Bresta

Old Norse Dictionary - bresta

Meaning of Old Norse word "bresta"

As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:

Old Norse word bresta can mean:bresta

bresta
pret. brast, pl. brustu; part. brostinn; pres. brest, [A. S. berstan, per metath.; Engl. to burst; Germ. bersten; Swed. brista; Dan. briste]:—to burst, be rent; jörðin brast (the earth burst) undir hesti hans, Nj. 158; steinninn brast, the rock was rent, BS. i. 5.
bresta
β. to break with a crash; brast þú boginn í tvá hluti, Hkr. i. 342, Gísl. 81; brestr röng, the rib of a barrel creaks, Jb. 398: the hoops of a vessel bresta (burst), FS. 132; skulfu lönd, en brustu bönd (of a tub), Jón Þorl.
bresta
2. to crash, of the sound alone; hófarnir brustu í veggjunum, the hoofs dashed against the wall, Grett. 25 new Ed.; hvat brast þar svá hátt, Hkr. i. 342; þá brast strengr á skipi, then twanged the bowstring on the ship, FmS. i. 182; brestandi bogi, the twanging bow, Hm. 84.
bresta
β. to burst forth, of a stream, avalanche, or the like; brestr flóð, of an avalanche, Gísl. 33; skriða brast, id., FmS. v. 250; blóð brestr út, the blood bursts out, from a blow, n. G. l. i. 342.
bresta
γ. a milit. term, flótti brestr, the ranks break in flight, when the host is seized by panic; þá brast flótti í liði Flosa, Nj. 246; er meginflóttinn brast, FmS. viii. 229; brast þá flótti á Vindum, xi. 233; bardagi brestr, the battle bursts out, begins, (rare and as it seems απ. λεγ.), FaS. i. 34.
bresta
δ. b. or b. á, to burst or break out, a storm, gale, cp. BS. i. 78 (vide however S. v. bera C. IV): b. or b. út, to ebb, but only of the first turning of the tide, Bb. 2. 15; augu b., the eyes break in death, v. auga; hence helbrostið auga.
bresta
II. imperS., e-n (acc.) brestr e-t (acc.), one lacks, falls short of; brast Sigríði (acc.) fimm tigi hundraða, Dipl. v. 3; ef oss brestr á borði, if we fall short, get the worst of it, FmS. ix. 507; eigi brestr mik árædi, FS. 62; á mið þau er aldri mun fisk (Ed. wrongly fiskr) b., Bárð. 169; ef eitt orð (acc.) brysti, FmS. iv. 71; hann vissi þessa sína ætlan brostna (frustrated), BS. i. 289; þat mun aldri b., that will never fail, Grett. 24 new Ed.: hamingjuna brestr, FmS. vi. 155 (Ed. hamingjan).

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᛒᚱᛁᛋᛏᛅ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements

Abbreviations used:

A. S.
Anglo-Saxon.
Dan.
Danish.
Engl.
English.
Germ.
German.
gl.
glossary.
l.
line.
m.
masculine.
metath.
metathesis.
n.
neuter.
part.
participle.
pl.
plural.
pres.
present.
pret.
preterite.
S.
Saga.
Swed.
Swedish.
id.
idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
L.
Linnæus.
s. v.
sub voce.
v.
vide.
απ. λεγ.
απαξ. λεγόμενον.
lit.
literally.
milit.
military.
cp.
compare.
acc.
accusative.
impers.
impersonal.
pers.
person.

Works & Authors cited:

Bs.
Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)
Nj.
Njála. (D. II.)
Fs.
Forn-sögur. (D. II.)
Gísl.
Gísla Saga. (D. II.)
Hkr.
Heimskringla. (E. I.)
Jb.
Jóns-bók. (B. III.)
Jón Þorl.
Jón Þorláksson.
Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Grett.
Grettis Saga. (D. II.)
Hm.
Hává-mál. (A. I.)
N. G. L.
Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)
Fas.
Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)
Bb.
Búnaðar-bálkr.
Bárð.
Bárðar Saga. (D. V.)
Dipl.
Diplomatarium. (J. I.)
➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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