Old Norse Dictionary - fé

Meaning of Old Norse word "fé"

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

Old Norse word fé can mean:

n., irreg. gen. fjár, dat. fé; pl. gen. fjá, dat. fjám; with the article, féit, féinu, féin, mod. féð, fénu, fén: [Lat. pecu; Goth. faihu; A. S. feoh; Engl. fee; Hel. fehu; O. H. G. fehu; Germ. vieh; Dan. fæ; Swed. ]
I. cattle, in Icel. chiefly sheep; fé né menn, Grett. 101; fjölda fjár, Ld. 210; gæta fjár, to mind sheep, 232; en ef þeir brenna húsin þó at fé manna sé inni, Grág. ii. 164; þeir ráku féit (the sheep) upp á geilarnar, Ni. 119; kvik-fé, live-stock, q. v.: ganganda fé, id., opp. to dautt fé, dead property, Grág. passim.
COMPDS: fjárbeit, fjárborg, fjárbreiða, fjárdauði, fjárfellir, fjárfóðr, fjárfæði, fjárfæling, fjárganga, fjárgeymsla, fjárgæzla, fjárhagi, fjárheimtur, fjárhirðir, fjárknappr, fjárhundr, fjárhús, fjárkaup, fjárkláði, fjárnyt, fjárpest, fjárrekstr, fjárréttr, fjársauðr.
II. property, money; hvárt sem fé þat er land eðr annat fé, Grág. ii. 237: the allit. phrase, fé ok fjörvi, Sl. 1; hafa fyrir gört fé ok fjörvi, to forfeit property and life, Nj. 191: the proverbs, fé er fjörvi firr, life is dearer than money, 124; fé veldr frænda rógi, money makes foes of kinsmen, Mkv. 1. Common sayings, hafa fullar hendr fjár; afla fjár ok frægðar, to gain wealth and fame, FmS. i. 23 (a standing phrase); afla fjár ok frama, FS. 7, fjár ok virðingar, id.; seint munu þín augu fylld verða á fénu, Gullþ. 7; þú munt ærit mjök elska féit áðr lýkr, id.; lát mík sjá hvárt fé þetta er svá mikit ok frítt, Gísl. 62; at Þorgils tæki við fjám sínum, FS. 154; fagrt fé, fine money; at þeir næði féinu, FmS. x. 23; þegn af fé, liberal, Ísl. ii. 344; Auðr tekr nú féit, A. took the money, Gísl. 62; hér er fé þat (the money) er Gunnarr greiddi mér, Nj. 55; fé þat allt er hann átti, Eg. 98; alvæpni en ekki fé annat, FmS. i. 47: skemman var full af varningi, þetta fé …, v. 255; Höskuldr færði fé allt til skips, Nj. 4; hversu mikit fé er þetta, id.; heimta fé sín, Grág. i. 87; þiggit þat herra, fé er í því, there is value in it, FmS. vii. 197.
COMPDS: fjárafhlutr, fjáraflan, fjárafli, fjárauðn, fjáragirnd, fjárbón, fjárburðr, fjárdráttr, fjárefni, fjáreigandi, fjáreign, fjáreyðsla, fjáreyðslumaðr, fjárfang, fjárfar, fjárforráð, fjárframlag, fjárfundr, fjárgjald, fjárgjöf, fjárgróði, fjárgæzla, fjárgæzlumaðr, fjárhagr, fjárhagamaðr, fjárhald, fjárhaldsmaðr, fjárheimt, fjárhirðsla, fjárhlutr, fjárkaup, fjárkostnaðr, fjárkostr, fjárkrafa, fjárlag, fjárlán, fjárlát, fjárleiga, fjármegin, fjármet, fjármissa, fjármunir, fjárnám, fjárorkumaðr, fjárpína, fjárrán, fjárreiða, fjárreita, fjársaknaðr, fjársekt, fjársjóðr, fjárskaði, fjárskakki, fjárskilorð, fjárskipti, fjárskuld, fjársóan, fjársókn, fjárstaðr, fjártak, fjártal, fjártapan, fjártilkall, fjártillag, fjártjón, fjárupptak, fjárútlát, fjárvarðveizla, fjárvarðveizlumaðr, fjárván, fjárverðr, fjárviðtaka, fjárvöxtr, fjárþarfnaðr, fjárþurð, fjárþurfi.
B. Fé- in COMPDS, usually in sense II, sometimes in sense I: fé-auðna, u, f. money luck. féauðnu-maðr, m. a man lucky in making money, Band. 4. fé-boð, n. an offer of money, Lv. 62, FmS. v. 26, 369, 656 A. 17; a bribe, Grág. i. 72. fébóta-laust, n. adj. without compensation, Glúm. 358. fé-brögð, n. pl. devices for making money, FmS. xi. 423, 623. 21. fé-bætr, f. pl. payments in compensation, esp. of weregild, opp. to mann-hefndir, Nj. 165, Eg. 106, FS. 53, 74, Ísl. ii. 386. fé-bættr, part. paid for weregild, Gullþ. 12. fé-drengr, m. an open-handed man, Nj. 177. fé-drjúgr, adj. having a deep purse, Ld. 46. fé-fastr, adj. close-fisted, Ísl. ii. 392, BS. i. 74. fé-fátt, n. adj. in want of money, Eg. 394, FmS. iii. 180, Hkr. iii. 422. fé-fellir, m. losing one’s sheep, Lv. 91. fé-festi, f. close-fistedness, Grett. 155 C. fé-fletta, tt, to strip one of money, cheat one, FaS. iii. 103, v. l. fé-frekr, adj. greedy for money, Rd. 314. fé-föng, n. pl. booty, plunder, spoil, FmS. iii. 18, vii. 78, Eg. 57, 236, Gullþ. 5, SkS. 183 B. fé-gefinn, part. given for (and to) gain, Band. 4, Valla l. 201. fé-girnd, f. avarice, Hom. 86, Al. 4, PasS. 16. 7, 10. fé-girni, f. = fégirnd, SkS. 358, Band. 11, Sturl. i. 47 C. fégjafa-guð, m. the god of wealth, Edda 55. fé-gjald, n. a payment, fine, Nj. 111, 120, Band. 11, FmS. vii. 248. fé-gjarn, adj. greedy, avaricious, Eg. 336, FS. 133, Nj. 102, FmS. i. 52, vii. 238. fé-gjöf, f. a gift of money, FS. 11, 21, FmS. i. 53, xi. 325, Ld. 52. fé-glöggr, f. close-handed, Eb. 158. fé-góðr, adj. good, i. e. current, money, D. n. fé-grið, n. pl. security for property, Grág. ii. 21. fé-gyrðill, m. [early Dan. fägürthil], a money bag, purse, worn on the belt, Gísl. 20, Fbr. 66, Þiðr. 35. fé-gætni, f. saving habits, Glúm. 358. fé-göfugr, adj. blessed with wealth, Ísl. ii. 322. fé-hirðir, m. a shepherd, FaS. i. 518, FmS. viii. 342, Gþl. 501: a treasurer, Hkr. i. 36, Eg. 202, FmS. x. 157, vi. 372, viii. 372. fé-hirzla, u, f. a treasury, FmS. vi. 171, vii. 174, Eg. 237, Hom. 9. féhirzlu-hús, n. a treasure-house, Stj. 154. féhirzlu-maðr, m. a treasurer, Karl. 498. fé-hús, n. = fjós, a stall, D. n. (Fr.): a treasury,m. 299. fé-kaup, n. a bargain, n. G. l. i. 9. fé-kátliga, adv., Thom. 403. fé-kátr, adj. proud of one’s wealth,m. 126. fé-kostnaðr, m. expenditure, expense, Stj. 512, FmS. iv. 215, xi. 202, Hkr. i. 148. fé-kostr, m. = fékostnaðr, Orkn. 40. fé-krókar, m. pl. money-angles, wrinkles about the eyes marking a greedy man (vide auga), FmS. ii. 84. fé-kvörn, f. a small gland in the maw of sheep, in popular superstition regarded, when found, as a talisman of wealth, vide Eggert Itin. ch. 323. fé-lag, n. fellowship, and fé-lagi, a, m. a fellow, vide p. 151. fé-lauss, adj. penniless, FmS. vi. 272, FS. 79, Gullþ. 5, Landn. 324 (Mant.) fé-lát, n. loss of money, Landn. 195. fé-leysi, n. want of money, FmS. viii. 20. fé-ligr, adj. valuable, handsome, FmS. viii. 206. fé-lítill, adj. short of money, Eg. 691, Sturl. i. 127 C, FmS. v. 182, vi. 271: of little value, Vm. 74, Jm. 13; fé-minstr, yielding the least income, BS. i. 432. fé-maðr, m. a monied man, Sturl. i. 171, iii. 97, Dropl. 3. fé-mál, n. money affairs, Nj. 5; a suit for money, FmS. viii. 130, Nj. 15, Grág. i. 83. fé-mikill, adj. rich, monied, SkS. 252, Sturl. i. 171 C: costly, FmS. v. 257, xi. 85, BS. i. 295, Hkr. iii. 247, Eb. 256: expensive, Korm. 224 (in a verse). fé-mildr, adj. open-handed, Nj. 30. fé-missa, u, f. and fé-missir, m. loss of cattle, Jb. 362: loss of money, Grett. 150 C. fé-munir, m. pl. valuables, Hkr. i. 312, Grág. i. 172, Hrafn. 19, 21, FmS. vi. 298, viii. 342. fé-múta, u, f. a bribe in money, Nj. 215, 251, Gullþ. 7, FmS. v. 312, BS. i. 839, Thom. 72. fé-mætr, adj. ‘money-worth,’ valuable, FmS. i. 105, Ísl. ii. 154, Orkn. 386. fé-neytr (fé-nýtr), adj. money-worth, FmS. iv. 340, cp. Hkr. ii. 253. fé-nýta, tt, to turn to account, make use of, BS. i. 760, Grág. ii. 155. fé-penningr, m. a penny-worth, BS. i. 757. fé-pína, u, f. a fine, H. E. i. 511. fé-prettr, m. a money trick, n. G. l. i. 123. fé-pynd, f. extortion, BS. i. 757. fé-ráð, n. pl. advice in money-matters, 656 C. 16. fé-rán, n. plunder, FS. 9, FmS. vi. 263, Fb. i. 215 (in a verse):—execution, confiscation, in the law phrase, féráns-dómr, m. a court of execution or confiscation to be held within a fortnight after the sentence at the house of a person convicted in one of the two degrees of outlawry, vide Grág. þ. þ. ch. 29–33, and the Sagas passim, esp. Hrafn. 21, Sturl. i. 135; cp. also Dasent, Introd. to Burnt Njal. fé-ríkr, adj. rich, wealthy, FmS. ix. 272, Gullþ. 7, Ld. 102, Skálda 203. fé-samr, adj. lucrative, Sturl. i. 68 C. fé-sátt (fé-sætt), f. an agreement as to payment, of weregild or the like, Grág. i. 136, Nj. 189, Ld. 308. fé-sekr, adj. fined, sentenced to a fine, Grág. i. 393. fé-sekt, f. a fine, Nj. 189, Finnb. 276. fé-sinki, f. niggardliness, SkS. 421, 699. fé-sinkr, adj. niggardly, Sturl. i. 162. fé-sjóðr, m., prop. a bag of money, Band. 6, Fbr. 35 new Ed., Nj. 55, FaS. iii. 194: mod. esp. in pl. a treasury, treasure, in Matth. vi. 20, Col. ii. 3, HEb. xi. 26. fé-skaði, a, m. loss in money, BS. i, FS. 4, FmS. iv. 327. fé-skipti, n. a sharing or division of property, Nj. 118, Ld. 134. fé-skjálgr, adj., féskjálg augu, eyes squinting for money, Band. 6. fé-skortr, m. shortness of money, Rd. 284. fé-skuld, f. a money debt, Finnb. 350. fé-skurðr, m. detriment, Ld. 44. fé-skygn, adj. covetous, FmS. v. 263. fé-skylft (fé-skylmt), n. adj., in the phrase, e-n er f., one has many expenses to defray, Grett. 89, 159, Eb. 98. fé-snauðr, adj. poor in money, penniless, BS. i. 335. fé-sníkja, u, f. (fé-sníkni), begging, intruding as a parasite, SkS. 669, 451, 585. fé-snúðr, m. lucre, Band. 5, 655 xi. 4. fé-sparr, adj. sparing, close-handed, Band. 6, FmS. iii. 190. fé-spjöll, n. pl. an απ. λεγ. in Vsp. 23, fee-spells, i. e. spells wherewith to conjure hidden treasures out of the earth, where we propose to read,—valði hón (MS. henne, dat.) Herföðr (dat.) … f. spakleg, she (the Vala) endowed the father of hosts (Odin) with wise fee-spells; the passage in Yngl. S. ch. 7—Óðinn vissi of allt jarðfé hvar fólgit var—refers to this very word; Odin is truly represented as a pupil of the old Vala, receiving from her his supernatural giftS. fé-sterkr, adj. wealthy, FmS. iv. 231, SkS. 274. fé-stofn, m. stock. fé-sæla, u, f. wealth, Hkr. i. 15, Edda 16. fé-sæll, adj. wealthy, Edda 15. fé-sök, f. a suit, action for money, Nj. 15, Grág. i. 138. fé-útlega, u, f. a fine, outlay, n. G. l. i. 85. fé-vani, adj. short of money, FmS. iv. 27. fé-ván, f. expectancy of money, Gullþ. 7, Eg. 241, FmS. iv. 27, Orkn. 208. fé-veizla, u, f. contributions, help, SkS. 261, v. l. fé-vél, n. a trick, device against one’s property, n. G. l. i. 34. fé-víti, n. mulct, Grág. fé-vænliga, adv. in a manner promising profit, FmS. v. 257. fé-vænligr, adj. promising profit, profitable, Sturl. i. 138, FmS. v. 257. fé-vænn, adj. = févænligr, Sturl. i. 138. fé-vöxtr, m. increase in property, gain, Eg. 730. fé-þurfi, adj. in need of money, Eb. 164, FmS. ii. 80, Lv. 108, FaS. i. 392. fé-þúfa, u, f. a ‘money-mound,’ used in the Tales like Fortunatus’ purse; in the phrase, hafa e-n fyrir féþúfu, to use one as a milch cow, to squeeze money out of one. fé-þyrfi and fé-þörf, f. need of money, poverty, Rd. 236. fé-örk, f. a money-chest, 224.

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

Abbreviations used:

A. S.
Anglo-Saxon.
Dan.
Danish.
dat.
dative.
Engl.
English.
gen.
genitive.
Germ.
German.
gl.
glossary.
Goth.
Gothic.
Hel.
Heliand.
irreg.
irregular.
l.
line.
Lat.
Latin.
m.
masculine.
mod.
modern.
n.
neuter.
O. H. G.
Old High German.
pl.
plural.
S.
Saga.
Swed.
Swedish.
Icel.
Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
id.
idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
opp.
opposed.
q. v.
quod vide.
v.
vide.
allit.
alliteration, alliterative.
lit.
literally.
þ.
þáttr.
adj.
adjective.
adv.
adverb.
απ. λεγ.
απαξ. λεγόμενον.
ch.
chapter.
cp.
compare.
esp.
especially.
f.
feminine.
Fr.
French in etymologies.
i. e.
id est.
L.
Linnæus.
part.
participle.
prop.
proper, properly.
s. v.
sub voce.
v. l.
varia lectio.

Works & Authors cited:

Grág.
Grágás. (B. I.)
Grett.
Grettis Saga. (D. II.)
Ld.
Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)
Eg.
Egils Saga. (D. II.)
Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Fs.
Forn-sögur. (D. II.)
Gísl.
Gísla Saga. (D. II.)
Gullþ.
Gull-Þóris Saga. (D. II.)
Mkv.
Málshátta-kvæði. (A. III.)
Nj.
Njála. (D. II.)
Sl.
Sólarljóð. (A. III.)
Al.
Alexanders Saga. (G. I.)
Band.
Banda-manna Saga. (D. II.)
Bs.
Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)
D. N.
Diplomatarium Norvagicum. (J. II.)
Dropl.
Droplaugar-sona Saga. (D. II.)
Eb.
Eyrbyggja Saga. (D. II.)
Edda
Edda. (C. I.)
Fas.
Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)
Fb.
Flateyjar-bók (E. I.)
Fbr.
Fóstbræðra Saga. (D. II.)
Finnb.
Finnboga Saga. (D. V.)
Fr.
Fritzner’s Dictionary, 1867.
Glúm.
Víga-Glúms Saga. (D. II.)
Gþl.
Gulaþings-lög. (B. II.)
H. E.
Historia Ecclesiastica Islandiae. (J. I.)
Hkr.
Heimskringla. (E. I.)
Hom.
Homiliu-bók. (F. II.)
Hrafn.
Hrafnkels Saga. (D. II.)
Itin.
Itinerarium or Travels of Eggert Ólafsson, 1772.
Jb.
Jóns-bók. (B. III.)
Jm.
Jóns-máldagi. (J. I.)
Karl.
Karla-magnús Saga. (G. I.)
Korm.
Kormaks Saga. (D. II.)
Landn.
Landnáma. (D. I.)
Lv.
Ljósvetninga Saga. (D. II.)
N. G. L.
Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)
Orkn.
Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)
Pass.
Passiu-Sálmar.
Rd.
Reykdæla Saga. (D. II.)
Róm.
Rómverja Saga. (E. II.)
Skálda
Skálda. (H. I.)
Sks.
Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)
Stj.
Stjórn. (F. I.)
Sturl.
Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)
Valla L.
Valla Ljóts Saga. (D. II.)
Vm.
Vilkins-máldagi. (J. I.)
Vsp.
Völuspá. (A. I.)
Yngl. S.
Ynglinga Saga. (C. II.)
Þiðr.
Þiðreks Saga. (G. I.)
➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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