I believe that there may not have been one single word for that - if I recall correctly

it would have been more like an expression "if you would be so good"  perhaps if a favor was being asked.

Nor would I try to say that O/N would be the only language with this "problem" for Welsh - being to my mind the Oldest Language in the British Isles - it has no direct single word for please

They use "os gwelwch yn da" - if you would be so kind/good - or else "plis" as we do - they borrowed it.

The passing from the modern forms of our current languages seems to suggest that there is a shortening of phrases in all our speech and life moves at a faster rate now in all things -this may

 preclude such "pleasantries" as being "flowery"

Sadly

Kveðja

Patricia

 

 

...I have been unable to track down the ON word for "please", as
in "Please, don't give cheese to dwarfs", etc. NOT as in, "Does this
please you?"

I've been searching through Zoega and did a word search on an online
English translation of Njal's Saga, but I haven't been able to find
it. Does anybody know what it is, just off the top of their head? Or
would it be said differently in ON?

Jamie