a, m. [E. Engl. felaw, vide félag]

1. prop. a ‘fee-layer,’ i. e. a partner, shareholder of any kind, esp. in trade, Fbr. 74 new Ed., cp. konungs-félagi, a king’s partner, for the kings of old carried on trade, Fbr., Fb. iii. l. c.; sailors who had food in common were félagar; the law provides that even a poor man, if he contributes all that he has, is a lawful félagi, Grág. ii. 72; enda á hann hvárki félaga né mötu-naut, er einn í mötu-neyti ok á engan félaga, 73, passim in the Grág.: félaga-erfð, f. a partner’s inheritance, N. G. L. i. 50.

β. in the law it is also used of married people (vide félag), a partner, mate, consort; hvat segir þú mér frá Hrúti félaga þínum, Nj. 12; ef því hjóna batnar heilsa er vitfirring hafði, þá skal þat hverfa aptr til félaga síns ok hjúskapar, Grág. i. 287; ek vil skilja við félaga minn, I wish to part with my mate, a formulary in pleading before a court of divorce, 326.

2. metaph. a fellow, mate, comrade; this sense of the word occurs as early as the old Hm. 51,—með hálfum hleif ok með höllu keri fékk ek mér félaga, where it however has some slight notion of partnership, with half a loaf and a half-drained cup I got me fellows; félagi is a frequent word in Icel., both ancient and modern, and used just as in English; gamansamr félagi, a merry fellow, Sks. 634; félagi minn ok frændi, my fellow and kinsman, Fms. x. 88; góðr félagi, a good fellow, Sks. 432: in addressing one, hverr ertu, f., who art thou, fellow? Fb. iii. 239: a dear fellow, þér mun ek þykkja úlíklega spyrja, f., Ld. 268; hversu hefir í dag at farit, f., Vápn. 4.

β. in a pun, Fms. xi. 150.

3. mod. a fellow, member of a society.