Nordic Lexicon

vægher (OSw) vægh (ODan) vegr (OGu) vegr (ON) vægh (OSw) noun

Roads appear, among other things, concerning the responsibility for their building and maintenance to varying width according to place and function (cf. þjóðvegr). They also appear regarding, the protection enjoyed by travellers particularly to and from church, assembly etc., the risk of encountering crime, which was less severely punished on the road than in for instance one’s home, and the procedure for dealing with lost and found objects on the road (cf. fynd and lysning). There are numerous compounds for various types of roads referring to their function, such as OSw likvægher and græsvægher, i.e. roads for transportation of corpses and hay respectively. There are also several compounds for various public roads, possibly suggesting a difference in status or standard, e.g. ODan athelvægh (q.v.), hærethsvægh (q.v.), ON þjóðvegr and OSw almænningsvægher (q.v.), farvægher (q.v.).

common highway OSw DL Bb
highway OIce Jó Þjb 12
ONorw FrL KrbB 19
OSw DL Bb
OSw UL Blb
OSw VmL Bb
journey OSw ÖgL Äb
OSw UL Äb
OSw VmL Äb
path ODan ESjL 3
ODan SkL 186
pathway OSw UL Kkb
OSw VmL Kkb
right of way OGu GL A 24f (64)
road ODan ESjL 2, 3
ODan JyL 1
ODan SkL 68−70, 97, 137
ODan VSjL 72
OGu GL A 22 (B-text only)
OSw ÄVgL Kkb, Jb, Kva, Tb
OSw BjR
OSw DL Eb, Bb
OSw HL Kgb, Mb, Blb
OSw KrL Bb Tb
OSw MEL Bb Tb
OSw MESt Bb Tb
OSw ÖgL Bb
OSw SdmL Kkb, Kgb, Gb, Bb, Mb
OSw UL Kgb, Mb, Blb
OSw VmL Kgb, Mb, Bb
OSw YVgL Kkb, Rlb, Tb, Jb, Kvab, Föb, Add
route OSw UL Blb
OSw VmL Bb
side OSw UL Blb, Rb
OSw VmL Bb, Rb
way OSw HL Blb
OSw UL Kgb
OSw VmL Kgb
Expressions:

farin vægher (OSw) faren vægh (ODan)

common road ODan JyL 2, 3

highway ODan JyL 3

road OSw YVgL Tb ÄVgL Tb

kunungs vægher (OSw)

king's road OSw ÖgL Bb

sitia a vægh (OSw)

wait in ambush OSw HL Kgb

svoren vægh (ODan)

Not defined, but possibly analogous to svoren toft (cf. tompt) and hence a road converted from common land (ODan almænning) by all men of the village. Seems to have entailed some special status and protection for its travellers.

sworn road ODan JyL 1:56