> Hann var maður héraðríkur og málamaður mikill.

> He was a man of influence in his district and a great
> soldier.

> He was a man of influence in the district and a man who
> received great tribute.

> He was a person (man) of-influence-in-his-district and a
> great-taker-up(perer J) of suits (a most litigious person,
> CV´s definition seems more appropriate than Z´s).

After checking Baetke as well as Z and CV, I think that it
really just means that he was skilled in the law, so that
people often engaged him to assist them in bringing cases.

> Voru þeir bræður miklir menn og hinir knálegstu og hafði
> Bolli allt fyrir.

> The brothers were great men and the most vigorous and
> Bolli held all before (them).

> Those brothers were tall men and the most hardy and Bolli
> had it all over (them).

> Those brothers were tall people (men) and the most-hardy
> and (but) Bolli had everything before(first, was
> pre-eminent in everything?, fyrir, Z.iii.2?).

Yes, that’s the meaning, though I’m not sure that any of the
senses in Z precisely matches it. I like Grace’s version,
though it should be ‘over (him)’.

> Þykir mér þetta hin mesta vorkunn að þig fýsi að kanna
> siðu annarra manna því að eg vænti að þú þykir vaskur
> maður hvar sem þú kemur með dugandi mönnum."

> It seems to me this the most to be excused that you are
> eager to search man's customs because I wanted that you be
> thought of a manly man wherever you come with doughty
> men."

> This seems to me the greatest thing to be excused that you
> are eager to learn customs of other people because I
> expect that you seem a valiant man where as you come (in
> contact) with worthy men.”

> This seems to me the greatest thing-to-be-excused
> (várkunn) that you would-desire (impersonal construction,
> see e-n fýsir, Z1) to explore (the) customs of other
> people (men) because I hope (or maybe expect?) that you
> are-to-be-thought (to be) a valiant person (man) wherever
> you come among doughty persons (men).”

Another example of understatement: ‘I think this the
greatest thing to be excused’ is clearly ‘I think this very
natural/reasonable/understandable’. I’m not sure, but I
think that <vænta> tends more towards the 'expect' end of
the spectrum.

> Þorleikur kvaðst ekki mundu hafa mikið fé "því að ósýnt er
> hversu mér gætist til.

> Thorleikr said for himself (he) would not have much money
> "because not good at how to take care of (money).

> Thorleik said he would not have much money, “because it is
> unclear how I would like ? it.

> Þorleikr declared-of-himself (that he) would not have
> (take) much wealth (property, money) “because (it) is
> uncertain (úsýnn) how (it) would-get-on for me (ie
> impersonal construction, how I would be liked, getast, Z6)

<Gætist> is from <gæta> 'to watch, take care of', <gæta til>
'to mind, take care of'. I take this to be an impersonal
construction with passive sense ,‘how it would be taken care
of at me’, i.e., ‘how I would take care of it’.

> Er eg ungur og í mörgu óráðinn."

> I am young and unsettled in much."

> I am young and not having made up my mind in some ways.”

> I am young and wavering (úráðinn, inexperienced,
> uncounselled?) in many respects (margr, Z1)

I agree that Z’s glosses for <úráðinn> don’t work well here.
One meaning of <ráðinn> is 'certain, sure'; 'unsure' would
work well here, the underlying idea being something like
'inexperienced'.

> Síðan kaupir Þorkell í skipi ...

> Thorkell then buys (does "í" denote a share of?) a ship
> ...

> Then Thorkell buys a ship ...

> After-that Þorkell buys into (ie buys a share in) a ship
> ...

It’s interesting that ON has the same 'to buy into
something = to buy a share of something' idiom as English.

Brian