Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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on-fón

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Add: A. the subject a person.
add: to take on one's own initiative.
to take hold of an object
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  • Cornelius hine gebígde tó Petres fótum, ac his onféncg Petrus

    (Petrus elevavit eum,

    Acts
      10, 26), Hml. S. 10, 129.

  • Hyra Scyppend sceaðan onféngon syngum hondum,

      Cri. 1132.

  • Ic nát hú þú hym onfón mage mid geglófedum handum, Solil. H. 42, 11. (1 a) fig. :-- Mé ðín seó swíðre onféncg

    me suscepit dextera tua,

      Ps. Th. 62, 7.

  • Hond Godes onféng freódrihten and hine forð lǽdde,

      Sat. 566.
to get control or
possession of, to take a wife
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  • Ic of þám temple onféng fǽmnan clǽne,

      Cri. 187.
  • Hé leomum onféng and líchoman, 628.

  • Ðæs gefarenan bróðor wíf wæs geboden dám lifiendan bréðer tó onfónne,

      Past. 43, 23.
with a non-material object, to get a condition of mind, adopt a mode of conduct,
grasp with the mind
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  • Hé onféng hraðe inwitþancum

    he had crafty thoughts at once,

      B. 748.

  • Ne wolde þám leódþeáwum Loth onfón,

      Gen. 1938.

  • Hé gesǽde swefen cyninge, þæt hé onfón ne meahte on his breóstlocan

    he told the king the dream, that he could not remember

    (cf. hé ne wisse word swefnes sínes, 125),
      Dan. 166.
add: to receive what is sent, &c.
to take into the hand (lit. or fig. )
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  • -Þæs wínes steápes onféhð (sé) þe hé ann,

      Ps. Th. 74, 7.

  • Heó onféng þám hálgum gerýnum Crístes líchaman and blódes mid ábrǽdedum handum,

      Hml. S. 23 b, 700.

  • Bebiét sió ǽ ðæt se sácerd scyle onfón ðone suíðran bógh æt ðǽre offrunge,

      Past. 81, 19.
to receive a material or non-material object as possession or for use, enjoyment, &c. ,
get
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  • 'Ðú onféngc ðín gód eal hér on worulde.' For ðǽm anféhð se yfla áuht goodes on ðisse worulde ðæt . . . Past. 391, 15.

  • For óðerra monna ðearfe hié onfóð ðyllica giefa,

      41, 13; Gen. 1759.

  • Þú eácnunge onfénge bearnes,

      Cri. 75.

  • Gé wítgena láre onféngon,

      El. 335.

  • Onfóð mínes fæder ríce (cf.

    possidete regnum,

      Mt. 25, 34), Cri. 1345.

  • Ðæt wé onfón sumne dǽl bledsunge,

      Past. 333, 1.

  • Ꝥ ic mæge þínra gebeda onfón,

      Hml. S. 23 b, 212.

  • Hié wéndon þæt hié máre sculdon onfoon (wéron onfengendo, L.

    essent accepturi),

      Mt. R. 20, 10.

  • Beóð ðá heortan suíðe gearwe wísdómes tó anfónne (on-,

    v. l. ) ad suscipiendum aedificium corda paraverunt,

      Past. 203, 12.

  • Hyht is onfangen,

      Cri. 99.
to receive what is entrusted
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  • Gif sweordhwíta óðres monnes wǽpn tó feormunge onfó,

      Ll. Th. i. 74, 9.
to receive what is sent
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  • Heó þæt . . érende onféng,

      Hy. 10, 25.
to receive what is inflicted
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  • Gif hé heáhre handa dyntes onféhð,

      Ll. Th. i. 18, 2.

  • Ic onféng þín sár,

      Cri. 1461 : 1440.
  • Hleór árleásra spátl onféng, 1437.

  • Hé sceolde dómes hleótan þæs ilcan þe ússa yldran onféngon,

      Gú. 947.

  • Þeáh þe hé átres drync onfénge,

      An. 53.

  • Hié Godes yrre habban sceoldon, þone nearwan nið niéde onfón,

      Gen. 697.

  • Ic tó fela hæbbe bealwa onfongen,

      Cri. 182.
add:
to take with the hands what is offered
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  • Heó (

    Eve

    ) æt þám láðan onféng deáðes beámes wæstm,
      Gen. 592.

  • Hé beád him þrý berene hláfas . . . Ðá hét se árleása onfón þǽra hláfa,

      Hml. S. 3, 214.
to accept a material or non-material object as possession, or for use, enjoyment, &c.
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  • Gífre bið sé þám golde onféhð,

      Gn. Ex. 70. 'Ne
    cearað incit ellor sécan winas uncúðe, ac wuniað hér'. Abraham . . . onféng freóndscipe be freán hǽse, Gen. 2736.

  • Ne onfóh þú nǽfre médsceattum

    nec accipies munera,

      Ll. Th. i. 54, 17.

  • Þé lyst nú lióþa. Onfóh hiora nú

    video te carminis exspectare dulcedinem. Accipe igitur haustum,

      Bt. 39, 12 ; F. 232, 21.

  • Bæd hé hine ꝥ hé sumne dǽl landes æt him onfénge

    postulauit eum possessionem terrae aliquam a se accipere,

      Bd. 3, 23; Sch. 299, 11.

  • Onféngon,

      Shrn. 129, 31.

  • Onfónde

    accipiens,

      Bd. 3, 23; Sch. 289, 15.
to accept what is stated, taught, enjoined, &c.
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  • Ne hine cuman hí onfóþ

    nec eum uenisse accipiunt,

      An. Ox. 40, 3.

  • Monega þeóda Crístes geleáfan onféngon,

      Ll. Th. i. 58, 4.

  • Mid þon þe hié þæs crístendómes onféngon,

      Ors. 6, 4 ; S. 258, 26.

  • Crístendóme onfón,

      6, 13 ; S. 268, 21.
to accept when responsibility is alleged
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  • Sé þe yrfe bycge . . . and hit eft týman scyle, þonne onfó sé his þe hé hit ǽr æt bohte,

      Ll. Th. i. 212,13.

  • Gif se mon hine þonne onfón ne wille,

      150, 7. v. teám.
to accept a proposal,
give a favourable hearing to a prayer
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  • Onfóh (-fóg, Ps. L. ) mid þínum eárum mínne wóp and míne teáras

    auribus percipe lacrymas meas,

      Ps. Th. 38, 14.

  • Mín gebedo wendon eft tó mé, for þám heora nolde onfón se déma þe ic him tó sende,

      34, 13.

  • Beád hé ealle his ǽhta wiþ his feore; þá nolde se cyning þæs onfón,

      Bt. 29, 2; F. 104, 22.
to accept, not to offer objection to, take in good part
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  • Hié onfooð ðǽre láre micle lusðlícor they will take reproof much more readily, Past. 293, 25. IV a. add :--

    God

    áliéseð sáwle míne of honda helle þonne hé onfoehð mé,
      Ps. Vos. 48, 16.

  • Þú mé onféncge,

      Ps. Th. 118, 147.

  • Hé heora mid bismere onféng,

      Ors. 3, 11 ; S. 146, 33.

  • Sé þe hine tó men onfó,

      Ll. Th. i. 86, 9.

  • Ðá fǽmnan þe gewuniað onfón gealdorcræftigan,

      52, 9.

  • Gif hí sumne freónd onfón willað tó him, Hml, Th. ii. 316, 8. IV b. add :-- Sum geréfman wǽre þára þe onfénge ánum mægdene æt fullwihte

    quidam curialis juvenculam in baptismate suscepit,

      Gr. D. 308, 13.

  • Hé náh mid rihte ǽniges mannes æt fulluhte tó onfónne ne æt bisceopes handa, Wlfst. 39, 17. IV c. to allow to come, not to exclude :-- Hié sprǽcon ðæt hit betere wǽre þætte Rómáne eft heora cynecynne onféngen

    revocandorum in Urbem regum placito insimulatos,

      Ors. 2, 3 ; 8. 68, 9.
add:
to undergo a rite
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  • Hé fulwihte onféng,

      El. 192.
  • Hé onféng fulwihtes bæð, 490: 1033.

  • Hé onféng torhtum tácne he was circumcised, Gen. 2374. (1 a)

    to receive

    the sacrament :-- Ne sceall him bewered beón þám gerýne onfón þǽre hálegan gemǽnsumnesse.
      Gyf. . .
    hwylc man ne gedyrstgað onfóón . . . Gif hé onféhþ . . . , Bd. 1. 27 ; Sch. 83, 17-23.

  • Mid clǽnnysse ðá hálgan ðigene onfón,

      Hml. Th. ii. 280, 29.
to undertake a duty
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  • Restedæges begýminge hí onfóþ

    Sabbati obseruationem suscipiunt,

      An. Ox. 40, 6.

  • Cyning selfa onféng fulluhtþeáwum,

      Met. 1, 33.

  • Æfter þám onfangenum gebede swá hit mid munecum þeáw is

    after praying as is the custom with monks,

      Hml. S. 23 b, 67 : 84.
Add
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  • Þý syxtan mónþe þæs þe Sanctus Ióhannes on his módor bósm onfangen wæs,

      Bl. H. 165, 25.
Add
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  • Ðonne eft on ðone herpað ðǽr wé ǽr onféngan (cf. ǽrest of Noddre andlang ðes portherpaðes,

      453, 29), C. D. iii. 454, 9.
  • B. the subject a thing.
to admit within itself
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  • Eorðe onféhð eallum sǽdum,

      Met. 29, 66.

  • Líc onféng gǽst,

      Hö. 20.

  • Him hel onféng,

      B. 852.
  • Heal swége onféng, 1214.
  • Brimwylm onféng hilderince, 1494.
to have placed on its surface, have brought in contact with
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  • Hleór bolster onféng,

      B. 688, Bord ord onféng, By. 110.

  • Bord oft onféng ýða swengas,

      El. 238.

  • Heáh hlioðo horde onféngon (

    the ark rested on Ararat

    ),
      Gen. 1439.
to be endowed by nature with something, material or non-material
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  • Beorgas onfóð blǽdum and wæstmum,

      Ps. Th. 103, 12.

  • Ealle gesceafta onfóþ æt Gode endebyrdnesse and andwlitan,

      Bt. 39, 5 ; F. 218, 14,
    Þæt se wyrtruma sǽde onfénge, Dan. 583.
Etymology
[v. N. E. D. on-fang. O. Sax. ant-fáhan : O. H. Ger. ant-fáhan (int-) ac-, con-, ex-, per-, re-, sus-cipere, capere, sumere, obtinere: Ger. emp-fangen.]
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “on-fón.” 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/56507.

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