Betr

Old Norse Dictionary - betr

Meaning of Old Norse word "betr" in English.

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

betr Old Norse word can mean:

betr: adv., compar. to vel; and BEZT, elder form bazt, superl., better, best:

betr: 1. compar., er betr er, luckily, happily, Fms. ix. 409, Ld. 22; b. þætti mér, I would rather, Nj. 17; vánu betr, Lat. spe melius, Fms. ii. 101; b. úgört, better not to do, Ld. 59; hafa b., to get the better of it, Fb. i. 174: adding gen., þess b., er …, so much the better …, Sks. 426: denoting quantity, more, leggit fram b. hit mikla skipit, advance it farther, better on, Fms. ii. 307; engi maðr tók b. en í öxl honum, v. 67; b. en tuttugu menn, ix. 339; þrjú hundruð ok þrír tigir ok sex b., to boot, Rb. 88; ekki máttu sumir menn b. en fá staðist, i. e. they could do no more, were just able to keep up against him, Fms. xi. 136; ef hann orkar b., if he can do more, Grág. (Kb.) ch. 128; nú má hann b., but if he is able to do more…, id. 2. superl., bazt búið, best equipped, Fas. ii. 523; with a gen., bezt allra manna, Eg. 34; manna bezt, Nj. 147; kvenna bezt hærð, Landn. 151; bazt at báðir væri, cp. Germ. am besten, am liebsten, soonest, Eg. 256.

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

Abbreviations used:

adv.: adverb.

compar.: comparative.

l.: line.

superl.: superlative.

v.: vide.

ch.: chapter.

cp.: compare.

gen.: genitive.

Germ.: German.

id.: idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation

i. e.: id est.

Lat.: Latin.

m.: masculine.

n.: neuter.

Works & Authors cited:

Eg.: Egils Saga. (D. II.)

Fas.: Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)

Fb.: Flateyjar-bók (E. I.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Grág.: Grágás. (B. I.)

Kb.: Konungs-bók. (B. I, C. I, etc.)

Landn.: Landnáma. (D. I.)

Ld.: Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Rb.: Rímbegla. (H. III.)

Sks.: Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. 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.