Betri

Old Norse Dictionary - betri

Meaning of Old Norse word "betri" in English.

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

betri Old Norse word can mean:

betri: betra, compar., and BEZTR, baztr, batztr, the superl. to ‘góðr,’ which serves as the posit.:—in the compar. the primitive a becomes e; thus old poets of the beginning of the 11th century, as Sighvat, rhyme betri—setrs; the old form batri however occurs, 655 xx. 4: in the superl. the a was kept till the end of the 12th century. Sighvat rhymes, last—bazti; old vellum MSS. now and then still spell with a (bazt, baztr …), Glúm. 371, Heið. S. Ísl. ii. 324, Grág. ii. 165, 252, FmS. xi. 214, 220, Hm. 13, 26, 47, Hkv. Hjörv. 39, Lb. 12, Pd. 11, Ýt. 27, 625. 42, FmS. x. (Ágrip) 418; baþztra (baztra), gen. pl., 398, 401 (but betþt, 385); bazta (acc.), Eluc. 36: sing. fem. and neut. pl. bözt, with a changed vowel, bözt heill, n. pl., Skv. 2. 19; böztu (böþtu), pl., FmS. x. 401, 403, 415: it is spelt with z, tz (in Ágrip even þt), or zt, in mod. spelling often s, as in mod. Engl., and pronounced at present as an s, [Goth. batizo, superl. batisto; A. S. batra and betsta, besta; Engl. better and best; Germ. besser and beste]:—better, best; meira ok betra, Nj. 45, 193; betri, Dipl. v. 18; beztr kostr, Nj. 1, Eg. 25; beztr bóndi, Ld. 22.

betri: β. kind, friendly towards one; with dat., er honum hafði baztr verit, 625. 42; er mér hefir beztr verit, FmS. vii. 274: er þér fyrir því bezt …, it is best for thee, thou doest best to accept it, Nj. 225; því at þinn hlutr má eigi verða betri en góðr, 256; betra byr ok blíðara, 625. 4: with gen., meðan bezt er sumars, during the best part of the summer, SkS. 29, etc. etc., v. góðr.

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

Abbreviations used:

acc.: accusative.

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.

compar.: comparative.

Engl.: English.

fem.: feminine.

gen.: genitive.

Germ.: German.

gl.: glossary.

Goth.: Gothic.

l.: line.

m.: masculine.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

neut.: neuter.

pl.: plural.

posit.: positive.

S.: Saga.

sing.: singular.

superl.: superlative.

v.: vide.

dat.: dative.

etc.: et cetera.

Works & Authors cited:

Dipl.: Diplomatarium. (J. I.)

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

Eluc.: Elucidarium. (F. II.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Glúm.: Víga-Glúms Saga. (D. II.)

Grág.: Grágás. (B. I.)

Heið. S.: Heiðarvíga Saga. (D. II.)

Hkv.: Helga-kviða Hundingsbana. (A. II.)

Hkv. Hjörv.: Helga-kviða Hjörvarðssonar. (A. II.)

Hm.: Hává-mál. (A. I.)

Ld.: Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Pd.: Placidus-drápa. (A. III.)

Skv.: Sigurðar-kviða. (A. II.)

Sks.: Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)

➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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