ber er hver að baki, nema sér bróður eigi

Icelandic

Alternative forms

• ber er hver að baki

Etymology

From Brennu-Njáls saga, a phrase uttered by Kári Sölmundarson. Consists of ber (“bare”) + er (“is”), from vera (“to be”) + hver (“each, everyone”) + að (“concerning, to”) + baki the dative singular form of bak (“back”) + nema (“unless”) + sér, dative form of sig (“oneself, one”) + bróður, the accusative form of bróðir (“brother”) + eigi, form of eiga (“to own”).

Literally meaning that the "back of each man is bare, unless he has a brother to him".

Proverb

ber er hver að baki, nema sér bróður eigi

1. he who doesn't have a companion (brother) in battle; is unprotected