For-lag

Old Norse Dictionary - for-lag

Meaning of Old Norse word "for-lag" in English.

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

for-lag Old Norse word can mean:

for-lag: n. what is ‘laid’ up:

for-lag: I. esp. in sing. provision for living, a livelihood, BS. i. 137, FmS. vi. 304; urðu þaðan í frá góð forlög manna, BS. i: metaph. of marriage, Ísl. ii. 416, 453: fate in store for one = forlög, Lv. 33, Glúm. 333. forlags-eyrir, m. livelihood, Gþl. 259, 442, n. G. l. i. 52: means, Jb. 166.

for-lag: II. in pl. for-lög, n., properly ‘fore-law;’ hence law or fate, destiny, cp. ör-lög and lög; the word is not very freq. in old writers, and chiefly occurs in Sagas such as Vd., Flóam. S., in old poetry only in Km. 23, but rare in genuine heathen Sagas; the very word conveys some Christian notion; örlög and sköp are solely heathen, e. g. Hm. 55; this distinction is rightly marked in a ditty of Pal Vídalín—forlög koma ofan að | örlög kringum sveima | álögin úr ymsum stað | en ólög fæðast heima; in mod. usage forlög is current, but orlög, sköp, obsolete; þetta mun vera forlög hennar, Glúm. 333; Hákon kvaðsk þá heyra vilja forlög sin, … ef þú vilt vita forlög þín, Orkn. 140, FS. 19; úhægt mun forlögin at flýja, 20; eigi mundi tjóa at brjótask við forlögunum, id.; ok mætti þit njóta lengri forlaga, that ye might enjoy a longer life, 84; honum var annarra forlaga auðit, 6; verðr hverr eptir sínum forlögum at leita, 11; torsótt er at forðask forlögin, 24; forlög ekki forðumst ill | fram kemr það hamingjan vill, Úlf. 3. 69; má vera at hér sé hennar forlög (destiny), FS.

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

Abbreviations used:

n.: neuter.

esp.: especially.

l.: line.

L.: Linnæus.

m.: masculine.

metaph.: metaphorical, metaphorically.

sing.: singular.

v.: vide.

cp.: compare.

e. g.: exempli gratia.

f.: feminine.

freq.: frequent, frequently.

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

mod.: modern.

pl.: plural.

S.: Saga.

Works & Authors cited:

Bs.: Biskupa Sögur. (D. III.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Glúm.: Víga-Glúms Saga. (D. II.)

Gþl.: Gulaþings-lög. (B. II.)

Jb.: Jóns-bók. (B. III.)

Lv.: Ljósvetninga Saga. (D. II.)

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

Flóam. S.: Flóamanna Saga. (E. I.)

Fs.: Forn-sögur. (D. II.)

Hm.: Hává-mál. (A. I.)

Km.: Kráku-mál. (A. III.)

Orkn.: Orkneyinga Saga. (E. II.)

Úlf.: Úlfars-rímur.

Vd.: Vatnsdæla Saga. (D. 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.