ór út ór, to cut sheer through, 244, Fms. i. 217.

2. to slaughter, Gr. σφάττειν; skera sauði, kálf, kið, geldinga, Landn. 292, K. Þ. K. 134, Bs. i. 646, Hkr. i. 170, Sturl. i. 94, Eb. 318; hann skar síðan dilkinn, þess iðraðisk hann mest er hann hafði dilkinn skorit, Grett. 137; þá höfðu þeir skorit flest allt sauðfé, en einn hrút létu þeir lifa, 148; Þóroddr hafði þá ok skorit í bú sitt sem hann bar nauðsyn til, Eb. 316; s. gæss, Korm. 206, 208; skera niðr kvíkfé, Vápn. 30; skera af, id., Korm.; kýrin var skorin af.

3. to cut, shape; skorinn ok skapaðan, Barl 166: of clothes, klæði skorin eða úskorin, Grág. i. 504; óskorin klæði öll, N. G. L. i. 210; var skorit um pell nýtt, Fms. vii. 197; veittú mér þat, at þú sker mér skyrtu, Auðr, Þórkatli bónda mínum … At þú skyldir s. Vesteini bróður mínum skyrtuna, Gísl. 15; skikkju nýskona, Fms. vi. 52: of the hair, þá skar Rögnvaldr jarl hár hans, en áðr hafði verit úskorit tíu vetr, ii. 189; hann hafði þess heit strengt at láta eigi s. hár sitt né kemba, fyrr en hann væri einvalds-konungr yfir Noregi, Eg. 6; hann skar hár hans ok negl, Ó. H.; ef maðr deyr með úskornum nöglum, Edda 41; s. mön á hrossum, Bjarn. 62.

4. [Scot. shear, of reaping], to shear, cut, reap; skera akr eða slá eng, to ‘shear an acre’ or mow a meadow, Gþl. 360; ax úskorit, Gkv. 2. 22; sá akra yðra ok skera, ok planta vingarða, Stj. 644; skera korn, K. Á. 176; sær ok skerr, Gþl. 329.

5. to carve, cut; glugg einn er á var skorinn hurðinni, Fms. iii. 148; s. jarðar-men, Nj. 227; skáru á skíði, Vsp.; var á framstafninum karls-höfuð, þat skar hann sjálfr, Fagrsk. 75; skar Tjörvi þau á knífs-skepti sínu, Landn. 248; skera fjöl, kistil, brík, as also skera út c-ð, to carve out (skurðr); skornir drekar, carved dragon-heads, Lex. Poët.; skera hluti, to mark the lots, Fms. vii. 140 (see hlutr); skera or skera upp herör, to ‘carve out,’ i. e. to despatch a war-arrow, like the Scot. ‘fiery cross,’ Eg. 9, Fms. i. 92, vi. 24, x. 388, Gþl. 82, Js. 41; s. boð, id., Gþl. 84, 370, 371.

6. special phrases; skera e-m höfuð, to make faces at one, metaphor from carving the pole, see níð; hann rétti honum fingr ok skar honum höfuð, Grett. 117 A; skera af manni, to be blunt with one (see skafa); þarf ekki lengr yfir at hylma, né af manni at skera, Mork. 138; þú ert röskr maðr ok einarðr, ok skerr (v. l. skefr) lítt af manni, Nj. 223; skerr hann til mjök (he begs, presses hard) ef Hneitir legði leyfi til, Sturl. i. 11: allit., skapa ok s., to ‘shave and shear,’ i. e. to make short work rf a thing, decide, Eg. 732, Hrafn. 29; láta skapat skera, to let fate decide, Fms. viii. 88.

7. skera ór, to decide, settle (ór-skurðr); biskup skerr ekki ór um skilnað, Grág. i. 328; ef eigi skera skrár ór, 7; föru-nautar hans skáru skýrt ór, Ölk. 36; þótti þá ór skorit, Ld. 74; s. ór vanda-málum, Str. 30; nú er þat vili várr, at einn veg skeri ór, to end it either way, Fb. ii. 57.

II. reflex. to stretch, branch, of a landscape, fjord, valley; sá fjörðr skersk í landnorðr frá Steingríms-firði, Ld. 20; sá þeir at skárusk í landit inn firðir stórir, Eb. 5 new Ed.; fjörðr skarsk langt inn í landit, Krók.; höfðarnir skárusk á víxl, the headlands stretched across, overlapped one another, id.; í dal þeim er skersk vestr í fjöll, milli Múla ok Grísar-tungu, Ld. 146; vág-skorinn, a shore with many bays; skorið fjörðum, scored with many fjords; þar skersk inn haf þat er kallask Caspium mare, Stj. 72.

2. phrases, hón skarsk í setgeira-brækr, Ld. 136; ef nokkut skersk í, happens, Gþl. 20, Fbr. 102 new Ed.; Þórðr sagði eitthvað skyldu í skerask, Þórð. 67; þat skarsk í odda með e-m, to be at odds, Fbr.

3. to yield so much in meat and so much in tallow, of cattle when killed; skerask með tveim fjórðungum mörs, með tíu mörkum, sauðirnir skárust vel, ílla.

4. skerask ór e-n máli, to withdraw from a cause, Nj. 191; betra hefði þér verit at renna eigi frá mágum þínum ok skerask nú eigi ór sættum, 248: skerask undan e-u. to refuse, decline, Hrafn. 12, Stj. 425, Róm. 362; ef þú skersk undan förinni, Ld. 218; ef þeir játa þessi ferð, þá mun ek eigi undan skerask, Fms. iii. 70; þeir fystu hann í at sættask, en hann skarsk undan, Nj. 250; at ek munda eigi undan s. þér at veita, 180.

5. pass., boga-strengrinn skarsk, Fas. ii. 537; klæðin skárusk, Fms. v. 268; tré-ör skal út skerask í bygðir, Gþl. 13

* * *

(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.

* * *

u, f.

I. [björn], a she-bear, Lat. ursa; the primitive root ‘ber’ remains only in this word (cp. berserkr and berfjall), björn (q. v.) being the masc. in use, Landn. 176, Fas. i. 367, Vkv. 9: in many Icel. local names, Beru-fjörðr, -vík, from Polar bears; fem. names, Bera, Hallbera, etc., Landn.

II. a shield, poët., the proverb, baugr er á beru sæmstr, to a shield fits best a baugr (q. v.), Lex. Poët., Edda (Gl.); hence names of poems Beru-drápa, Eg.

bar, báru, borit, pres. berr,—poët. forms with the suffixed negative; 3rd pers. sing. pres. Indic. berrat, Hm. 10; 3rd pers. sing. pret. barat, Vellekla; 1st pers. sing. barkak, Eb. 62 (in a verse); barkat ek, Hs. 8; 2nd pers. sing. bartattu; 3rd pers. pl. bárut, etc., v. Lex. Poët. [Gr. φέρειν; Lat. ferre; Ulf. bairan; A. S. beran; Germ. gebären; Engl. bear; Swed. bära; Dan. bære].

A. Lat. ferre, portare:

I. prop. with a sense of motion, to bear, carry, by means of the body, of animals, of vehicles, etc., with acc., Egil tók mjöðdrekku eina mikla, ok bar undir hendi sér, Eg. 237; bar hann heim hrís, Rm. 9; konungr lét bera inn kistur tvær, báru tveir menn hverja, Eg. 310; bera farm af skipi, to unload a ship, Ld. 32; bera (farm) á skip, to load a ship, Nj. 182; tóku alla ösku ok báru á á ( amnem) út, 623, 36; ok bar þat ( carried it) í kerald, 43, K. Þ. K. 92; b. mat á borð, í stofu, to put the meat on table, in the oven; b. mat af borði, to take it off table, Eb. 36, 266, Nj. 75, Fms. ix. 219, etc.

2. Lat. gestare, ferre, denoting to wear clothes, to carry weapons; skikkja dýr er konungr hafði borit, Eg. 318; b. kórónu, to wear the crown, Fms. x. 16; atgeir, Nj. 119; vápn, 209: metaph., b. ægishjálm, to inspire fear and awe; b. merki, to carry the flag in a battle, Nj. 274, Orkn. 28, 30, 38, Fms. v. 64, vi. 413; bera fram merki, to advance, move in a battle, vi. 406.

3. b. e-t á hesti (áburðr), to carry on horseback; Auðunn bar mat á hesti, Grett. 107; ok bar hrís á hesti, 76 new Ed.; þeir báru á sjau hestum, 98 new Ed.

II. without a sense of motion:

1. to give birth to; [the root of barn, bairn; byrja, incipere; burðr, partus; and burr, filius: cp. Lat. parĕre; also Gr. φέρειν, Lat. ferre, of child-bearing.] In Icel. prose, old as well as mod., ‘ala’ and ‘fæða’ are used of women; but ‘bera,’ of cows and sheep; hence sauðburðr, casting of lambs, kýrburðr; a cow is snembær, siðbær, Jólabær, calves early, late, at Yule time, etc.; var ekki ván at hon ( the cow) mundi b. fyr en um várit, Bs. i. 193, 194; kýr hafði borit kálf, Bjarn. 32; bar hvárrtveggi sauðrinn sinn burð, Stj. 178: the participle borinn is used of men in a great many compds in a general sense, aptrborinn, árborinn, endrborinn, frjálsborinn, goðborinn, höldborinn, hersborinn, konungborinn, óðalborinn, samborinn, sundrborinn, velborinn, úborinn, þrælborinn, etc.; also out of compds, mun ek eigi upp gefa þann sóma, sem ek em til borinn, … entitled to by inheritance, Ld. 102; hann hafði blindr verit borinn, born blind, Nj. 152, Hdl. 34, 42, Vsp. 2: esp. borinn e-m, born of one, Rm. 39, Hdl. 12, 23, 27, Hðm. 2, Gs. 9, Vþm. 25, Stor. 16, Vkv. 15; borinn frá e-m, Hdl. 24: the other tenses are in theol. Prose used of Christ, hans blezaða son er virðist at láta berast hingað í heim af sinni blezaðri móður, Fms. i. 281; otherwise only in poetry, eina dóttur (acc.) berr álfröðull (viz. the sun, regarded as the mother), Vþm. 47; hann Gjálp um bar, hann Greip um bar …, Hdl. 36: borit (sup.), Hkv. 1. 1.

β. of trees, flowers; b. ávöxt, blóm …, to bear fruit, flower … (freq.); bar aldinviðrinn tvennan blóma, Fms. ix. 265; cp. the phrase, bera sitt barr, v. barr.

2. denoting to load, with acc. of the person and dat. of the thing:

α. in prop. sense; hann hafði borit sik mjök vápnum, he had loaded himself with arms, i. e. wore heavy armour, Sturl. iii. 250.

β. but mostly in a metaph. sense; b. e-n ofrafli, ofrmagni, ofrliði, ofríki, magni, to bear one down, to overcome, oppress one, by odds or superior force, Grág. i. 101, ii. 195, Nj. 80, Hkr. ii. 371, Gþl. 474, Stj. 512, Fms. iii. 175 (in the last passage a dat. pers. badly); b. e-n ráðum, to overrule one, Nj. 198, Ld. 296; b. e-n málum, to bearhim down (wrongfully) in a lawsuit, Nj. 151; b. e-n bjóri, to make drunk, Vkv. 26: medic., borinn verkjum, sótt, Bjarn. 68, Og. 5; bölvi, Gg. 2: borne down, feeling heavy pains; þess er borin ván, no hope, all hope is gone, Ld. 250; borinn sök, charged with a cause, Fms. v. 324, H. E. i. 561; bráðum borinn, to be taken by surprise, Fms. iv. 111; b. fé, gull á e-n, to bring one a fee, gold, i. e. to bribe one, Nj. 62; borinn baugum, bribed, Alvm. 5; always in a bad sense, cp. the law phrase, b. fé í dóm, to bribe a court, Grág., Nj. 240.

3. to bear, support, sustain, Lat. sustinere, lolerare, ferre:

α. properly, of a ship, horse, vehicle, to bear, be capable of bearing; þeir hlóðu bæði skipin sem borð báru, all that they could carry, Eb. 302;—a ship ‘berr’ ( carries) such and such a weight; but ‘tekr’ ( takes) denotes a measure of fluids.

β. metaph. to sustain, support; dreif þannig svá mikill mannfjöldi at landit fékk eigi borit, Hkr. i. 56; but metaph. to bear up against, endure, support grief, sorrow, etc., sýndist öllum at Guð hefði nær ætlað hvat hann mundi b. mega, Bs. i. 139; biðr hann friðar ok þykist ekki mega b. reiði hans, Fms. iii. 80: the phrase, b. harm sinn í hljóði, to suffer silently; b. svívirðing, x. 333: absol., þótti honum mikit víg Kjartans, en þó bar hann drengilega, he bore it manfully, Ld. 226; er þat úvizka, at b. eigi slíkt, not to bear or put up with, Glúm. 327; b. harm, to grieve, Fms. xi. 425: in the phrases, b. sik, b. af sér, berask, berask vel (illa, lítt), to bear oneself, to bear up against misfortune; Guðrúnu þótti mikit fráfall Þorkels, en þó bar hon sköruliga af sér, she bore her bravely up, Ld. 326–328; lézt hafa spurt at ekkjan bæri vel af sér harmana, Eb. 88; berask af; hversu bersk Auðr af um bróðurdauðann? (how does she bear it?); hón bersk af lítt ( she is much borne down) ok þykir mikit, Gísl. 24; niun oss vandara gört en öðrum at vér berim oss vel (Lat. fortiter ferre), Nj. 197; engi maðr hefði þar jamvel borit sik, none bad borne himself so boldly, Sturl. iii. 132; b. sik vel upp, to bear well up against, bear a stout heart, Hrafn. 17; b. sik beiskliga ( sorely), Stj. 143; b. sik lítt, to be downcast, Fms. ii. 61; b. sik at göra e-t, to do one’s best, try a thing.

III. in law terms or modes of procedure:

1. bera járn, the ordeal of bearing hot iron in the hand, cp. járnburðr, skírsla. This custom was introduced into Scandinavia together with Christianity from Germany and England, and superseded the old heathen ordeals ‘hólmganga,’ and ‘ganga undir jarðarmen,’ v. this word. In Norway, during the civil wars, it was esp. used in proof of paternity of the various pretenders to the crown, Fms. vii. 164, 200, ix. Hák. S. ch. 14, 41–45, viii. (Sverr. S.) ch. 150, xi. (Jómsv. S.) ch. 11, Grett. ch. 41, cp. N. G. L. i. 145, 389. Trial by ordeal was abolished in Norway A. D. 1247. In Icel. It was very rarely mentioned, vide however Lv. ch. 23 (paternity), twice or thrice in the Sturl. i. 56, 65, 147, and Grág. i. 341, 361; it seems to have been very seldom used there, (the passage in Grett. S. l. c. refers to Norway.)

2. bera út (hence útburðr, q. v.), to expose children; on this heathen custom, vide Grimm R. A. In heathen Icel., as in other parts of heathen Scandinavia, it was a lawful act, but seldom exercised; the chief passages on record are, Gunnl. S. ch. 3 (ok þat var þá siðvandi nokkurr, er land var allt alheiðit, at þeir menn er félitlir vórn, en stóð ómegð mjök til handa létu út bera börn sín, ok þótti þó illa gört ávalt), Fs. Vd. ch. 37, Harð. S. ch. 8, Rd. ch. 7, Landn. v. ch. 6, Finnb. ch. 2, Þorst. Uxaf. ch. 4, Hervar. S. ch. 4, Fas. i. 547 (a romance); cp. Jómsv. S. ch. 1. On the introduction of Christianity into Icel. A. D. 1000, it was resolved that, in regard to eating of horse-flesh and exposure of children, the old laws should remain in force, Íb. ch. 9; as Grimm remarks, the exposure must take place immediately after birth, before the child had tasted food of any kind whatever, and before it was besprinkled with water (ausa vatni) or shown to the father, who had to fix its name; exposure, after any of these acts, was murder, cp. the story of Liafburga told by Grimm R. A.); v. Also a Latin essay at the end of the Gunnl. S. (Ed. 1775). The Christian Jus Eccl. put an end to this heathen barbarism by stating at its very beginning, ala skal barn hvert er borit verðr, i. e. all children, if not of monstrous shape, shall be brought up, N. G. L. i. 339, 363.

β. b. út (now more usual, hefja út, Am. 100), to carry out for burial; vera erfðr ok tit borinn, Odd. 20; var hann heygðr, ok út borinn at fornum sið, Fb. i. 123; b. á bál, to place (the body and treasures) upon the pile, the mode of burying in the old heathen time, Fas. i. 487 (in a verse); var hon borin á bálit ok slegit í eldi, Edda 38.

B. Various and metaph. cases.

I. denoting motion:

1. ‘bera’ is in the Grág. the standing law term for delivery of a verdict by a jury (búar), either ‘bera’ absol. or adding kvið ( verdict); bera á e-n, or b. kvið á e-n, to give a verdict against, declare guilty; bera af e-m, or b. af e-m kviðinn, to give a verdict for; or generally, bera, or b. um e-t, to give a verdict in a case; bera, or b. vitni, vætti, also simply means to testify, to witness, Nj. 111, cp. kviðburðr ( delivering of verdict), vitnisburðr ( bearing witness), Grág. ii. 28; eigi eigu búar ( jurors) enn at b. um þat hvat lög eru á landi hér, the jurors have not to give verdict in (to decide) what is law in the country, cp. the Engl. maxim, that jurors have only to decide the question of evidence, not of law, Grág. (Kb.) ch. 85; eigi eru búar skildir at b. um hvatvetna; um engi mál eigu þeir at skilja, þau er erlendis ( abroad) hafa görzt, id.; the form in delivering the verdict—höfum vér ( the jurors), orðit á eitt sáttir, berum á kviðburðinn, berum hann sannan at sökinni, Nj. 238, Grág. i. 49, 22, 138, etc.; í annat sinn báru þeir á Flosa kviðinn, id.; b. annattveggja af eðr á; b. undan, to discharge, Nj. 135; b. kvið í hag ( for), Grág. i. 55; b. lýsingar vætti, Nj. 87; b. vitni ok vætti, 28, 43, 44; b. ljúgvitni, to bear false witness, Grág. i. 28; b. orð, to bear witness to a speech, 43; bera frændsemi sundr, to prove that they are not relations, N. G. L. i. 147: reflex., berask ór vætti, to prove that oneself is wrongly summoned to bear witness or to give a verdict, 44: berask in a pass. sense, to be proved by evidence, ef vanefni b. þess manns er á hönd var lýst, Grág. i. 257; nema jafnmæli berisk, 229; þótt þér berisk þat faðerni er þú segir, Fms. vii. 164; hann kvaðst ætla, at honum mundi berask, that he would be able to get evidence for, Fs. 46.

β. gener. and not as a law term; b. á, b. á hendr, to charge; b. e-n undan, to discharge, Fs. 95; eigi erum vér þessa valdir er þú berr á oss, Nj. 238, Ld. 206, Fms. iv. 380, xi. 251, Th. 78; b. e-m á brýnn, to throw in one’s face, to accuse, Greg. 51; b. af sér, to deny; eigi mun ek af mér b., at… ( non diffitebor), Nj. 271; b. e-m gott vitni, to give one a good…, 11; b. e-m vel (illa) söguna, to bear favourable (unfavourable) witness of one, 271.

2. to bear by word of mouth, report, tell, Lat. referre; either absol. or adding kveðju, orð, orðsending, eyrindi, boð, sögu, njósn, frétt…, or by adding a prep., b. fram, frá, upp, fyrir; b. kveðju, to bring a greeting, compliment, Eg. 127; b. erindi (sín) fyrir e-n, to plead one’s case before one, or to tell one’s errand, 472, 473; b. njósn, to apprise, Nj. 131; b. fram, to deliver (a speech), talaði jungherra Magnús hit fyrsta erindi (M. made his first speech in public), ok fanst mönnum mikit um hversu úbernsliga fram var borit, Fms. x. 53; (in mod. usage, b. fram denotes gramm. to pronounce, hence ‘framburðr,’ pronunciation); mun ek þat nú fram b., I shall now tell, produce it, Ld. 256, Eg. 37; b. frá, to attest, relate with emphasis; má þat frá b., Dropl. 21; b. upp, to produce, mention, tell, þótt slík lygi sé upp borin fyrir hann, though such a lie be told him, Eg. 59; þær (viz. charges) urðu engar upp bornar ( produced) við Rút, Nj. 11; berr Sigtryggr þegar upp erindi sín (cp. Germ. ojfenbaren), 271, Ld. 256; b. upp gátu, to give (propound) a riddle, Stj. 411, Fas. i. 464; b. fyrir, to plead as an excuse; b. saman ráð sín, or the like, to consult, Nj. 91; eyddist þat ráð, er þeir báru saman, which they had designed, Post. 656 A. ii; b. til skripta, to confess (eccl.), of auricular confession, Hom. 124, 655 xx.

II. in a metaphorical or circumlocutory sense, and without any sense of motion, to keep, hold, bear, of a title; b. nafn, to bear a name, esp. as honour or distinction; tignar nafn, haulds nafn, jarls nafn, lends manns nafn, konungs nafn, bónda nafn, Fms. i. 17, vi. 278, xi. 44, Gþl. 106: in a more metaph. sense, denoting endowments, luck, disposition, or the like, b. (ekki) gæfu, hamingju, auðnu til e-s, to enjoy (enjoy not) good or bad luck, etc.; at Þórólfr mundi eigi allsendis gæfu til b. um vináttu við Harald, Eg. 75, 112, 473, Fms. iv. 164, i. 218; úhamingju, 219; b. vit, skyn, kunnáttu á (yfir) e-t, to bring wit, knowledge, etc., to bear upon a thing, xi. 438, Band. 7; hence vel (illa) viti borinn, well (ill) endowed with wit, Eg. 51; vel hyggjandi borinn, well endowed with reason, Grág. ii; b. hug, traust, áræði, þor, til e-s, to have courage, confidence … to do a thing, Gullþ. 47, Fms. ix. 220, Band. 7; b. áhyggju, önn fyrir, to care, be concerned about, Fms. x. 318; b. ást, elsku til e-s, to bear affection, love to one; b. hatr, to hate: b. svört augu, to have dark eyes, poët., Korm. (in a verse); b. snart hjarta, Hom. 5; vant er þat af sjá hvar hvergi berr hjarta sitt, where he keeps his heart, Orkn. 474; b. gott hjarta, to bear a proud heart, Lex. Poët., etc. etc.; b. skyndi at um e-t, to make speed with a thing, Lat. festinare, Fms. viii. 57.

2. with some sense of motion, to bear off or away, carry off, gain, in such phrases as, b. sigr af e-m, af e-u, to carry off the victory from or in …; hann hafði borit sigr af tveim orrustum, er frægstar hafa verit, he had borne off the victory in two battles, Fms. xi. 186; bera banaorð af e-m, to slay one in a fight, to be the victor; Þorr berr banaorð af Miðgarðsormi, Edda 42, Fms. x. 400: it seems properly to mean, to bear off the fame of having killed a man; verðat svá rík sköp, at Regin skyli mitt banorð bera, Fm. 39; b. hærra, lægra hlut, ‘to bear off the higher or the lower lot,’ i. e. to get the best or the worst of it, or the metaphor is taken from a sortilege, Fms. ii. 268, i. 59, vi. 412; b. efra, hærra skjöld, to carry the highest shield, to get the victory, x. 394, Lex. Poët.; b. hátt (lágt) höfuðit, to bear the head high (low), i. e. to be in high or low spirits, Nj. 91; but also, b. halann bratt (lágt), to cock up or let fall the tail (metaph. from cattle), to be in an exultant or low mood: sundry phrases, as, b. bein, to rest the bones, be buried; far þú til Íslands, þar mun þér auðið verða beinin at b., Grett. 91 A; en þó hygg ek at þú munir hér b. beinin í Norðrálfunni, Orkn. 142; b. fyrir borð, to throw overboard, metaph. to oppress; verðr Þórhalli nú fyrir borð borinn, Th. was defied, set at naught, Fær. 234; b. brjóst fyrir e-m, to be the breast-shield, protection of one, Fms. vii. 263: also, b. hönd fyrir höfuð sér, metaph. to put one’s hand before one’s head, i. e. to defend oneself; b. ægishjálm yfir e-m, to keep one in awe and submission, Fm. 16, vide A. I. 2.

III. connected with prepp., b. af, and (rarely) yfir (cp. afburðr, yfirburðr), to excel, surpass; eigi sá hvárttveggja féit er af öðrum berr, who gets the best of it, Nj. 15; en þó bar Bolli af, B. surpassed all the rest, Ld. 330; þat mannval bar eigi minnr af öðrum mönnum um fríðleik, afi ok fræknleik, en Ormrinn Langi af öðrum skipum, Fms. ii. 252; at hinn útlendi skal yfir b. ( outdo) þann sem Enskir kalla meistara, xi. 431: b. til, to apply, try if it fits; en er þeir báru til (viz. shoes to the hoof of a horse), þá var sem hæfði hestinum, ix. 55; bera til hvern lykil at öðrum at portinu, Thom. 141; b. e-t við, to try it on (hence viðburðr, experiment, effort): b. um, to wind round, as a cable round a pole or the like, Nj. 115; þá bar hann þá festi um sik, made it fast round his body, Fms. ix. 219; ‘b. e-t undir e-n’ is to consult one, ellipt., b. undir dóm e-s; ‘b. e-t fyrir’ is to feign, use as excuse: b. á, í, to smear, anoint; b. vatn í augu sér, Rb. 354; b. tjöru í höfuð sér, Nj. 181, Hom. 70, 73, cp. áburðr; b. gull, silfr, á, to ornament with gold or silver, Ld. 114, Finnb. 258: is now also used = to dung, b. á völl; b. vápn á e-n, to attack one with sharp weapons, Eg. 583, Fms. xi. 334: b. eld at, to set fire to, Nj. 122; b. fjötur (bönd) at e-m, to put fetters (bonds) on one, Fms. x. 172, Hm. 150: metaph. reflex., bönd berask at e-m, a law term, the evidence bears against one; b. af sér, to parry off; Gyrðr berr af sér lagit, G. parries the thrust off, Fms. x. 421; cp. A. II. 3. β.

IV. reflex., berask mikit á (cp. áburðr), to bear oneself proudly, or b. lítið á, to bear oneself humbly; hann var hinn kátasti ok barst á mikit, Fms. ii. 68, viii. 219, Eb. 258; b. lítið á, Clem. 35; láta af berask, to die; Óttarr vill skipa til um fjárfar sitt áðr hann láti af b., Fms. ii. 12: berask fyrir, to abide in a place as an asylum, seek shelter; hér munu vit láta fyrir b., Fas. iii. 471; berask e-t fyrir, to design a thing, be busy about, barsk hann þat fyrir at sjá aldregi konur, Greg. 53; at njósna um hvat hann bærist fyrir, to inquire into what he was about, Fms. iv. 184, Vígl. 19.

β. recipr. in the phrase, berask banaspjót eptir, to seek for one another’s life, Glúm. 354: b. vápn á, of a mutual attack with sharp weapons, Fms. viii. 53.

γ. pass., sár berask á e-n, of one in the heat of battle beginning to get wounds and give way, Nj.:—berask við, to be prevented, not to do; ok nú lét Almáttugr Guð við berast kirkjubrunnann, stopped, prevented the burning of the church, Fms. v. 144; en mér þætti gott ef við bærist, svá at hón kæmi eigi til þín, vi. 210, vii. 219; ok var þá búit at hann mundi þegar láta hamarinn skjanna honum, en hann lét þat við berask, he bethought himself and did not, Edda 35; því at mönnum þótti sem þannig mundi helzt úhæfa við berask, that mischief would thus be best prevented, Sturl. ii. 6, iii. 80.

C. IMPERS.:—with a sort of passive sense, both in a loc. and temp. sense, and gener. denotes an involuntary, passive motion, happening suddenly or by chance:

I. with acc. it bears or carries one to a place, i. e. one happens to come; the proverb, alla (acc.) berr at sama brunni, all come to the same well (end), Lat. omnes una manet nox; bar hann þá ofan gegnt Özuri, he happened to come in his course just opposite to Ö., Lat. delatus est, Dropl. 25: esp. of ships or sailors; nú berr svá til ( happens) herra, at vér komum eigi fram ferðinni, berr oss (acc.) til Íslands eðr annara landa, it bore us to I., i. e. if we drive or drift thither, Fms. iv. 176; þá (acc. pl.) bar suðr í haf, they drifted southwards, Nj. 124.

β. as a cricketing term, in the phrase, berr (bar) út knöttinn, the ball rolls out, Gísl. 26, cp. p. 110 where it is transit.; berr Gísli ok út knöttinn, vide Vígl. ch. 11, Grett. ch. 17, Vd. ch. 37, Hallfr. S. ch. 2.

γ. Skarpheðin (acc.) bar nú at þeim, Sk. came suddenly upon them, Nj. 144; bar at Hróaldi þegar allan skjöldinn, the shield was dashed against H.’s body, 198; ok skyldu sæta honum, ef hann (acc.) bæri þar at, if he should per chance come, shew himself there, Orkn. 406; e-n berr yfir, it bears one, i. e. one is borne onwards, as a bird flying, a man riding; þóttist vita, at hann (acc.) mundi fljótara yfir bera ef hann riði en gengi, that he would get on more fleetly riding than walking, Hrafn. 7; hann (acc.) bar skjótt yfir, he passed quickly, of a flying meteor, Nj. 194; e-n berr undan, escapes.

2. also with acc. followed by prepp. við, saman, jafnframt, hjá, of bodies coinciding or covering one another: loc., er jafnframt ber jaðrana tungls ok sólar, if the orb of the moon and sun cover each other, Rb. 34; þat kann vera stundum, at tunglit (acc.) berr jafht á millum vár ok sólar (i. e. in a moon eclipse), 108; ber nokkut jaðar (acc.) þess hjá sólar jaðri, 34; Gunnarr sér at rauðan kyrtil (acc.) bar við glugginn, G. sees that a red kirtle passed before the window, Nj. 114; bar fyrir utan þat skip vápnaburð (acc.) heiðingja (gen. pl.), the missiles of the heathens passed over the ship without hurting them, flew too high, Fms. vii. 232; hvergi bar skugga (acc.) á, nowhere a shadow, all bright, Nj. 118; þangat sem helzt mátti nokkut yfir þá skugga bera af skóginum, where they were shadowed (hidden) by the trees, Fms. x. 239; e-t berr fram (hátt), a body is prominent, Lat. eminet; Ólafr konungr stóð í lyptingunni, bar hann (acc.) hátt mjök, king O. stood out conspicuously, ii. 308; b. yfir, þótti mjök bera hljóð (acc.) þar yfir er Ólafr sat, the sound was heard over there where O. sat, Sturl. i. 21; b. á milli, something comes between; leiti (acc.) bar á milli, a hill hid the prospect, Nj. 263: metaph., e-m berr e-t á milli, they come to dissent, 13, v. 1.; b. fyrir augu (hence fyrirburðr, vision), of a vision or the like; mart (acc.) berr nú fyrir augu mér, ek sé …, many things come now before my eyes, 104; hann mundi allt þat er fyrir hann hafði borit, i. e. all the dream, 195; eina nótt berr fyrir hann í svefni mikla sýn, Fms. i. 137, Rd. 290; veiði (acc.) berr í hendr e-m (a metaphor from hunting), sport falls to one’s lot; hér bæri veiði í hendr nú, here would be a game, Nj. 252; e-t berr undan (a metaphor from fishing, hunting term), when one misses one’s opportunity; vel væri þá … at þá veiði (acc.) bæri eigi undan, that this game should not go amiss, 69; en ef þetta (acc.) berr undan, if this breaks down, 63; hon bað hann þá drepa einhvern manna hans, heldr en allt (acc.) bæri undan, rather than that all should go amiss, Eg. 258: absol., þyki mér illa, ef undan berr, if I miss it, Nj. 155; viljum vér ekki at undan beri at…, we will by no means miss it…, Fms. viii. 309, v. 1. The passage Bs. i. 416 (en fjárhlutr sá er átt hafði Ari, bar undan Guðmundi) is hardly correct, fjárhlut þann would run better, cp. bera undir, as a law term, below.

II. adding prepp.; b. við, at, til, at hendi, at móti, til handa …, to befall, happen, Lat. accidere, occurrere, with dat. of the person, (v. atburðr, viðburðr, tilburðr); engi hlut skyldi þann at b., no such thing should happen as…, Fms. xi. 76; svá bar at einn vetr, it befell, x. 201; þat hefir nú víst at hendi borit, er…, Nj. 174; þó þetta vandræði (acc.) hafi nú borit oss (dat.) at hendi, Eg. 7; b. til handa, id., Sks. 327; bar honum svá til, so it befell him, Fms. xi. 425; at honum bæri engan váðaligan hlut til á veginum, that nothing dangerous should befall him on the way, Stj. 212; bæri þat þá svá við, at hann ryfi, it then perchance might happen, that …, 102; þat bar við at Högni kom, 169, 172, 82; raun (acc.) berr á, it is proved by the fact, event, Fms. ix. 474, x. 185.

2. temp., e-t berr á, it happens to fall on …; ef þing (acc.) ber á hina helgu viku, if the parliament falls on the holy week (Whitsun), Grág. i. 106; ef Crucis messu (acc.) berr á Drottins dag, Rb. 44; berr hana (viz. Petrs messu, June 29) aldrei svá optarr á öldinni, 78; þat er nú berr oss næst, what has occurred of late, Sturl. iii. 182: b. í móti, to happen exactly at a time; þetta (acc.) bar í móti at þenna sama dag andaðist Brandr biskup, Bs. i. 468; b. saman, id.; bar þat saman, at pá var Gunnarr at segja brennusöguna, just when G. was about telling the story, Nj. 269.

3. metaph. of agreement or separation; en þat (acc.) þykir mjök saman b. ok þessi frásögn, Fms. x. 276: with dat., bar öllum sögum vel saman, all the records agreed well together, Nj. 100, v. l.; berr nú enn í sundr með þeim, Bjarna ok Þorkatli at sinni, B. and Th. missed each other, Vápn. 25.

4. denoting cause; e-t (acc.) berr til …, causes a thing; ætluðu þat þá allir, at þat mundi til bera, that that was the reason, Nj. 75; at þat beri til skilnaðar okkars, that this will make us to part (divorce), 261; konungr spurði, hvat til bæri úgleði hans, what was the cause of his grief? Fms. vi. 355; þat berr til tunglhlaups, Rb. 32.

β. meiri ván at brátt beri þat (acc.) til bóta, at herviliga steypi hans ríki, i. e. there will soon come help (revenge), Fms. x. 264; fjórir eru þeir hlutir er menn (acc.) berr í ætt á landi hér, there are four cases under which people may be adopted, Grág. i. 361.

γ. 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, 179; mikla erfð (acc.) bar undir hana, Mar. (Fr.); berr yfir, of surpassing, Bs. ii. 121, 158; b. frá, id. (fráburðr); herðimikill svá at þat (acc.) bar frá því sem aðrir menn, Eg. 305; er sagt, at þat bæri frá hve vel þeir mæltu, it was extraordinary how well they did speak, Jb. 11; bar þat mest frá hversu illa hann var limaðr, but above all, how…, Ó. H. 74.

5. with adverbial nouns in a dat. form; e-t berr bráðum, happens of a sudden; berr þetta (acc.) nú allbráðum, Fms. xi. 139; cp. vera bráðum borinn, to be taken by surprise (above); berr stórum, stærrum, it matters a great deal; ætla ek stærrum b. hin lagabrotin (acc.), they are much more important, matter more, vii. 305; var þat góðr kostr, svá at stórum bar, xi. 50; hefir oss orðit svá mikil vanhyggja, at stóru berr, an enormous blunder, Gísl. 51; svá langa leið, at stóru bar, Fas. i. 116; þat berr stórum, hversu mér þóknast vel þeirra athæfi, it amounts to a great deal, my liking their service, i. e. I do greatly like, Fms. ii. 37; eigi berr þat allsmám hversu vel mér líkar, in no small degree do I like, x. 296.

β. with dat., it is fitting, becoming; svá mikit sem landeiganda (dat.) berr til at hafa eptir lögum, what he is legally entitled to, Dipl. iii. 10; berr til handa, it falls to one’s lot, v. above, Grág. i. 93.

III. answering to Lat. oportet, absolutely or with an adverb, vel, illa, with infinit.; e-m berr, it beseems, becomes one; berr þat ekki né stendr þvílíkum höfuðfeðr, at falsa, Stj. 132; berr yðr (dat.) vel, herra, at sjá sannindi á þessu máli, Fms. ix. 326; sagði, at þat bar eigi Kristnum mönnum, at særa Guð, x. 22; þá siðu at mér beri vel, Sks. 353 B: used absol., berr vel, illa, it is beseeming, proper, fit, unbeseeming, unfit, improper; athæfi þat er vel beri fyrir konungs augliti, 282; þat þykir ok eigi illa bera, at maðr hafi svart skinn til hosna, i. e. it suits pretty well, 301: in case of a pers. pron. in acc. or dat. being added, the sentence becomes personal in order to avoid doubling the impers. sentence, e. g. e-m berr skylda (not skyldu) til, one is bound by duty; veit ek eigi hver skylda (nom.) yðr (acc.) ber til þess at láta jarl einn ráða, Fms. i. 52: also leaving the dat. out, skylda berr til at vera forsjámaðr með honum, vii. 280; eigi berr hér til úviska mín, it is not that I am not knowing, Nj. 135.

IV. when the reflex. inflexion is added to the verb, the noun loses its impers. character and is turned from acc. into nom., e. g. þar (þat?) mun hugrinn minn mest hafa fyrir borizt, this is what I suspected, fancied, Lv. 34; cp. hugarburðr, fancy, and e-t berr fyrir e-n (above, C. I. 2); hefir þetta (nom.) vel í móti borizt, a happy coincidence, Nj. 104; ef svá harðliga kann til at berask, if the misfortunes do happen, Gþl. 55; barsk sú úhamingja (nom.) til á Íslandi, that mischief happened (no doubt the passage is thus to be emended), Bs. i. 78, but bar þá úhamingju …; þat (nom.) barsk at, happened, Fms. x. 253; fundir várir (nom.) hafa at borizt nokkurum sinnum, vii. 256; þat barsk at á einhverju sumri, Eg. 154; bærist at um síðir at allr þingheimrinn berðist, 765, cp. berast við, berask fyrir above (B. V.): berast, absol., means to be shaken, knocked about; var þess ván, at fylkingar mundu berast í hergöngunni, that they would be brought into some confusion, Fms. v. 74; Hrólfr gékk at ramliga, ok barst Atli (was shaken, gave away) fyrir orku sakir, þar til er hann féll. Fas. iii. 253; barst Jökull allr fyrir orku sakir (of two wrestling), Ísl. ii. 467, Fms. iii. 189: vide B. IV.

D. In mod. usage the strong bera—bar is also used in impersonal phrases, denoting to let a thing be seen, shew, but almost always with a negative preceding, e. g. ekki bar (ber) á því, it could ( can) not be seen; að á engu bæri, láta ekki á bera ( to keep tight), etc. All these phrases are no doubt alterations from the weak verb bera, að, nudare, and never occur in old writers; we have not met with any instance previous to the Reformation; the use is certainly of late date, and affords a rare instance of weak verbs turning into strong; the reverse is more freq. the case.

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(gen. pl. augna), n.

1) eye;

lúka (bregða) upp augum, bregða augum í sundr, to open (lift up) the eyes;

lúka aptr augum, to shift the eyes;

renna (bregða, leiða) augum til e-s, to turn the eyes to;

leiða e-n augum, to measure one with the eyes;

berja augum í e-t, to take into consideration;

koma augum á e-t, to set eyes on, become aware of;

hafa auga á e-u, t have, keep, an eye upon;

segja e-t í augu upp, to one’s face, right in the face;

unna e-m sem augum í höfði sér, as one’s own eye-balls;

e-m vex e-t í augu, one has scruples about;

náit er nef augum, the nose is neighbor to the eyes;

gløggt er gests augat, a guest’s eye is sharp;

mörg eru dags augu, the day has many eyes;

eigi leyna augu, ef ann kona manni, the eyes cannot hide it if a woman loves a man;

2) hole, aperture in a needle (nálarauga), in a millstone (kvarnarauga) or an axe-head;

3) pit full of water.

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n., gen. pl. augna, [Lat. oculus, a dimin. of an obsolete ocus; Gr. οφθαλμός (Boeot. οκταλμός); Sanskr. aksha: the word is common to Sanskrit with the Slavonic, Greek, Roman, and Teutonic idioms: Goth. augo; Germ, auge; A. S. eâge; Engl. eye; Scot. ee; Swed. öga; Dan. öje, etc. Grimm s. v. suggests a relationship to Lat. acies, acutus, etc. The letter n appears in the plur. of the mod. northern languages; the Swedes say ‘ögon,’ oculi, the Danes ‘öjne;’ with the article ‘ögonen’ and ‘öjnene;’ Old Engl. ‘eyne;’ Scot. ‘een’]

I. an eye. It is used in Icel. in a great many proverbs, e. g. betr sjá augu en auga, ‘two eyes see better than one,’ i. e. it is good to yield to advice: referring to love, unir auga meðan á sér, the eye is pleased whilst it can behold (viz. the object of its affection), Fas. i. 125, cp. Völs. rím. 4. 189; eigi leyna augu, ef ann kona manni, the eyes cannot bide it, if a woman love a man, i. e. they tell their own tale, Ísl. ii. 251. This pretty proverb is an απ. λεγ. l. c. and is now out of use; it is no doubt taken from a poem in a dróttkvætt metre, (old proverbs have alliteration, but neither rhymes nor assonance, rhyming proverbs are of a comparatively late date): medic., eigi er sá heill er í augun verkir, Fbr. 75; sá drepr opt fæti ( slips) er augnanna missir, Bs. i. 742; hætt er einu auganu nema vel fari, he who has only one eye to lose will take care of it (comm.); húsbóndans auga sér bezt, the master’s eye sees best; glögt er gests augat, a guest’s eye is sharp; mörg eru dags augu, the day has many eyes, i. e. what is to be hidden must not be done in broad daylight, Hm. 81; náið er nef augum, the nose is near akin to the eyes (tua res agitur paries quum proximus ardet), Nj. 21; opt verðr slíkt á sæ, kvað selr, var skotinn í auga, this often happens at sea, quoth the seal, when he was shot in the eye, of one who is in a scrape, Fms. viii. 402. In many phrases, at unna ( to love) e-m sem augum í höfði sér, as one’s own eye-balls, Nj. 217; þótti mér slökt it sætasta ljós augna minna, by his death the sweetest light of my eyes was quenched, 187: hvert grætr þú nú Skarphéðinn? eigi er þat segir Skarphéðinn, en hitt er satt at súrnar í augum, the eyes smart from smoke, 200: renna, líta augum, to seek with the eyes, to look upon: it is used in various connections, renna, líta ástaraugum, vánaraugum, vinaraugum, trúaraugum, öfundaraugum, girndarauga, with eyes of love, hope, friendship, faith, envy, desire: mæna a. denotes an upward or praying look; stara, fixed; horfa, attentive; lygna, blundskaka, stupid or slow; blína, glápa, góna, vacant or silly; skima, wandering; hvessa augu, a threatening look; leiða e-n a., to measure one with the eyes; gjóta, or skjóta hornauga, or skjóta a. í skjálg, to throw a side glance of dislike or ill-will; gjóta augum is always in a bad sense; renna, líta mostly in a good sense: gefa e-u auga, oculum adjicere alicui; hafa auga á e-u, to keep an eye on it; segja e-m e-t í augu upp, to one’s face, Orkn. 454; at augum, adverb. with open eyes, Hervar. S. (in a verse), etc. As regards various movements of the eyes; ljúka upp augum, to open the eyes; láta aptr augun, to shut the eyes; draga auga í pung, to draw the eye into a purse, i. e. shut one eye; depla augum, to blink; at drepa titlinga (Germ. äugeln, blinzen), to wink, to kill tits with the suppressed glances of the eye; glóðarauga, a suffusion on the eye, hyposphagma; kýrauga. proptosis; vagl á auga, a beam in the eye; skjálgr, Lat. limus; ský, albugo; tekinn til augnanna, with sunken eyes, etc., Fél. ix. 192; a. bresta, in death: hafa stýrur í augum, to have prickles in the eyes, when the eyes ache for want of sleep: vatna músum, ‘to water mice,’ used esp. of children weeping silently and trying to hide their tears. As to the look or expression of the eyes there are sundry metaph. phrases, e. g. hafa fékróka í augum, to have wrinkles at the corners of the eyes, of a shrewd money getting fellow, Fms. ii. 84, cp. Orkn. 330, 188, where krókauga is a cognom.; kvenna-króka, one insinuating with the fair sex; hafa ægishjalm í augum is a metaphor of one with a piercing, commanding eye, an old mythical term for the magical power of the eye, v. Grimm’s D. Mythol. under Ægishjalmr: vera mjótt á milli augnanna, the distance between the eyes being short, is a popular saying, denoting a close, stingy man, hence mjóeygr means close: e-m vex e-t í augu (now augum), to shrink back from, of a thing waxing and growing before one’s eyes so that one dares not face it. As to the shape, colour, etc. of the eye, vide the adj. ‘eygr’ or ‘eygðr’ in its many compds. Lastly we may mention the belief, that when the water in baptism touches the eyes, the child is thereby in future life prevented from seeing ghosts or goblins, vide the words úfreskr and skygn. No spell can touch the human eye; en er harm sá augu hans (that of Loki in the shape of a bird), þá grunaði hann (the giant) at maðr mundi vera, Edda 60; í bessum birni þykist hón kenna augu Bjarnar konungs sonar, Fas. i. 51, vide Ísl. Þjóðs.

II. meton. and metaph. auga is used in a great many connections:

α. astron.; þjaza augu, the eyes of the giant Thiazi, is a constellation, probably the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux; the story is told in the Edda 47, cp. Harbarðsljóð 19; (Snorri attributes it to Odin, the poem to Thor.)

β. botan., auga = Lat. gemma, Hjalt. 38; kattarauga, cat’s eye, is the flower forget-me-not.

γ. the spots that form the numbers on dice, Magn. 530.

δ. the hole in a millstone; kvarnarauga, Edda 79, 221, Hkr. i. 121: the opening into which an axe handle is fastened, Sturl. ii. 91: a pit full of water, Fs. 45: nálarauga, a needle’s eye: vindauga, wind’s eye or window (which orig. had no glass in it), A. S. eag-dura (eye-door); also gluggi, q. v.: gleraugu, spectacles.

ε. anatom., the pan of the hip joint, v. augnakarl, Fms. iii. 392: gagnaugu, temples.

ζ. hafsauga, the bottom of the ocean, in the popular phrase, fara út í hafsauga, descendere ad tartara.

η. poët. the sun is called heimsauga, dagsauga, Jónas 119.

COMPDS either with sing. auga or pl. augna; in the latter case mod. usage sometimes drops the connecting vowel a, e. g. augn-dapr, augn-depra, augn-fagr, etc. auga-bragð (augna-), n. the twinkling of an eye, Hm. 77; á einu a., in the twinkling of an eye, Ver. 32, Edda (pref.) 146, Sks. 559, Rb. 568: a glance, look, snart a., Fms. ii. 174; mikit a., v. 335; úfagrligt a., Fs. 43; hafa a. af e-u, to cast a look at, Fbr. 49, Fms. xi. 424: in the phrase, at hafa e-n (or verða) at augabragði, metaph. to make sport of, to mock, deride, gaze at, Stj. 627, 567, Hm. 5, 29. auga-brun, f. the eye-brow. auga-staðr, m. an eye-mark; hafa a. á e-u, to mark with the eye. auga-steinn (augna-), m. the eye-ball, Hkr. iii. 365, Fms. v. 152. augna-bending, f. a warning glance, Pr. 452. augna-blik, n. mod. = augnabragð, s. augna-bólga, u, f. ophthalmia. augna-brá, f. the eye-lid, D. N. i. 216. augna-fagr and aug-fagr, adj. fair-eyed, Fas. ii. 365, Fms. v. 200. augna-fró, f. a plant, eye-bright, euphrasia, also augna-gras, Hjalt. 231. augna-fræ, n. lychnis alpina. augna-gaman, n. a sport, delight for the eyes to gaze at, Ld. 202, Bær. 17, Fsm. 5 (love, sweetheart). augna-gróm, n. (medic.) a spot in the eye; metaph., ekki a., no mere speck, of whatever can easily be seen. augna-hár, n. an eye-lash. augna-hvannr, m. the eye-lid. augna-hvita, u, f. albugo. augna-karl, n. the pan of the hip joint; slíta or slitna or augnaköllunum, Fas. iii. 392. augna-kast, n. a wild glance, Barl. 167. augna-kláði, a, m. psorophthalmi. augna-krókr, n. the corner of the eye. augna-lag, n. a look, Ld. 154. augna-lok, n. ‘eye-covers,’ eye-lids. augna-mein, n. a disease of the eye. augna-mjörkvi, a, m. dimness of the eye, Pr. 471. augna-ráð, n. expression of the eye. augna-skot, n. a look askance, Gþl. 286, Fs. 44 (of cats). augna-slím, n. glaucoma. augna-staðr, m. the socket of the eye, Magn. 532. augna-sveinn, m. a lad leading a blind man, Str. 46. augn-tepra, u, f. hippus. augna-topt, f. the socket of the eye. augna-verkr, m. pain in the eye, Hkr. ii. 257, Bs. i. 451, Pr. 471, Bjarn. 58. augna-vik, n. pl. = augnakrókr. augna-þungi, a, m. heaviness of the eye, Hkr. ii. 257.

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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).

* * *

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.

n. bread; hleifr brauðs, a loaf of bread.

* * *

n. [A. S. bread; Engl. bread; Germ. brod; Dan. bröd]. This word, which at present has become a household word in all branches of the Teutonic, was in early times unknown in its present sense: Ulf. constantly renders αρτος as well as ψωμίον by hlaibs; Engl. loaf; A. S. hlâf; the old A. S. poetry also has hlâf, and the old heathen Scandin. poems only hleifr, Hm. 40, 51, Rm. 4, 28. In Engl. also, the words lord, lady,—A. S. hlâford, hlâfdige, which properly mean loaf-warder, loaf-maid,—bear out the remark, that in the heathen age when those words were formed, breâd, in the sense of panis, was not in use in England; in old A. S. the word is only used in the compd beobreâd of the honeycomb (Gr. κηρίον), cp. Engl. bee-bread; O. H. G. bibrod; Germ. bienenbrod; and this seems to be the original sense of the word. The passage in which doubtless the Goths used ‘braud,’ Luke xxiv. 42—the only passage of the N. T. where κηρίον occurs—is lost in Ulf. Down to the 9th century this word had not its present sense in any Teut. dialect, but was, as it seems, in all of them used of the honeycomb only. The Icel. calls thyme ‘bráð-björg’ or ‘broð-björg’ (sweet food?); cp. the Lat. ‘redolentque thymo fragrantia mella;’ the root of ‘brauð’ is perhaps akin to the Lat. ‘fragrare.’ The transition from the sense of honeycomb to that of bread is obscure: in present usage the ‘bread’ denotes the substance, ‘loaf’ the shape; b. ok smjör, Eg. 204; b. ok kál, Mar.; heilagt b., Hom. 137; the Icel. N. T. (freq.)

2. food, hence metaph. living, esp. a parsonage, (mod.) The cures in Icel. are divided into þinga-brauð and beneficia.

(-s, -ar), m.

1) dwarf (lágr ok digr sem dvergr);

2) one of the short pillars which support the beams and rafters in a house;

3) some kind of ornament (? a brooch) in a lady’s dress (sat þar kona … dúkr var á hálsi, dvergar á öxlum).

* * *

m. [A. S. dveorg; Engl. dwarf; Germ. (irreg.) zwerg; Swed. dverg]

α. a dwarf; about the genesis of the dwarfs vide Vsp. 6–16, Edda 9: in mod. Icel. lore dwarfs disappear, but remain in local names, as Dverga-steinn, cp. the Dwarfy Stone in Scott’s Pirate, and in several words and phrases: from the belief that the dwarfs lived in rocks, an echo is called dverg-mál, n. (-mali, m.), dwarf-talk, Al. 35, 37, Fas. iii. 369; and dverg-mála, að, to echo: from the skill of the dwarfs in metal-working, a skilful man is called dverg-hagr, adj. ( skilled as a dwarf), or dvergr, a dwarf in his art; dverga-smíði, n. dwarf’s-work, i. e. all works of rare art, such as the famous or enchanted swords of antiquity, Hervar. S. ch. 2, Fas. i. 514, ii. 463–466 (Ásmund. S.), Gísl. 80: crystal and prismatic stones are in Norway called either dwarf’s-work or ‘dwarfy-stones,’ as people believe that they are worked out by the dwarfs in the depths of the earth: botan., dverga-sóleyg, f. ranunculus glacialis, Hjalt.

β. from its dwarfed shape, a dog without a tail is in Icel. called dvergr or dverg-hundr, m., Clar.: short pillars which support the beams and rafters in a house are called ‘dvergar;’ this sense occurs as early as Hom. (St.) 65, and is still in use in some parts of Icel.: the four dwarfs, East, West, North, South, are in the Edda the bearers of heaven, Edda 5.

γ. ornaments in a lady’s dress worn on the shoulder are called ‘dvergar,’ Rm. 16; smokkr á bringu, dúkr á hálsi, dvergar á öxlum, prob. a kind of brooch. For COMPDS vide above.

1) always, ever, = ei, æ;

2) not, = ei, eigi;

ey manni þat veit, no man knows.

(gen. eyjar, dat. ey and eyju; pl. eyjar), f. an island.

* * *

gen. eyjar; dat. eyju and ey, with the article eyinni and eyjunni; acc. ey; pl. eyjar, gen. eyja, dat. eyjum; in Norway spelt and proncd. öy; [Dan. öe; Swed. ö; Ivar Aasen öy; Germ. aue; cp. Engl. eyot, leas-ow, A. S. êg-land, Engl. is-land; in Engl. local names -ea or -ey, e. g. Chels-ea, Batters-ea, Cherts-ey, Thorn-ey, Osn-ey, Aldern-ey, Orkn-ey, etc.]:—an island, Fas. ii. 299, Skálda 172, Eg. 218, Grág. ii. 131, Eb. 12; eyjar nef, the ‘neb’ or projection of an island, Fb. iii. 316.

2. in various compds; varp-ey, an island where wild birds lay eggs; eyði-ey, a deserted island; heima-ey, a home island; bæjar-ey, an inhabited island; út-eyjar, islands far out at sea; land-eyjar, an island in an inlet, Landn.: a small island close to a larger one is called a calf (eyjar-kálfr), the larger island being regarded as the cow, (so the southernmost part of the Isle of Man is called the Calf of Man): it is curious that ‘islanders’ are usually not called eyja-menn ( islandmen), but eyjar-skeggjar, m. pl. ‘island-beards;’ this was doubtless originally meant as a nickname to denote the strange habits of islanders, Fas. i. 519 (in a verse), Fær. 151, 656 C. 22, Fms. ii. 169, viii. 283, Grett. 47 new Ed.; but eyja-menn, m. pl., Valla L. 228, Eb. 316 (and in mod. usage), cp. also Götu-skeggjar, the men of Gata, a family, Landn.; eyja-sund, n. a sound or narrow strait between two islands, Eg. 93, Fms. ii. 64, 298.

3. in local names: from the shape, Lang-ey, Flat-ey, Há-ey, Drang-ey: from cattle, birds, beasts, Fær-eyjar, Lamb-ey, Sauð-ey, Hrút-ey, Yxn-ey, Hafr-ey, Svín-ey, Kið-ey, Fugl-ey, Arn-ey, Æð-ey, Má-ey, Þern-ey, Úlf-ey, Bjarn-ey: from vegetation, Eng-ey, Akr-ey, Við-ey, Brok-ey, Mos-ey: from the quarters of heaven, Austr-ey, Norðr-ey, Vestr-ey, Suðr-ey (Engl. Sudor): an island at ebb time connected with the main land is called Örfiris-ey, mod. Öffurs-ey (cp. Orfir in the Orkneys): from other things, Fagr-ey, Sand-ey, Straum-ey, Vé-ey ( Temple Isle), Eyin Helga, the Holy Isle (cp. Enhallow in the Orkneys). Eyjar is often used κατ ἐξοχήν of the Western Isles, Orkneys, Shetland, and Sudor, hence Eyja-jarl, earl of the Isles (i. e. Orkneys), Orkn. (freq.); in southern Icel. it is sometimes used of the Vestmanna eyjar.

β. in old poets ey is a favourite word in circumlocutions of women, vide Lex. Poët.; and in poetical diction ey is personified as a goddess, the sea being her girdle, the glaciers her head-gear; hence the Icel. poetical compd ey-kona. For tales of wandering islands, and giants removing islands from one place to another, vide Ísl. Þjóðs. i. 209.

4. in female pr. names, Þór-ey, Bjarg-ey, Landn.: but if prefixed—as in Eyj-úlfr, Ey-steinn, Ey-mundr, Ey-vindr, Ey-dís, Ey-fríðr, Ey-vör, Ey-þjófr, etc.—ey belongs to a different root.

COMPD: eyjaklasi.

* * *

1) guardian spirit;

2) luck, good fortune.

* * *

u, f. luck, fortune; prop. in a personal sense, a guardian spirit, answering to the guardian angel of Christians; derived from hamr, for the guardian spirits of men—and every man had his hamingja—were believed to take the shape sometimes of animals, sometimes and more commonly of human beings, esp. that of women; but they were themselves supernatural beings; that the hamingjur were giant-females proceeding from the great Norns—who were the hamingjur of the world—is borne out by the passage in Vþm. 48, 49. Hamingja and fylgja or fylgju-kona (Hallfred S. ch. 11) seem to be nearly synonymous, as also gæfa, gipta, auðna, heill; but hamingja is the most personal word, and was almost symbolical of family relationship. At the hour of death the hamingja left the dying person and passed into a dear son, daughter, or beloved kinsman; cp. Hallfr. S. ch. 11, and esp. the charming tale in Glúm. ch. 9. One might also impart one’s own good luck to another, hence the phrase leggja sína hamingju með e-m, almost answering to the Christian, ‘to give one’s blessing to another.’ Examples: sögðusk mundu leggja til með honum hamingju sína, Ld. 74; h. ok gæfa, Fms. vi. 165; þú en ústöðuga h., Al. 23; h. konungsins, 22; ok mun kona sjá hans h. vera er fjöllum hærra gékk, Glúm. 345; etja hamingju við e-n, Fb. ii. 65; ok reyna hvat hamingjan vill unna þér, Fs. 4; vilnask ( hope) at h. mun fylgja, 23; vera má at þat sé til h. várrar ættar, 11; langæligar nytjar munu menn hafa hans hamingju, Bs. i. 229; forlög ekki forðumst ill | fram kemr það hamingjan vill, Úlf. 3. 69; meiri í hreysti en hamingju, Gullþ. 21; sigri eðr hamingju manns þessa, Fs. 10. It is still used in Icel. almost as Heaven, Providence; það má Hamingjan vita, God knows; eg vildi Hamingjan gæfi, would to Heaven! Guð og Hamingjan, God and Good Luck; treysta Guði og Hamingjunni; eiga undir Hamingjunni, to run the risk; and in similar phrases.

COMPDS: hamingjudrjúgr, hamingjuhjól, hamingjuhlutr, hamingjulauss, hamingjuleysi, hamingjumaðr, hamingjumikill, hamingjumót, hamingjuraun, hamingjusamligr, hamingjuskipti, hamingjuskortr, hamingjutjón.

* * *

(dat. katli, pl. katlar), m. kettle, pot, cauldron (í eldahúsinu var eldr mikill ok katlar yfir).

* * *

m., dat. katli, pl. katlar, [Goth. katils = Mark vii. 4; A. S. cytel; Engl. kettle; O. H. G. kezil; Germ. kessel; Swed. kettel; Dan. kjædel]:—a kettle, cauldron, Eb. 198; í elda-húsinu var eldr mikill ok katlar yfir, Eg. 238, Bs. i. 342, ii. 135, B. K. 52, Fms. vi. 364, Edda 28; elda undir katli, kljúfa við undir ketil, Fbr. 72 new Ed., Fs. 150; var honum goldinn k. mikill ok góðr, Þorst. Siðu H. 171; búðar-k., Eb. 198; eir-k., Eg.; járn-k., stein-k., an iron, an earthen kettle, Ó. H. 223: in old usage as a general name for every kettle, boiler, cauldron; in mod. usage, esp. of a kettle of a certain shape or of a small kettle, kaffe-k., a coffee kettle; but pottr = cauldron; the same distinction is made in Dipl. v. 4.—sex katlar, tíu pottar: katla-máls skjóla, a measure, Grág. i. 501: the phrase, e-m fellr allr ketill í eld, one’s kettle falls into the fire, of consternation.

2. the earliest northern eccl. law prescribed as an ordeal for a woman to take hot stones out of a boiling kettle, whereas a man had to take up hot iron; ganga til ketils, taka í ketil, Gkv. 3. 7, (the ordeal being called ketil-tak, n.); beri karlmaðr járn en kona taki í ketil, N. G. L. i. 152; karlmaðr skal ganga til arins-járns en kona til ketiltaks, 389; eðr berr hón járn eðr tekr hón í ketil, Grág. i. 381.

II. as a pr. name of men, Ketill, Ketil-björn; of women, Katla, Ketil-ríðr: but chiefly used as the latter part in compd names of men, contr. into ‘kel,’ As-kell, Arn-kell, Grím-kell, Hall-kell, Stein-kell, Úlf-kell, Þór-kell, Vé-kell: of women, Hall-katla, Þór-katla. In poets of the 10th century the old uncontracted form was still used, but the contracted form occurs in verses of the beginning of the 11th century, although the old form still occurs now and then. The freq. use of these names is no doubt derived from the holy cauldron at sacrifices, as is indicated by such names as Vé-kell, Holy kettle; cp. Ketilby in Yorkshire.

* * *

n. ship (of any kind).

* * *

n. [Ulf. skip = πλοιον; a word common to all Teut. languages, ancient and modern]:—a ship; it is the generic name, including ships of every size and shape; lang-skip, a long ship, a war ship (including dreki, skeið, snekkja); kaup-skip, a merchant ship (including knörr, buzza, kuggr); even of ferry-boats on lakes, rivers, channels, hafa skip á á ( river), Grág. ii. 267; haf-skip, a sea-going ship; segl-skip, róðrar-skip, N. G. L. i. 335, Ld. 300, Hkr. i. 152, Fms. i. 38; ríða til skips, Nj. 4, and in countless instances: of a ship-formed candlestick, járn stika með skipi, Dipl. v. 18. For the heathen rite of burying a man in a ship, see Landn. 81, Ld. 16, Gísl., cp. also Yngl. S. ch. 27; Skjöld. S., of king Ring in Arngrim’s Suppliments (MSS.)

II. COMPDS:

1. with gen. plur.: skipa-afli, a, m. a naval force, Sturl. iii. 65, Fms. vii. 248. skipa-búnaðr (-búningr, Fms. x. 119), m. the fitting out of ships, making ready for sea, Fms. viii. 380, ix. 215. skipa-farir, f. pl. = skipa-ferð, Orkn. 428, Fms. iv. 50, Þiðr. 249. skipa-fé, n. a ship-tax, Rétt. 1. 5, H. E. i. 414, Jb. 459. skipa-ferð, f. = skip-ferð, Gullþ. 67, Fms. vi. 321. skipa-fjöldi, a, m. a multitude of ships, Magn. 450. skipa-floti, a, m. a fleet of ships, Fs. 16, Nj. 8. skipa-gangr, m. = skipaferð, Fms. vi. 238, 321, Bs. ii. 131. skipa-görð, f. ship-building, Fms. ii. 107, viii. 105, Rétt. 42. skipa-herr, m. a naval force. Eg. 13, 31, Fms. iii. 74. skipa-kaup, n. the trading with a ship in harbour, Grág. ii. 406. skipa-kostr, m. = skipaafli, Eg. 117, 527, Fms. i. 20, Orkn. 380. skipa-lauss, adj. without ships, Fms. xi. 180. skipa-leið, f. the ‘ship-road,’ way by sea, Fms. x. 92. skipa-leiðangr, m. a levy in ships, Rétt. 81. skipa-leiði, n. = skipaleið. Fms. x. 85. skipa-leiga, u, f. the hire of a ship, H. E. i. 394. skipa-lið, n. a naval force, Eg. 7, Fms. i. 147, vi. 225. skipa-lýðr, m. shipmen, seamen, Fb. i. 122. skipa-lægi, n. a berth, Landn. 54, Fms. vii. 122. skipa-maðr, m. a shipman. mariner, pl. a crew, Grág. i. 451, Nj. 133, Rd. 227, Fms. x. 244. skipa-meðferð, f. shipping business, Grág. ii. 394. skipa-orrosta, u, f. a sea-fight, Sks. 395. skipa-reiði, a, m. a ship’s rigging, Skálda 194. skipa-saumr, m. [Dan. skibs-stöm], ship-nails, Fms. ix. 377. skipa-smiðr, m. a ship-wright, Eg. 135. skipa-smíð, f. sbip-building, Stj. 570. skipa-stóll, m. a supply of ships, fleet, Fms. vii. 292, viii. 163, 177, x. 414, Stj. 346. skipa-tollr, m. a ship-tax, Rétt. 42. skipa-uppsát, n. the right of laying a ship ashore, Grág. ii. 401. skipa-viða, u, f. ship-timber, Fr. skipa-vöxtr, m. the size of ships, Fms. ii. 299.

2. with gen. sing.; skips-bátr, m. a ship’s boat, Fbr. 103. skips-borð, n. a ship’s board, gunwale, Vkv. 31, Skálda 192, Fms. xi. 140. skips-brot, n. = skipbrot, Grág. ii. 389, Gþl. 482, Fms. ii. 80, Edda 131. skips-bryggja, u, f. a ship’s bridge, gangway. skips-dráttr, m. ship-launching, Grág. ii. 401, Gþl. 371, Fms. ix. 402, Fs. 157. skips-dróttinn, m. a ship’s master, skipper, 655 x. 2. skips-flak, n. a wreck, Fms. ii. 246, Hkr. i. 303. skips-görð, f. = skipgörð, N. G. L. skips-háski, a, m. danger at sea, Jb. 402. skips-höfn, f. a ship’s crew, Fms. ii. 246, vii. 298, Landn. 56, Ld. 118, passim: a harbour, berth; kirkja á s. í Herdísar-vík, Vm. 14. skips-lengd, f. a ship’s length, Grág. i. 209, ii. 399. skips-prestr, m. a ship’s priest, Sturl. i. 117. skips-reiði, a, m. a ship’s tackling, Greg. 76. skips-sátr and skips-uppsát, n. a berth, Gþl. 98, 113. skips-verð, n. a ship’s worth, N. G. L. i. 198.

B. PROP.

COMPDS: skipbatr, skipborð, skipbót, skipbrot, skipbrotsmaðr, skipbuza, skipbúinn, skipbúnaðr, skipdráttr, skipdróttinn, skiperfð, skipfarmr, skipferð, skipfjöl, skipflak, skipfærr, skipför, skipgengr, skipgörð, skipherra, skiphlutr, skiphræ, skiphræddr, skipkaup, skipkostr, skipkváma, skipkænn, skiplauss, skipleggja, skipleiga, skiplesting, skipleysi, skipmaðr, skiprestr, skippund, skippundari, skipreiða, skipreiði, skipreiðumenn, skipreiðuþing, skipreiki, skiprúm, skipsala, skipsaumr, skipsátr, skipskeggja, skipskrokkr, skipsleði, skipsmiðr, skipsmíð, skipsókn, skipstafn, skipstjóri, skipstjórn, skipstjórnarmaðr, skipsveinn, skipsýsla, skipsögn, skiptaka, skiptapi, skiptjón, skiptollr, skiptöturr, skipuppsátr, skipverð, skipveri, skipverjar, skipviðr, skipvist.

* * *

(pl. -ar), f.

1) score, notch, incision;

2) a rift in a rock or precipice (hleypr hann ofan fyrir skorina).

* * *

f., gen. skarar, [skara], a rim, edge; allt út að skörinni, the rim of ice, Eb. 236; víða um ísinn … þeir lendu útan at skörinni, Fms. viii. 404: = tjald-skör, hljóp konungr ór lyptingunni, var hann svá reiðr at hann hljóp út um skarirnar, Fas. i. 373; spretta skörunr, ii. 187, 206, Bs. ii. 108: the phrase, skríða til skarar, to slide to the very edge, to fight it out, Sd. 189; skal nú til skarar skríða með okkr Knúti bróður mínum, Fms. xi. 15, the metaphor prob. from running or racing to the edge of the ice.

2. the joints in a ship’s planking, see skara and skarsúð; þá er skipit hljóp af stokkunum bilaði í skarar nökkurar, Fms. viii. 196; húfr skörum hvelfðr, a hull covered with skarar, vi. (in a verse); þunn skör, the thin planks, Lex. Poët.

3. a row of benches or steps; it appears from this word that in the ancient halls the seats sloped upwards, in tiers, as in a theatre; skyldi sá sitja á skörinni fyrir hásætinu, on the bench next before the high seat, Hkr. i. 49; sitja í hásæti, skör lægra enn konungr, one bench, one step lower, Fms. i. 7, Fb. ii. 137; sem hann er lauss, þykkir honum skör rýmra, Fas. ii. 225; var konungr í sömu stofu ok sömu skör um vetrinn, Fms. x. 1, v. l.; fót-skör, a foot-stool; or skör fóta = fótskemill.

4. = skari (better skor), Þiðr. 288, 291, 311, 350.

5. the hair, prob. from being cut so as to make a rim round the head, cp. brúna-skurðr: skör nam at dyja, Þkv. i; skör var fyrir enni, hair cut into a forelock on the forehead, Rm. 15; skör jarpa, Hðm. 21; skarar jarpar, Gkv. 2. 19; þær skálar er und skörum vóru, Vkv. 23, 33; döglings skör dreyra runna, his gory locks, Gkv. 1. 13; alda gengr of skör drengjum, Kormak; háfjall skarar, skarar fjall, skarar haugr, the high mount of the hair, the ‘knoll of the hair,’ = the head, Hým. 23, Hkr. i. (in a verse), Lex. Poët.: skör is used of men’s hair only, not of women, hence in the law, ef kona klæðisk karlklæðum eða skerr sér skör, eða ferr með vápn, þat varðar fjörbaugs-garð, Grág. i. 358: the word is obsolete in prose, except Grág. l. c., or in the saying, skömm eru skarar lýtin, cp. Mkv. 19: and in the phrase, mun Guðrún eiga at búa um rauda skör Bolla, G. will have to dress B.’s gory locks, Ld. 244; cp. vinna skarar rauðar, Ó. H. (in a verse); svá segir mér hugr um at rautt mun sjá í skörina, my mind tells me that there will be bloody locks, Valla L. 210: skapa skor (i. e. skör?) ok jafna ú-jafnað, to shape the cut, and make even the uneven, Fbr. 16 new Ed., skarar-fagr, adj. fair-haired, Fms. x. (in a verse).