f. [from sjúkr, by way of assimilation; Ulf. sauhs = ἀσθένεια, νόσος; Dan. sot]

1. sickness, illness, disease, Hm. 94; taka sótt, to fall sick, Eg. 201, Nj. 29, Fs. 12, Ld. 102; kasta á sik sótt, to feign illness, Nj. 14; sóttum sjúkr, 623. 50; utan sóttar burdarins, without birth-pains, K. Á. 104: the phrase, sótt elnar, the illness (fever) increases, Eg. 126, Band. 14, Bs. i. 69, Fas. ii. 162 (where of the pangs of childbirth), 504; sóttin rénar, the fever abates; kenna sóttar, to feel the symptoms of illness or fever, be taken ill, Fs. 21; hón kennir sér sóttar, ok elr sveinbarn, Sd. 176; drottning fær sótt ok fæðir son, Mirm.; at sú mær hafði miklar sóttir, throes of pain, Og. 2: bráðar sóttir, paroxysms, 5; sóttar-brími, the brunt of fever, Stor.; eldr tekr við sóttum, Hm. 138 (see eldr).—Sótt has thus a double sense, generic = Lat. morbus, and special = Lat. febris or angina: in popular phrases and usages this latter sense is very freq., see the remarks in Fél. x. 39, 40.

2. freq. in compds, land-far-sótt = epidemic; ána-sótt, skrópa-sótt, hug-sótt, bana-sótt; it is esp. suffixed to the names of sicknesses followed by strong fevers, thus, bólna-sótt, small-pox; kvef-sótt, a cough-fever = influenza; tak-sótt, a stitch in the side; létta-sótt, jóð-sótt, throes of childbirth;þunga-sótt, a severe fever; stein-sótt, the stone; bráða-sótt, sudden death; riðu-sótt, ague; ámu-sótt, erysipelas; bit-sótt, a ‘biting illness,’ cancer (?), Hm. 138, Ýt. 17.

3. diarrhoea, (mod.)

COMPDS: sóttarfar, sóttarferði, sóttarkyn, sóttalauss, sóttarleiðing.