Vesall

Old Norse Dictionary - vesall

Meaning of Old Norse word "vesall" in English.

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

vesall Old Norse word can mean:

vesall: adj., fem. vesul or vesöl, neut. vesalt. The forms vary, being contracted or uncontracted, veslir, etc., as well as vesalir, etc., whence lastly, vesælir, etc.:

vesall: α. contr. veslir, veslar, veslum, Al. 57, Th. 6; vesla (acc. pl.), Hom. 109; veslu (gen. fem.), Post. (Unger) 108; veslir, Ó. H. 151, SkS. 681; vesla (gen.), FmS. viii. 242 (vesæla, v. l. of a later vellum); selum ok veslum.

vesall: β. uncontr. vesala = vesla, FmS. ii. 46; vesala, Post. (Unger) 18 (vesæla, v. l.); vesalir, Al. 96, l. 18; this regular declension is still in full use in Icel. speech, only not contracted, e. g. vesall, vesalingr, vesalir (not veslir); vesæla, FaS. i. 49 (paper MS.): so also in the compar. either vesalli, Greg. 37, Sd. 188; vesalla, 656 C. 34; vesalstr, Kormak, Bjarn. (in a verse); but veslari, Barl. 23 (vesalli, v. l.) Ves is the root, -all the inflexive syllable; the form vesæll is a later form, from a false etymology, as if from vé- privative, and sæll, happy. The origin of vesall is dubious, the radical s is against a derivation from the compar. verri, Goth. wairiza; and the short vowel is against deriving it from vás, vés, q. v. The true etymology, we believe, is that vesall stands for ‘usall,’ being derived from the prep. ur, or-, in its ancient form us; Goth. us-; Icel. ur-, ör-; this etymology is confirmed by form and sense alike; the old phrases, alls vesall (omnium expers), vesall eigu (proprii expers), were originally alliterative phrases; in Hm. 22, 69, vesall is made to alliterate with a vowel (vesall maðr ok ílla skapi … erat maðr alls vesall þótt hann sé ílla heill); usall is actually found written in Nj. (Lat.) 264, v. l.; the change of us into ves may be illustrated by the case of várr (q. v.); it is the opposite to that vocalisation of v which so frequently takes place. As to sense, vesall originally meant bereft, destitute of, = Lat. expers; and is followed by a genitive: [the Dan. form is usel, less right ussel.]

vesall: B. Usages:

vesall: I. with gen. bereft of; mæl þú alls vesall, Nj. 124, v. l.; ok em ek vesall eigu, bereft of my own, Háv. 42 new Ed.; mæl þú alls usall, Nj. (Lat.) 264, v. l. (but allz vesall the other vellums): wretched in respect to, vesall þóttisk þóttisk hann sinnar úgæfu, Hom. 121; vesall vígs, Am. 58; vesall ertú halds, Dropl. 30; vesöl eru vér konungs, FmS. vi. 322.

vesall: II. poor, destitute, wretched; þú vesall, LS. 40, 42; mér vesalli, Stj. 523; bað hana aldri þrífask svá vesul sem hón var, Nj. 194; vesöl vættr, Hom. 150; veslir menn, poor wretches, Ó. H., l. c.; veslir menn ok vitlausir, Barl. 25; aumhjartaðr við alla vesla menn, Hom. 109; þat er veslum til vilnaðar, Al. 57; sú önd er enn vesalli, Greg. 37; þykki mér því betr sem þú görir hana vesalli, Sd. 188; sú önd er vesöl, … enn vesalli (still more wretched), er …, Greg. 37; vei verði mér veslum, Th. 6; sælum ok veslum, Ó. H. 126, Mork. 216; vesælum, FmS. vii. 220, l. c.; sá veit ekki sér vesalla, 656 C. 34, and passim, see A above.

vesall: III. as a nickname; inn vesæli (= vesli), FmS. vi. 16, 17.

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

Abbreviations used:

adj.: adjective.

etc.: et cetera.

fem.: feminine.

m.: masculine.

neut.: neuter.

acc.: accusative.

contr.: contracted.

gen.: genitive.

l.: line.

n.: neuter.

pl.: plural.

v.: vide.

v. l.: varia lectio.

compar.: comparative.

Dan.: Danish.

e. g.: exempli gratia.

Goth.: Gothic.

Icel.: Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.

Lat.: Latin.

q. v.: quod vide.

S.: Saga.

l. c.: loco citato.

Works & Authors cited:

Al.: Alexanders Saga. (G. I.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Hom.: Homiliu-bók. (F. II.)

Ó. H.: Ólafs Saga Helga. (E. I.)

Post.: Postula Sögur. (F. III.)

Sks.: Konungs Skugg-sjá. (H. II.)

Th.: Theophilus. (F. III.)

Barl.: Barlaams Saga. (F. III.)

Bjarn.: Bjarnar Saga. (D. II.)

Fas.: Fornaldar Sögur. (C. II.)

Greg.: Gregory. (F. II.)

Hm.: Hává-mál. (A. I.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Sd.: Svarfdæla Saga. (D. II.)

Am.: Atla-mál. (A. II.)

Dropl.: Droplaugar-sona Saga. (D. II.)

Háv.: Hávarðar Saga. (D. II.)

Ls.: Loka-senna. (A. I.)

Mork.: Morkinskinna. (E. I.)

Stj.: Stjórn. (F. 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.