1 feta
in old writers strong, pret. fat, pl. fátu; in mod. usage weak, fetaði, and so in paper MSS., Fas. iii. 492; fötuðu, Bs. i. 291, is undoubtedly an error for fátu:
2 feta
I. to step, with the notion to find one’s way, of one walking in a fog or darkness,
3 feta
α. act. with acc.; feta braut, Eb. 208 (in a verse); feta leið (acc.), Grág. ii. 44; feta veg sinn, Bs. l. c.; menn fátu trautt leið sína í sumum stöðum, Ann. 1300, cp. Bs. i. 804.
4 feta
β. absol., feta burt ór völundar húsi, to find the way out of a labyrinth, Lil. 91; en svá fjarri ferr at ek feta (subj.) þangat, Fas. ii. 284; blindr ok fat eigi til dyranna, Orkn. 192; var ok svá at hann fat af því heim, Grett. 46 new Ed.; fátu þeir eigi heim, Fb. i. 97; ætlaði at hann mundi feta til síðarr, Landn. 146; ok fátu hvergi, and could not find the way, Fas. iii. 401.
5 feta
II. as an auxiliary verb with an infin.; hve ek yrkja fat, how I did make my poem, Höfuðl. 19; hve ek þylja fat, how I did speak, 3; faztú at árna, thou didst earn, Sighvat; ek fet smíða, I do (can) work, Fms. vi. 170; hann fat gerða, he did gird, Fagrsk. 48; ek fat kjósa, I did choose, Edda 229 (App.); ek fet inna, I do record, Rekst. 29, v. l.; this use, however, although freq. in the poets of the 10th century, became obsolete, and is never met with in prose.
6 feta
β. in mod. usage, to step, esp. in the phrase, feta í fótspor e-s, to step in one’s foot-prints; þó eg feginn feta vildi fótspor þín, Pass. 30. 10.