EÐLI

(in old MSS. written øðli), n.

1) nature; manns eðli, mannligt eðli, human nature; arnar eðli, the eagle’s nature; þat er í móti náttúrligu eðli, it is against the order of nature;

2) origin, extraction (hann var valskr at ætt ok eðli);

3) fœtus (þótti henni kviknat hafa eðli sitt).

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n., akin to and derived from óðal, q. v.; old MSS. also always use the form øðli (eyðli, D. I. l. c.), Fms. x. 301, Hom. 47, 118, Greg. 48, O. H. L. 86, Eluc. 16, Hkr. i. 225, Hbl. 9, Bs. i. 335, 342; eðli is more modern, but öðli is still preserved:

1. nature; mannligt e., human nature or character, 623. 19, Eb. 110, Fms. x. 301; náttúrligt e., human condition, Mag. (Fr.); vera í e. sinu, to be in one’s own nature or frame of mind, Fs. 59; eptir e., natural, ordinary, Fms. iii. 118; móti e., against nature, extraordinary; með líkindum ok e., Edda 69; undruðusk er jörðin ok dýrin ok fuglarnir höfðu saman e. í sumum hlutum, 144. (pref.); eðli and náttúra (natura) are used synonymously, id.; engla öðli, the nature of angels, Eluc. 16; arnar öðli, the eagle’s nature, Hom. 47; allt mannkyns öðli, Greg. 48; öðrlez (= öðlis) skepna, O. H. L. 86.

2. birth, origin, extraction, in the alliterative phrases, ætt ok öðli, Fms. i. 149; hann var Valskr (Welsh) at ætt ok eðli, vii. 56; Danskr at öðli, Danish by origin, Hom. 118; nafn ok öðli, name and family, Hbl. 9: the phrase, at alda-öðli, for ever and ever, D. I. i. 266: in mod. usage, frá alda öðli, from the birth of time, from the beginning, only used of ‘past time;’ the Dan. ‘fra Arildstid’ is probably a corruption of the same phrase.

3. embryo, Lat. fetus, Mar. 156.

COMPDS: eðlisfræði, eðlishættir, eðlisskapan.