hvat old gen. hvess, dat. hví neut
a.
1.
pron I interrog
2.
what (h sýnist þér ráð?); h er þér, Hjálmar? what is the matter with thee, H?; expressing wonder, what sort of ? (h �gmundr 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;
3.
implying an answer in the negative, to what end? of what use? (h skal rögum manni langt vápn?)
4.
how, = hve, hversu ; fréttir hann nú, h liði bónorðs-málum, how the was going on;
b.
1.
indef pron
2.
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;
3.
= hvatki, with the relat part 'er (es)' or 'sem'; h sem or h es, whatsoever;
4.
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
