Bragð

Old Norse Dictionary - bragð

Meaning of Old Norse word "bragð" in English.

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

bragð Old Norse word can mean:

bragð: n. [cp. bregða].

bragð: I. the fundamental notion is that of a sudden motion:

bragð: 1. temp. a while, moment, cp. auga-bragð; in adverb, phrases, af bragði, at once, Hrafn. 17, GS. 18, Am. 2; af (á) skömmu bragði, shortly, FmS. vi. 272, viii. 236, 348; í fyrsta bragði, the first time (rare), Gþl. 532, JS. 129; skams bragðs, gen. used as adv. quickly, in a short time, BS. i. 336, 337, FmS. viii. 348, v. l.; cp. ‘at a brayd,’ ‘in a brayd,’ Engl. BalladS.

bragð: 2. loc. a quick movement; við-bragð (cp. bregða við), knífs-bragð (cp. bregða sverði), a slash with a knife.

bragð: 3. metaph. in many phrases, verða fyrri (skjótari) at bragði, til bragðs, to make the first move; þeir hafa orðit fyrri at b. at stefna en vér, Nj. 241, BS. ii. 106; svá at þú verðir skjótari at b. at veiða þenna níðing, FmS. i. 206, ix. 288; vera í bragði með e-m, to lend one a helping hand, mostly in something uncanny, Gísl. 5, BS. i. 722; snarast í bragð með e-m, id., Ld. 254; taka e-t bragðs, til bragðs or bragð, to take some step to get clear out of difficulties, Nj. 263, 199, FmS. ix. 407, Grett. 75 new Ed.; þat var b. (step, issue) Atla, at hann hljóp …, Háv. 53; úvitrligt b., a foolish step, Nj. 78; karlmannligt b., a manly issue, 194; gott b., FS. 39; úheyriligt b., an unheard-of thing, Finnb. 212.

bragð: II. [bregða A. III], a ‘braid,’ knot, stitch, chiefly in pl.; hekla saumuð öll brögðum, a cloak braided or stitched all over, FmS. ii. 70; fáguð brögðum, all broidered, v. 345, Bret. 34; rístu-bragð, a scratched character.

bragð: 2. in wrestling, bragð or brögð is the technical phrase for wrestlers’ tricks or sleights; mjaðmar-bragð, leggjar-bragð, hæl-bragð, klof-bragð …, the ‘bragð’ of the hip, leg, heel …, Edda 33; [fang-bragð, wrestling], hence many wrestling terms, fella e-n á sjálfs síns bragði, to throw one on his own bragð.

bragð: 3. gen. a trick, scheme, device, [A. S. brægð, bræd; Engl. braid = cunning, Shakesp.], chiefly in pl., með ymsum brögðum, margskyns brögð, FaS. i. 274, FmS. x. 237; brögð í tafli, a trick in the game, a proverb, when things go not by fair means, BS. ii. 318; ferr at fornum brögðum, in the old way, Grett. 79 new Ed.: but also sing., sér konungr nú bragð hans allt, FmS. xi. 106; hafði hann svá sett bragðit, x. 305, Eg. 196 (a trick); ek mun finna bragð þar til, at Kristni mun við gangast á Íslandi, Hkr. i. 290; bragð hitta þeir nú í, Lv. 82.

bragð: β. with a notion of deceit, a trick, crafty scheme; með brögðum, with tricks, Hkr. ii; búa yfir brögðum, to brood over wiles, FaS. i. 290; hafa brögð undir brúnum, to have craft under one’s eyebrows, look crafty, Band. 2; undir skauti, under one’s cloak, id., BS. i. 730; beita e-n brögðum, metaphor from hunting, to deal craftily with one, Rm. 42, Ísl. ii. 164; hafa brögð við e-n, Njarð. 382, 378; vera forn í brögðum, old in craft, of witchcraft, Ísl. ii. 399: hence such phrases as, bragða-karl, a crafty fellow, Grett. 161; bragða-refr, a cunning fox; brögðóttr, crafty, etc. In Swed. ‘bragder’ means an exploit, action, whilst the Icel. implies some notion of subtlety or craft; yet cp. phrases as, stór brögð, great exploits, Fb. ii. 299; hreysti-brögð, hetju-brögð, great deeds, (above I. 3.)

bragð: III. [bregða C; cp. A. S. bræd, Engl. breath], countenance, look, expression; hón hefir hvíti ok b. várt Mýramanna, Ísl. ii. 201, v. l.; þannig er bragð á þér, at þú munir fás svífast, thou lookest as if …, cp. brögð undir brúnum above, FmS. ii. 51; heilagleiks b., to look like a saint, BS. i. 152; þat b. hafði hann á sér sem, Ld. 24; ekki hefir þú b. á þér sem hérlenzkir menn, FmS. x. 227; þannig ertu í bragði sem …, thou lookest as if …, Ísl. ii. 149; með illu bragði, ill-looking, Sturl. i. 170; með hýru, glöðu b., BS. ii. 505; með beztu bragði, stern, PasS. 21. 1; með hryggu bragði, with gloomy look; með betra bragði, in a better mood, Nj. 11; bleyði-mannligr í b., cowardly, FmS. ii. 69: metaph., Sturla görði þat bragð á, at hann hefði fundit …, S. put that face on a thing, Sturl. ii. 176.

bragð: IV. [bergja, gustare], taste; vatns-bragð, beisku-bragð, bitter taste, of water; ó-bragð, a bad flavour, etc.

bragð: 2. [= bragr], mode, fashion; in vinnu-brögð, working; hand-bragð, handicraft; lát-bragð, manners; trúar-brögð, pl. religion, mode of faith; afla-brögð, mode of gaining one’s livelihood, etc.: very freq. in mod. usage, but in old writers no instance bearing clearly upon the subject is on record; cp. however the phrase, bragð er at e-u, a thing is palpable, tangible: lítið bragð mun þar at (it must be very slight) ef þú finnr ekki, Ld. 136; ærit b. mun at því, Nj. 58; görðist þar at svá mikit b., it went so far that …, FmS. i. 187, Grett. 158 new Ed.

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

Abbreviations used:

cp.: compare.

n.: neuter.

adv.: adverb.

Engl.: English.

gen.: genitive.

gl.: glossary.

l.: line.

m.: masculine.

temp.: temporal.

v.: vide.

v. l.: varia lectio.

loc.: local, locally.

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

metaph.: metaphorical, metaphorically.

pl.: plural.

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.

esp.: especially.

S.: Saga.

sing.: singular.

etc.: et cetera.

Icel.: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.

Swed.: Swedish.

freq.: frequent, frequently.

mod.: modern.

Works & Authors cited:

Am.: Atla-mál. (A. II.)

Bs.: Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Gs.: Grótta-söngr. (A. II.)

Gþl.: Gulaþings-lög. (B. II.)

Hrafn.: Hrafnkels Saga. (D. II.)

Js.: Járnsíða. (B. III.)

Finnb.: Finnboga Saga. (D. V.)

Fs.: Forn-sögur. (D. II.)

Gísl.: Gísla Saga. (D. II.)

Grett.: Grettis Saga. (D. II.)

Háv.: Hávarðar Saga. (D. II.)

Ld.: Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Bret.: Breta Sögur. (G. I.)

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

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

Fas.: Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)

Hkr.: Heimskringla. (E. I.)

Lv.: Ljósvetninga Saga. (D. II.)

Band.: Banda-manna Saga. (D. II.)

Fb.: Flateyjar-bók (E. I.)

Njarð.: Njarðvíkinga Saga. (D. II.)

Rm.: Rígsmál. (A. II.)

Pass.: Passiu-Sálmar.

Sturl.: Sturlunga Saga. (D. I.)

➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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