Breyta

Old Norse Dictionary - breyta

Meaning of Old Norse word "breyta"

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

Old Norse word breyta can mean:breyta

breyta
tt, [braut, via], to alter, change: bregða implies the notion of breach, breyta simply denotes change: with dat.; b. farveg (of a river), to form a new channel, Grág. i. 350, Nj. 4, Ld. 158, Fms. ii. 158, Fb. i. 292; flestar Þjóðir þurfa at b. (transform) nafni hans til sinnar tungu, Edda 14; þá vóru snjóvar miklir ok breyttir (changed, become impassable) vegir allir, Eg. 543, Rb. 262 (where the acc. is wrong;).
breyta
β. reflex., hafa þau ekki breyzk síðan, they have not changed since, Fms. viii. 5.
breyta
γ. to vary; b. háttum, to vary the metre, Edda 121; b. hári sínu, to dress the hair, GrEg. 45; b. málum, to speak rhetorically, dress one’s words, Fms. vi. 392; réttr ok b., plain and artificial, Edda 120; úbreyttr, plain.
breyta
II. metaph., absol. without case, to conduct oneself, act, do, behave; ef við breytum svá, if we do so, Nj. 202, Ísl. ii. 181, Fms. i. 150; b. eptir e-m, to imitate, Symb. 15; b. til e-s, to attempt, Grág. ii. 94.
breyta
2. in mod. use chiefly in moral sense, to behave, conduct oneself; b. vel, illa, kristilega, cp. breytni, n. T., Vidal., Pass.

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

Abbreviations used:

acc.
accusative.
dat.
dative.
reflex.
retlexive.
n.
neuter.
absol.
absolute, absolutely.
l.
line.
metaph.
metaphorical, metaphorically.
cp.
compare.
mod.
modern.

Works & Authors cited:

Edda
Edda. (C. I.)
Eg.
Egils Saga. (D. II.)
Fb.
Flateyjar-bók (E. I.)
Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Grág.
Grágás. (B. I.)
Ld.
Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)
Nj.
Njála. (D. II.)
Rb.
Rímbegla. (H. III.)
Greg.
Gregory. (F. II.)
Symb.
Symbolae. (H. IV.)
N. T.
New Testament.
Pass.
Passiu-Sálmar.
➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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