ráða

From Old Norse ráða, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaną.

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ráða (third person singular past indicative raddi, third person plural past indicative raddu, supine rátt)

1. to advise
2. to decide

• IPA^(key): /ˈrauːða/

  Rhymes: -auːða

From Old Norse ráða, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaną, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁dʰ- (“reason, count”). Cognate with English read, Low German raden, Dutch raden, German raten, Swedish råda, Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌳𐌰𐌽 (garēdan). The Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek ἀριθμός (arithmós), Old Irish immrádim, Old Church Slavonic радити (raditi).

ráða (strong verb, third-person singular past indicative réð, third-person plural past indicative réðu, supine ráðið)

1. to employ, to hire

   Hún ræður alltaf vini sína.

   She always employs her friends.

   Ég mætti bara brosandi og ég var ráðinn á staðnum.

   I just showed up smiling and I was hired on the spot.

2. to solve

   Geturðu ráðið þessar gátur?

   Can you solve these riddles?

3. to read

   Hann réð rúnirnar.

   He read the runes

4. to command, control, be in control of

   Hver ræður hér í raun og veru?

   Who is really in charge here?

5. to advise

   Afi minn réð mér alltaf heilt.

   My grandfather always gave me good advice.

6. to decide

   Ég læt þig ráða.

   I'll let you decide.

• ráðast
• það verður að ráðast (“it will have to take its course”)

ráða

1. indefinite genitive plural of ráð

From Proto-Germanic *rēdaną, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁dʰ-.

ráða (singular past indicative réð, plural past indicative réðu, past participle ráðinn)

1. to advise, to counsel
2. to consult about, discuss
3. to devise, plan
4. to agree on

   réðu þeir þat þá með sér

   they settled this among themselves

5. to fix, resolve

   hefi áðr ráðit brúðlaup mitt

   I have fixed my wedding day

6. to hire, take into service

   bóndi sagði húsfreyju, at hann hafði Hrapp ráðit með sér

   the partisan told his wife that he had taken Hrapp into his company

7. to rule (over), govern

   Einarr jarl réð þá Orkneyjum

   Earl Einarr ruled the Orkneys

8. to rule, command, have one's way with, prevail, decide, settle
9. to have, possess, be master of, enjoy
10. to explain, read, interpret
11. to read and understand (e.g. runes)

• ᚱᛅᚦᛅ (raþa) — infinitive, Runic form
• ᚱᛅᚦᚱ (raþr) — second/third singular present indicative, Runic form
• ᚱᛁᚦ (riþ), ᚱᛆᛁᚦ (raiþ) — first/third singular past indicative, Runic form
• ᚱᛅᚦᛁ (raþi), ᚱᚮᚦᛁ (roþi) — third singular present subjunctive, Runic form
• ᚱᛅᚦ (raþ) — second singular imperative, Runic form

• Icelandic: ráða
• Faroese: ráða
• Norwegian Nynorsk: rå, råda
• Old Swedish: rāþa
  • Swedish: råda
• Danish: råde
  • Norwegian Bokmål: råde, rå

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “ráða”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 330; also available at the Internet Archive