Bresta

Old Norse Dictionary - bresta

Meaning of Old Norse word "bresta" in English.

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

bresta Old Norse word can mean:

bresta: pret. brast, pl. brustu; part. brostinn; pres. brest, [A. S. berstan, per metath.; Engl. to burst; Germ. bersten; Swed. brista; Dan. briste]:—to burst, be rent; jörðin brast (the earth burst) undir hesti hans, Nj. 158; steinninn brast, the rock was rent, BS. i. 5.

bresta: β. to break with a crash; brast þú boginn í tvá hluti, Hkr. i. 342, Gísl. 81; brestr röng, the rib of a barrel creaks, Jb. 398: the hoops of a vessel bresta (burst), FS. 132; skulfu lönd, en brustu bönd (of a tub), Jón Þorl.

bresta: 2. to crash, of the sound alone; hófarnir brustu í veggjunum, the hoofs dashed against the wall, Grett. 25 new Ed.; hvat brast þar svá hátt, Hkr. i. 342; þá brast strengr á skipi, then twanged the bowstring on the ship, FmS. i. 182; brestandi bogi, the twanging bow, Hm. 84.

bresta: β. to burst forth, of a stream, avalanche, or the like; brestr flóð, of an avalanche, Gísl. 33; skriða brast, id., FmS. v. 250; blóð brestr út, the blood bursts out, from a blow, n. G. l. i. 342.

bresta: γ. a milit. term, flótti brestr, the ranks break in flight, when the host is seized by panic; þá brast flótti í liði Flosa, Nj. 246; er meginflóttinn brast, FmS. viii. 229; brast þá flótti á Vindum, xi. 233; bardagi brestr, the battle bursts out, begins, (rare and as it seems απ. λεγ.), FaS. i. 34.

bresta: δ. b. or b. á, to burst or break out, a storm, gale, cp. BS. i. 78 (vide however S. v. bera C. IV): b. or b. út, to ebb, but only of the first turning of the tide, Bb. 2. 15; augu b., the eyes break in death, v. auga; hence helbrostið auga.

bresta: II. imperS., e-n (acc.) brestr e-t (acc.), one lacks, falls short of; brast Sigríði (acc.) fimm tigi hundraða, Dipl. v. 3; ef oss brestr á borði, if we fall short, get the worst of it, FmS. ix. 507; eigi brestr mik árædi, FS. 62; á mið þau er aldri mun fisk (Ed. wrongly fiskr) b., Bárð. 169; ef eitt orð (acc.) brysti, FmS. iv. 71; hann vissi þessa sína ætlan brostna (frustrated), BS. i. 289; þat mun aldri b., that will never fail, Grett. 24 new Ed.: hamingjuna brestr, FmS. vi. 155 (Ed. hamingjan).

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

Abbreviations used:

A. S.: Anglo-Saxon.

Dan.: Danish.

Engl.: English.

Germ.: German.

gl.: glossary.

l.: line.

m.: masculine.

metath.: metathesis.

n.: neuter.

part.: participle.

pl.: plural.

pres.: present.

pret.: preterite.

S.: Saga.

Swed.: Swedish.

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

L.: Linnæus.

s. v.: sub voce.

v.: vide.

απ. λεγ.: απαξ. λεγόμενον.

lit.: literally.

milit.: military.

cp.: compare.

acc.: accusative.

impers.: impersonal.

pers.: person.

Works & Authors cited:

Bs.: Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Fs.: Forn-sögur. (D. II.)

Gísl.: Gísla Saga. (D. II.)

Hkr.: Heimskringla. (E. I.)

Jb.: Jóns-bók. (B. III.)

Jón Þorl.: Jón Þorláksson.

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

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

Hm.: Hává-mál. (A. I.)

N. G. L.: Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)

Fas.: Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)

Bb.: Búnaðar-bálkr.

Bárð.: Bárðar Saga. (D. V.)

Dipl.: Diplomatarium. (J. I.)

➞ 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.