Hvat

As defined by A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic (Geir Zoëga):

hvat Old Icelandic word can mean:

hvat

(old gen. hvess, dat. hví), neut. pron.

hvat

I. int. pron.

hvat

1) what (h. sýnist þér ráð?); h. er þér, Hjálmar? what is the matter with thee, H.?; expressing wonder, what sort of? (h. Øgmundr ertu?); with gen., h. er þat fira, flagða, drauma, fiska? what sort of men. witches, dreams, fishes? h. manna ertu? what sort of a man art thou?; with dat., hann spurði, h. mönnum þeir væri, what kind of men they were;

hvat

2) implying an answer in the negative, to what end? of what use? (h. skal rögum manni langt vápn?)

hvat

3) how, = hve, hversu; fréttir hann nú, h. liði bónorðs-málum, how the was going on;

hvat

II. indef. pron.

hvat

1) each, every; h. at öðru, ‘each with the other’, everything; þat lið, er honum fylgdi, flýr sér hvat, scattered in all directions; h. bíðr sinnar stundar, there is a time for everything;

hvat

2) = hvatki, with the relat. part. ‘er (es)’ or ‘sem’; h. sem or h. es, whatsoever;

hvat

3) with compar., ever so much; hann var til hans h. betr en til sinna barna, he was ever so much kinder to him than to his own children.

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚼᚢᛅᛏ

Also available in related dictionaries:

This headword also appears in dictionaries of other languages closely related to Old Icelandic.

• Old Norse - Cleasby & Vigfusson Dictionary
• Old Norwegian - Johan Fritzner's Dictionary
• Old Swedish - K.F Söderwall's Dictionary