grípa

From Old Norse grípa, from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreyb- (“to grasp, grab”). Cognate with Norwegian gripe, Swedish gripa, Danish gribe, English gripe, Dutch grijpen, German greifen.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkriːpa/

  Rhymes: -iːpa

grípa (strong verb, third-person singular past indicative greip, third-person plural past indicative gripu, supine gripið)

1. to catch an object

   að grípa bolta ― to catch a ball (that has been thrown)

   að grípa á lofti ― to catch an object before it touches the ground

2. to grab, clasp, grip, grasp

   Gríptu í höndina mína. ― Grab my hand!

   Hann greip tækifærið. ― He seized the opportunity.

3. to catch someone in the act

   grípa einhvern glóðvolgan ― catch someone red-handed

4. to arrest someone
5. to grasp (understand)

• grípa fram í (“to interrupt someone speaking”)
• grípa í tómt (“for nothing to be there when one goes to get it”)
• grípa til einhvers (“to resort to something”)
• grípa gæsina meðan hún gefst (“to use an opportunity while it lasts”)
• grípa einhvern glóðvolgan (“catch someone red-handed”)

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon — Íslensk orðsifjabók, (1989). Reykjavík, Orðabók Háskólans. (Available on Málið.is under the “Eldra mál” tab.)

From Proto-Germanic *grīpaną.

grípa (singular past indicative greip, plural past indicative gripu, past participle gripinn)

1. to grab

• Icelandic: grípa
• Faroese: grípa
• Norwegian Bokmål: gripe
• Norwegian Nynorsk: gripa
• Old Swedish: grīpa
  • Swedish: gripa
• Danish: gribe