elta

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse elta (“to chase, hunt, knead”), from Proto-Germanic *alatjaną (“to drive, move”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛl̥ta/

  Rhymes: -ɛl̥ta

Verb

elta (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative elti, supine elt)

1. (transitive, governs the accusative) to chase (to pursue, to follow at speed)
   • Judges 2:19

     En er dómarinn andaðist, breyttu þeir að nýju verr en feður þeirra, með því að elta aðra guði til þess að þjóna þeim og falla fram fyrir þeim. Þeir létu eigi af gjörðum sínum né þrjóskubreytni sinni.

     But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

Conjugation

Derived terms

• eltast
• eltast við (to rush around after something; to try to get a hold of something)