Mál

Old Icelandic Dictionary - mál

Meaning of Old Icelandic word "mál" in English.

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

mál Old Icelandic word can mean:

mál: I)

mál: n.

mál: 1) speech, faculty of speech (þrøngdi svá sóttarfari konungs, at hann misti ~sins);

mál: þau hafa ekki ~, they are dumb;

mál: 2) language, tongue;

mál: norrønt ~, the Norse tongue;

mál: 3) speech, speaking (hvárt er Flosi svá nær, at hann megi heyra ~ mitt);

mál: 4) colloquy, talk, speech;

mál: koma á ~ (or at ~i) við e-n, to come to talk with, speak to;

mál: finna (hitta) e-n at ~i, to obtain speech with;

mál: krefja e-n ~s, to ask an interview with;

mál: leita mills við e-n (spyrja e-n ~s, mæla ~ of e-m), to broach a subject to one;

mál: bera ~ á e-t, hafa e-t á (or at) ~i, to speak (talk) of (allir menn höfðu á ~i, hversu fríðr maðr hann var);

mál: lúka sínu ~i, to end one’s speech;

mál: þat er ~ manna, at, people say that;

mál: 5) tale, story;

mál: nú er þar til ~s at taka, now it must be told;

mál: 6) saw, saying;

mál: fornt (fornkveðit) ~ er, at, it is an old saw that;

mál: 7) diction, construction of sentences;

mál: 8) sentence;

mál: tvau ~, two sentences;

mál: fullt ~, a full period;

mál: 9) suit, action, cause;

mál: hefja ~ á hendr e-m, to bring an action against one;

mál: búa ~, to prepare a suit;

mál: sœkja ~, to prosecute;

mál: 10) stipulation, agreement (ek vil halda mil við hann þan, sem mælt vóru);

mál: lauss allra ~a, free of all stipulations;

mál: 11) case, matter, affair (þetta ~ var við Jórunni rœtt);

mál: svá er ~ með vexti, the matter stands thus;

mál: var þat annat ~, another matter;

mál: miðla ~, to mediate;

mál: tillagagóðr inna stœrri ~a, a good counsellor in great matters;

mál: hafa sitt ~, to have one’s own way, have one’s will (honum eirir illa, of hann hefir eigi sitt ~);

mál: hafa mikit til síns ~s, to have much in support of one’s case;

mál: e-t skiptir miklu (litlu) ~i, it is of great (small) importance;

mál: 12) three months (~ ok misseri).

mál: II)

mál: n.

mál: 1) measure (fimm álna er hátt ~ hans);

mál: leggja, bera ~ við e-t, to measure (hann lagði ~ við öll in stœrstu tré);

mál: 2) time, high time (~ er upp at standa);

mál: sagði, at þá var mið nótt ók at enn væri ~ at sofa, and still time to sleep;

mál: 3) meal;

mál: í eitt ~, at einu ~i, for one single meal;

mál: deila mat at ~um, to deal out food at each meal.

mál: III)

mál: n. inlaid ornaments (on the hilts and guards of swords).

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᛘᛅᛚ

Abbreviations used:

n.: neuter.

e-m: einhverjum.

e-t: eitthvat.

Also available in related dictionaries:

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

↑