Bak

Old Norse Dictionary - bak

Meaning of Old Norse word "bak" in English.

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

bak Old Norse word can mean:

bak
n. [A. S. bäc], Lat. tergum, back, Eg. 218, Edda 29, 30, HkR. i. 337: in metaph. phrases, bera sök á baki, to be guilty,l. 539; leggja bleyðiorð á bak e-m, to load, charge one with being a coward. FaS. ii. 530; hafa mörg ár á baki, to ‘carry a weight of years’ Ísl. ii. 456: of horseback, léttr á baki, Sturl. ii. 195; fara á bak, to mount; stíga af baki, to dismount, Eg. 397, Grág. ii. 95: in other relations, as adv., at hurðar-baki, behind the door; at húsa-baki, at the back of the houses; að fjalla-baki, behind the mountains; handar-bak, the back of the hand.
bak
2. á bak or á baki used as a prep. or as an adv.; á bak (acc.) if denoting motion, á baki (dat.) if without motion:
bak
α. loc. behind, at the back of; á baki húsunum, Háv. 49, Nj. 28; at baki þeim, at their back, Eg. 91, Nj. 261, 262, 84, Eg. 583; Hrútr kveðst þat ætla, at hans skyldi lítt á bak at leita, he should not be found in the rear, Ld. 278; berr á baki, unbacked, helpless, in the proverb, Nj. 265, Grett. 154: metaph., ganga á bak e-u, orðum, heitum …, to elude, evade one’s pledged word, FmS. ii. 209, Ísl. ii. 382; göra e-t á baki e-m, in one’s absence, behind one’s back, n. G. l. i. 20; á bak aptr (= aptr á bak), backward; falla; á b. a., Eb. 240, Nj. 9, Eg. 397, Háv. 48 new Ed.; til baks, better til baka, to back, Sturl. ii. 203; brjóta á bak, prop. to break one’s back, FmS. viii. 119; to break, subdue, and also to make void, annul; brjóta á bak Rómverja, to ‘break the back’ of the R., defeat them, 625. 65; Heiðrekr vildi öll rúð fóður síns á bak brjóta, FaS. i. 528.
bak
β. temp. with dat. past, after; á bak Jólum, after Yule, FmS. viii. 60; á b. Jónsvöku, ix. 7: metaph., Héðinn kvaðst eigi hirða hvat er á bak kæmi, H. said he did not care for what came after, FaS. i. 402; muntú eigi vera mót Njáli, hvat sem á b. kemr, Nj. 193.

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

Abbreviations used:

adv.
adverb.
A. S.
Anglo-Saxon.
l.
line.
Lat.
Latin.
metaph.
metaphorical, metaphorically.
n.
neuter.
S.
Saga.
v.
vide.
acc.
accusative.
dat.
dative.
L.
Linnæus.
loc.
local, locally.
prop.
proper, properly.
R.
Rimur.
temp.
temporal.

Works & Authors cited:

Edda
Edda. (C. I.)
Eg.
Egils Saga. (D. II.)
Fas.
Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)
Grág.
Grágás. (B. I.)
Gþl.
Gulaþings-lög. (B. II.)
Hkr.
Heimskringla. (E. I.)
Sturl.
Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)
Eb.
Eyrbyggja Saga. (D. II.)
Fms.
Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)
Grett.
Grettis Saga. (D. II.)
Háv.
Hávarðar Saga. (D. II.)
Ld.
Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)
N. G. L.
Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)
Nj.
Njála. (D. II.)
➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

Also available in related dictionaries:

This headword also appears in dictionaries of other languages descending from Old Norse.

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