Breyta

Old Norse Dictionary - breyta

Meaning of Old Norse word "breyta" in English.

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

breyta Old Norse word can mean:

breyta: tt, [braut, via], to alter, change: bregða implies the notion of breach, breyta simply denotes change: with dat.; b. farveg (of a river), to form a new channel, Grág. i. 350, Nj. 4, Ld. 158, Fms. ii. 158, Fb. i. 292; flestar Þjóðir þurfa at b. (transform) nafni hans til sinnar tungu, Edda 14; þá vóru snjóvar miklir ok breyttir (changed, become impassable) vegir allir, Eg. 543, Rb. 262 (where the acc. is wrong;).

breyta: β. reflex., hafa þau ekki breyzk síðan, they have not changed since, Fms. viii. 5.

breyta: γ. to vary; b. háttum, to vary the metre, Edda 121; b. hári sínu, to dress the hair, GrEg. 45; b. málum, to speak rhetorically, dress one’s words, Fms. vi. 392; réttr ok b., plain and artificial, Edda 120; úbreyttr, plain.

breyta: II. metaph., absol. without case, to conduct oneself, act, do, behave; ef við breytum svá, if we do so, Nj. 202, Ísl. ii. 181, Fms. i. 150; b. eptir e-m, to imitate, Symb. 15; b. til e-s, to attempt, Grág. ii. 94.

breyta: 2. in mod. use chiefly in moral sense, to behave, conduct oneself; b. vel, illa, kristilega, cp. breytni, n. T., Vidal., Pass.

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

Abbreviations used:

acc.: accusative.

dat.: dative.

reflex.: retlexive.

n.: neuter.

absol.: absolute, absolutely.

l.: line.

metaph.: metaphorical, metaphorically.

cp.: compare.

mod.: modern.

Works & Authors cited:

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

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

Fb.: Flateyjar-bók (E. I.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Grág.: Grágás. (B. I.)

Ld.: Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Rb.: Rímbegla. (H. III.)

Greg.: Gregory. (F. II.)

Symb.: Symbolae. (H. IV.)

N. T.: New Testament.

Pass.: Passiu-Sálmar.

➞ 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.