Fagre is pronounced as if it was written Fay-gree.
My great-great-grandparents Carl Hanson Hallerud and Maren Fredrikka Haug married around 1867. Carl came from the "Hallerud Farm" and Maren came from the "Haug Farm". (Farms during this time period were named and they usually carried the family name.) When Carl and Maren settled their own farm (south of Hønefoss and northwest of Oslo) they called it Fagre ("beautiful" in Norwegian) and took on the Fagre name. One of their eleven children was my great-grandfather Ludwig Carlson Fagre who married Thora Alberta Winger. Ludwig and Thora had eight children on of which was my grandfather Howard Rugner Fagre. Howard had six children (five natural and one adopted) on of which is my father Howard Rugner Jr Fagre.
Note: This information was obtained from the book "Ludwig and Thora: The Times Of Their Lives" by Martha Fagre Peters. Copied and sent to me by Janice Charlene Schroeder Fagre (wife of Earl David Fagre).
** NEW ** (08/05/99) I found Karl Hansen Fægri in Norway's 1900 Census
In Danish you say that the girl is "fager", but when you talk about a certain girl you say "fagre".
In a Danish dictionary, this is what is listed under the word "fager" {freely translated}:
There are 3 meanings:
1) a) About visual sensation that awakes a feeling of pleasure by its beauty, color richness, vigor; Beautiful, graceful, loveliness; especially used about persons or things outer appearance; primary about women, flowers and nature.
1) b) About seasons: lovely, pleasant. About periods in ones life (the youth): happy, nice and lovely.
2) Concerning human actions: noble, admirable, excellent and splendid.
3) About promises, hopes that are beautiful, but no more and no less. Deceiving, lure, entice, tempting; about promising (by your outer beauties) more than you can keep.
In the Danish to English dictionary it says that "fager" (adj.) means "fair." The adjective meaning of "fair" in an English dictionary list the above meanings and a few more.
Fager in Danish is a really old word, and it's never used anymore, except from a few poets who might hope to reach their desirable effect by using an old word like this one!
Also A. Huxley book "Brave New World" translated in Danish is "Fagre Nye Verden".
Note: Special thanks to Morten Scondergaard for the information and translation.
Artikkelen i Bokmålsordboka om ordet 'fager'
fager a5 (norr fagr , sm o s eng. fair ) vakker være ung og f- / fagre ord og løfter
ofte: vakre, men upålitelige
Artikkelen i Nynorskordboka om ordet 'fager'
fager adj -t, fagre (norr fagr ; sm o s fair , og smh med fagne, fegen )
vakker, ven, fin, herleg f- bygd, jente, song, dag, tanke / det kling så f-t / be så f-t / fagre ord vakre (men stundom
upålitelege) ord
Note: Definitions obtained from The Bokmål & Nynorsk Dictionaries