dvína

or dvina (in old writers even dvena), að, [North. E. dwyne], to dwindle, pine away; þá dvenar tómr maðr, Hom. 26; dvinar allr þroti (of a tumor), Sks. 235; lét hann eigi dvina kveðandina, Fms. v. 174; þaðan í frá sögðu menn at dvinaði liðveizla Sæmundar við Þorgrím, Sturl. i. 171; görir nú eigi at dvina við, it will not do to saunter, Karl. 380; dvina munda ek láta ferðina, I would let the travelling cease, Fs. 172; heit dvinuðu Heina, their bragging dwindled away, Lex. Poët. In early times this word was probably sounded with an i (short), which may be inferred from the form dvena; and the word was rather common, and occurs rarely. In later times it was ennobled by the frequent use made of it in Pass., and with altered inflexion, viz. an í throughout, the pres. indic. either strong, dvin, or weak, dvínar; thus, hér þegar mannlig hjálpin dvín, Pass. 44. 12; görvöll þá heimsins gleðin dvín, 41. 8; þá æfin lífsins dvín, 36. 10; but holds megn og kraptr dvínar, 44. 1; dvínar og dregst í hlé, 47. 4: infin., sjón og heyrn tekr að dvína, 41. 10.