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Anglo-Saxon

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be-frinan

  • verb [ strong ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
be-frinan, l. be-frignan, -frinan; p. -frán, pl. -frúnon, -frinon; pp. -frúnen, -frinen,
and add:
to ask a person a question,
the question stated
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  • Gif eówre bearn eów befrínað, 'Hwæt dóð þá stánas hér?',

      Jos. 4, 6.

  • Þá befrán se cyning his cnihtas and cwæþ, 'Hwylce méde hæfde Mardocheus?',

      Hml. A. 98, 216: 99, 257.
question in-direct
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  • Hé befrán his witan hwæt him þúhte be þám,

      Hml. A. 93, 46: 156, 115.

  • Hé befrán ðá hwám ðá gebytlu gemynte wǽron,

      Hml. Th. ii. 354, 34.

  • Hé hí befrán on hwilcne tíman hí þone steorran gesáwon,

      i. 82, 8.

  • Heó befrinen þone cásere hwæt heó scolden,

      Hml. A. 194, 37.

  • Ðone pápan ꝥ hié befrinon hwæt him tó rǽde þúhte,

      Bl. H. 205, 20.
to ask, question,
a person
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  • Ic gewréged ðé ne wiðsóc, befrinen (when questioned) ic ðé geandette,

      Hml. Th. i. 426, 3.
to ask about something
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  • Dás alle cynna befraignes

    (inquirunt).

      Mt. L. 6, 32.

  • Cúðberhtus cwæþ þæt hé ðá sceolde befrínan his nýdþearfnysse,

      Hml. Th. ii. 152, 7.
with prep. :--
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  • Hé befrán be Swýðúne, hwylce wundra hé worhte,

      Hml. S. 21, 197.

  • Befrínað be ðám cilde.

      Hml. Th. i. 82, 16.
to ask a person about something
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  • Hwæt mec befregnes ðú of gód

    quid me interrogas de bono?,

      Mt. L. 19, 17.

  • Be þǽre láre þe þú mé befrúne,

      Bl. H. 185, 8.

  • Hé angan tó befrínenne sume inlendisce ymbe þæs íglondes gewunan.

      Lch. iii. 432, 27.
to ask for some-thing
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  • Hé befrán his geféran rǽdes,

      Hml. S. 25, 397.

  • Búton hé his godes rǽdes befrúne,

      Hml. A. 197, 77.
to ask of a person what one wishes to be told
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  • Befrán hé æt þám mæssepreóstum ðæs martires naman,

      Hml. Th. ii. 506, 28.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “be-frinan.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/39751.

Checked: 1
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  • be-frinan, v.

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