Vera

Old Icelandic Dictionary - vera

Meaning of Old Icelandic word "vera" in English.

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

vera Old Icelandic word can mean:

vera
I)
vera
(er; var, várum or vórum; verit), v.
vera
1) to be, exist; þeir menn vóru, er, there were men who;
vera
2) to be, happen; þat var, at hón fór brott, so it was that she went away; en er váraði, var þar búskortr, there was scarcity in the household; hvat er henni, what is the matter with her! þat var einn dag, at, it happened one day that; kann (má) v., at, it is possible, it may be that;
vera
3) to last; meðan þingit væri, while the Thing lasted;
vera
4) láta e-n v., to leave one alone (lát mik v. ok ger mér ekki illt); bað hann láta v., begged him to leave it undone, not to do it;
vera
5) to dwell, stay; hann bað hana vera í búð sinni, he asked her to stay in his booth; hann var á Höskuldsstöðum um nótt, he passed a night at H.;
vera
6) with infin., hlymr var at heyra, a clattering was to be heard; þar var at sjá, there was to be seen; v. at gera e-t, to be doing a thing; kvað hann v. at telja silfr, said he was counting the money; denoting necessity, a thing about to happen, or to be done; nú er þeim út at ganga öllum, er leyft er, now all those must go out to whom leave is given; er nú eigi Kára at varast, now there is no need to beware of K.; nú er þar til máls at taka, at, now it is to be told that; nú er at segja frá Skamkatli, now we must tell of S.;
vera
7) with a predicate (noun, a., or adv.); v. konungr, Jarl, biskup, to be king, earl, bishop; v. glaðr, sæll, hryggr, ungr, gamall, to be glad, happy, sad, young, old; v. vel, illa til e-s, to be well, ill-disposed towards one; þat er illa, it is sad; vera spakliga í heraði, to behave gently; orð kvað þá Vingi þats án veri, words which he had better not have said;
vera
8) impers., e-m er varmt, heitt, kalt, one is warm, cold;
vera
9) with past participles in passive sense; v. kallaðr, sagðr, tekinn, to be called, said, taken;
vera
10) with preps., v. af e-u, to be off, out of (v. af klæðum); v. at e-u, to be busy at; verkmenn váru at arningu, they were ploughing; to be present (þar varstu at); ek var at ok vafk, I was about weaving; þeir höfðu verit at þrjú sumur, they had been busy at it for three summers; v. eptir, to be left, remain (A. kvazt vilja v. eptir ok hvílast); v. fyrir, to lead (see fyrir); v. til, to exist; v. um, undir, see um, undir.
vera
II)
vera
f.
vera
1) stay, sojourn; ef hann á sér í vá veru, if he has a corner to stay in;
vera
2) comfort (slíkt er válaðs v.).

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚢᛁᚱᛅ

Abbreviations used:

e-t
eitthvat.
n.
neuter.
e-s
einhvers.
adv.
adverb.
e-m
einhverjum.
impers.
impersonal.
e-u
einhverju.
f.
feminine.

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

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