Definitions
Definitions
1 eira
1. ð, [A. S. ârian = parcere], to spare, with dat.; hafa allir hlutir unnit eiða at e. Baldri (not to hurt Balder), Edda 37; hann eirði öngu hvárki í orðum né verkum, he spared naught either in word or work, Nj. 184, Fms. vii. 312; at þeir skyldu e. konum ok kirkjum, spare women and churches, Sturl. iii. 40; e. undan e-u, to yield; höfum vér lengi undan eirt fjandskap yðrum, Ld. 204; kvað hann þá ekki mundu tjá at letja sik, kvaðsk lengi hafa undan eirt, Fms. vii. 244; ok meir þykjumk vér undan eira, Sturl. i. 72; eptir þetta ríða þeir Ögmundr í brott, ok eirir hann undan þá enn fyrst, iii. 103.
2 eira
β. impers., e-m eirir e-t illa, it displeases one, i. e. to feel ill at rest with a thing; illa eirði mér fall þitt, Flóv. 29; Eiríki konungi eirði þetta stórilla, Fms. i. 19; honum eirir illa ef hann hefir eigi sitt mál, Ísl. ii. 236; Bergi eirði hit versta, Fs. 53; eira vel (ironically), to be well pleased, meira efni hefir hann til eldingar en honum megi vel eira inni at vera, 45: to do for one, vitum hve oss eiri öl þat er Bárðr of signdi, let us see how Bard’s draught will agree with us, Eg. ch. 44 (in a verse); Egill fann, at honum mundi ekki svá búit eira, E. felt, that this would not do, Eg. 552. In mod. usage, eira means to feel at rest (= una), of a man or beast who is restless or runs from one place to another,—it is said ‘hann eirir hvergi,’ he can nowhere rest; the other senses are obsolete.
3 eira
2. u, f. rest, = eirð.
Runic Inscription
Runic Inscription
eira
The runic text above represents the Old Norse word "eira" as it might appear in runic inscriptions from the Viking Age (c. 800-1100 CE).