t, prop. two words, varð (acc.) veita, i. e. veita vörð, to give ‘ward’ to, hold, keep, preserve; hence in the oldest writers the word is used with dat. (as the verb veita), varðveita fénu, Gþl. 227; v. börnum þeirra ok fé, 258; geyma þeim ok v., Stj. 99; v. þessum steini, Fms. viii. 8; v. öllum fjár-hlutum hennar, Gþl. 227.

II. with acc. to keep, defend; skal ek v. þik, Nj. 53; v. þær, Blas. 45 (vellum of the 12th century); v. ríkit, Eg. 119; hann var varðveittr, Fms. x. 369; Guð varðveiti þig, God ward thee! (a mod. phrase): to keep in one’s possession, þú munt hafa at v. eina kistu, Eg. 395, Nj. 5, 76, Ld. 70: to keep, ef maðr tekr grið ok varðveitir þat ekki, if a man takes up an abode and does not keep it, Grág. i. 150; v. sik við e-u, Hom. 13: to observe, freq. in mod. usage, v. Guðs boðorð, and the like.

III. part. pl. varðveit-endr, warders, watchmen. 623. 35.