gæta

See also: Gaeta

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse gæta, from Proto-Germanic *ganhatjaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈcaiːta/

  Rhymes: -aiːta

Verb

gæta (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative gætti, supine gætt)

1. (with genitive) to watch over, look after, guard, protect

   Verðir gæta konungsins hvert sem hann fer. – Guards protect the king wherever he goes.

2. (with genitive of) to make sure (of something happening, that all is in order, etc.), be careful (that something doesn't go wrong), to ensure

   Gættu þess að loka öllum dyrum áður en þú ferð. – Make sure to close all doors before you leave.

   Fyllstu nákvæmni skal gætt. – The utmost precision should be ensured.

3. (with the preposition að) to look out for, be wary of
4. (impersonal, with genitive) describing an indication, trace, or existence in relatively small degree of something

Conjugation

gæta — active voice (germynd)

infinitive (nafnháttur)		að gæta
supine (sagnbót)		gætt
present participle (lýsingarháttur nútíðar)		gætandi
	indicative (framsöguháttur)			subjunctive (viðtengingarháttur)
present (nútíð)	ég gæti	við gætum	present (nútíð)	ég gæti	við gætum
	þú gætir	þið gætið		þú gætir	þið gætið
	hann, hún, það gætir	þeir, þær, þau gæta		hann, hún, það gæti	þeir, þær, þau gæti
past (þátíð)	ég gætti	við gættum	past (þátíð)	ég gætti	við gættum
	þú gættir	þið gættuð		þú gættir	þið gættuð
	hann, hún, það gætti	þeir, þær, þau gættu		hann, hún, það gætti	þeir, þær, þau gættu
imperative (boðháttur)	gæt (þú)	gætið (þið)
	Forms with appended personal pronoun
	gættu	gætiði *
* Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ganhatjaną.

Verb

gæta (singular past indicative gætti, plural past indicative gættu, past participle gættr)

1. to watch, guard, take care of
2. (mediopassive) to take counsel

Conjugation

Conjugation of gæta — active (weak class 1)

infinitive	gæta
present participle	gætandi
past participle	gættr
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	gæti	gætta
2nd-person singular	gætir	gættir
3rd-person singular	gætir	gætti
1st-person plural	gætum	gættum
2nd-person plural	gætið	gættuð
3rd-person plural	gæta	gættu
subjunctive	present	past
1st-person singular	gæta	gætta
2nd-person singular	gætir	gættir
3rd-person singular	gæti	gætti
1st-person plural	gætim	gættim
2nd-person plural	gætið	gættið
3rd-person plural	gæti	gætti
imperative	present
2nd-person singular	gæt, gæti
1st-person plural	gætum
2nd-person plural	gætið

Conjugation of gæta — mediopassive (weak class 1)

infinitive	gætask
present participle	gætandisk
past participle	gætzk
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	gætumk	gættumk
2nd-person singular	gætisk	gættisk
3rd-person singular	gætisk	gættisk
1st-person plural	gætumsk	gættumsk
2nd-person plural	gætizk	gættuzk
3rd-person plural	gætask	gættusk
subjunctive	present	past
1st-person singular	gætumk	gættumk
2nd-person singular	gætisk	gættisk
3rd-person singular	gætisk	gættisk
1st-person plural	gætimsk	gættimsk
2nd-person plural	gætizk	gættizk
3rd-person plural	gætisk	gættisk
imperative	present
2nd-person singular	gætsk, gætisk
1st-person plural	gætumsk
2nd-person plural	gætizk

Descendants

• Icelandic: gæta
• Faroese: gæta
• Norwegian: gjeta, gjete
• Dalecarlian: gäta (pret. gätäd)
  • Elfdalian: &ᚬT (gę’tt, supine), inf. gęta
• Old Swedish: gǣta
  • Swedish: gäta

Old Swedish

Etymology 1

From Old Norse geta, from Proto-Germanic *getaną.

Alternative forms

• gita (only in first sense)

Verb

gæta

1. to be able
2. to mention
3. to guess, foretell

Conjugation

Conjugation of gæta (strong)

	present			past
infinitive	gæta			—
participle	gætandi, gætande			gætin
active voice	indicative	subjunctive	imperative	indicative	subjunctive
iæk	gæter	gæti, gæte	—	gat	gāti, gāte
þū	gæter	gæti, gæte	gæt	gast	gāti, gāte
han	gæter	gæti, gæte	—	gat	gāti, gāte
vīr	gætum, gætom	gætum, gætom	gætum, gætom	gātum, gātom	gātum, gātom
īr	gætin	gætin	gætin	gātin	gātin
þēr	gæta	gætin	—	gātu, gāto	gātin
mediopassive voice	indicative	subjunctive	imperative	indicative	subjunctive
iæk	gæts	gætis, gætes	—	gats	gātis, gātes
þū	gæts	gætis, gætes	—	gasts	gātis, gātes
han	gæts	gætis, gætes	—	gats	gātis, gātes
vīr	gætums, -oms	gætums, gætoms	—	gātums, gātoms	gātums, gātoms
īr	gætins	gætins	—	gātins	gātins
þēr	gætas	gætins	—	gātus, gātos	gātins

Descendants

• Swedish: gitta

Etymology 2

From Old Norse gæta, from Proto-Germanic *ganhatjaną.

Verb

gǣta

1. to watch, to take care of

Conjugation

Conjugation of gǣta (weak)

	present			past
infinitive	gǣta			—
participle	gǣtandi, gǣtande			gǣtter
active voice	indicative	subjunctive	imperative	indicative	subjunctive
iæk	gǣtir	gǣti, gǣte	—	gǣtti, gǣtte	gǣtti, gǣtte
þū	gǣtir	gǣti, gǣte	gǣt	gǣtti, gǣtte	gǣtti, gǣtte
han	gǣtir	gǣti, gǣte	—	gǣtti, gǣtte	gǣtti, gǣtte
vīr	gǣtum, gǣtom	gǣtum, gǣtom	gǣtum, gǣtom	gǣttum, gǣttom	gǣttum, gǣttom
īr	gǣtin	gǣtin	gǣtin	gǣttin	gǣttin
þēr	gǣta	gǣtin	—	gǣttu, gǣtto	gǣttin
mediopassive voice	indicative	subjunctive	imperative	indicative	subjunctive
iæk	gǣtis	gǣtis, gǣtes	—	gǣttis, gǣttes	gǣttis, gǣttes
þū	gǣtis	gǣtis, gǣtes	—	gǣttis, gǣttes	gǣttis, gǣttes
han	gǣtis	gǣtis, gǣtes	—	gǣttis, gǣttes	gǣttis, gǣttes
vīr	gǣtums, gǣtoms	gǣtums, gǣtoms	—	gǣttums, gǣttoms	gǣttums, gǣttoms
īr	gǣtins	gǣtins	—	gǣttins	gǣttins
þēr	gǣtas	gǣtins	—	gǣttus, gǣttos	gǣttins

Descendants

• Swedish: gäta

References

• gäta in Knut Fredrik Söderwall, Ordbok öfver svenska medeltids-språket, del 1: A-L