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Anglo-Saxon

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werian

  • verb [ weak ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
werian, wergan; p. ede.
Wright's OE grammar
§271; §525;
to hinder, check, restrain
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  • Stán sépte sacerdas sweotolum tácnum, witig werede, and worde cwæð,

      Andr. Kmbl. 1485; An. 744.

  • Egesan stódon, weredon wælnet (

    deadly toils hampered

    (?)),
      Cd. Th. 190, 20; Exod. 202.

  • Ic wylle ðæt ǽlc man hæbbe symle ða men gearowe on his lande, ðe lǽden ða men ðe heora ágen sécan willen, and hý for nánum médsceattum ne werian, L. Ed. 7; Th. i. 162, 25. I a.

    to dam

    water, v. wering :-- Sume weriaþ on gewitlocan wísdómes streám, welerum gehæftaþ, ðæt hé on unnyt út ne óflóweþ,
      Past. 65; Swt. 469, 2.
to keep off, drive away
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  • Wereth

    abiget, Wrt. Voc. ii. 98, 18. II a. to keep off something from a person (dat.), to keep a person (dat.) from something (acc. ),

    v. warian,
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  • Ic mínum fótum fǽcne síðas werede

    ab omni mala via prohibui pedes meos,

      Ps. Th. 118, 101.

  • Ǽgðer óðrum trymede heofonríces hyht, helle wítu wordum werede (cf. gihét im heƀanríki endi helleógethwing werida mid wordun,

      Hél. 2082), Andr. Kmbl. 2107; An. 1055.
to defend, resist attack upon
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  • God geseah his (

    St. Paul's

    ) geðanc, ðæt hé éhte geleáffulra manna ðurh ware ðære ealdan ǽ, and hine gespræc :-- 'Saule . . . ic eom seó sóðfæstnys ðe ðú werast,'
      Homl. Th. i. 390, 8.

  • Hé unheánlíce hine werede,

      Chr. 755; Erl. 48, 33.

  • His ríce hé heardlíce werode ða hwíle ðe his tíma wæs,

      1016; Erl. 155, 6.

  • Hú his seó mycle hand on gewindæge werede and ferede

    qua die manus ejus liberavit eos de manu tribulantis,

      Ps. Th. 77, 42.

  • Hé under segne sinc ealgode, wælreáf werede,

      Beo. Th. 2414; B. 1205.

  • Wé on orlege hafelan weredon,

      2658; B. 1327.

  • Hí céne hí weredon,

      Byrht. Th. 140, 5; By. 283.

  • Ðá hé (

    Peter

    ) his Drihten werian wolde,
      L. Ælfc. P. 51; Th. ii. 386, 22.

  • Gif hé hine werian wille,

      L. Ath. i. 1; Th. i. 198, 20: v. 12, 1; Th. i. 240, 29: 3; Th. i. 242, 10.

  • Utan líf and land ealle werian,

      L. Eth. v. 35; Th. i. 312, 22: Chr. 1010; Erl. 144, 8.

  • Burh werian,

      Blickl. Homl. 79, 16.

  • Wígsteal wergan,

      Exon. Th. 315, 31; Mód. 39.

  • Ealle ða ðe hié wergan noldon,

      Chr. 921; Erl. 107, 4.
  • III a. to defend against,
with dat.
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  • Ðonne hand wereþ feorhhord feóndum,

      Wald. 99; Vald. 2, 21.

  • Hí woldon burh wráðum werian,

      Cd. Th. 119, 7; Gen. 1976.

  • Wergan éþelstól Ætlan leódum,

      Exon. Th. 325, 34; Víd. 121.
with prep.
wið
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  • Ða hí fæstlíce wið ða fýnd weredon,

      Byrht. Th. 134, 11; By. 82.

  • Wit unc wið hronfixas werian þóhton,

      Beo. Th. 1086; B. 541.

  • Breóstnet wera wíð feónd folmum werigean, Cd. Th. 192, 26; Exod. 237. III b.

    to defend

    at law :-- Se ðe on gemóte mid wiðertihtlan hine sylfne oþþe his man werige,
      L. C. S. 27; Th. i. 392, 6.

  • Se Englisca hine werige mid orneste oþþe mid írene . . . Gif se Englisca nele hine werian mid orneste oþþe mid gewitnesse, hé ládige hine mid írene,

      L. W. ii. 2; Th. i. 489, 13-19.

  • Werige hine se Fræncisca mid unforedan áþe,

      3; Th. i. 489, 24.

  • Se ðe can mid leásungan wæwerdlíce werian, and mid unsóðe sóð oferswíðan, Wulfst. 169, 1. III c. in the phrase werian land the word refers to the performance of services that might be demanded from the holders of land :-- Werige (the Latin version has adquietet) se cotsetla his hláfordes inland, gif him man beóde, æt sǽwearde and æt cyniges deórhege and æt swilcan ðingan swilc his mǽð sý, L. R. S. 3; Th. i. 432, 27. v. Kemble's Saxons in England, i. 323. ¶ the phrase commonly occurs where an assessment is made for a smaller number of hides than those actually held, and is retained in Domesday Book in the Latin

    defendere pro

    (a certain number of hides) :-- Hé geúðe ðæt man ðæt land on eallum þingon for áne híde werode, swá swá his yldran hit ǽr gesetton and gefreódon, wǽre ðǽr máre landes, wǽre ðǽr læsse . . . Ealles ðæs landes is án hund hída: ac ða gódan cynegas . . . ǽlc æfter óðran, ðæt ylce land swá gefreódon Gode tó lofe and his þeówan tó bryce intó fóstorlande, ðæt hit man ǽfre on ende for áne híde werian sceolde,
      Cod. Dip. Kmbl. iii. 112, 5-24.

  • Nú wille ic ðæt hit man on eallum þingon for áne híde werige . . . sý ðér máre landes, sý ðér lesse (

    there were 578 hides ),

      203, 16.
  • Hé werige for twá hída, iv. 262, 15.
  • Ic wylle ðæt Ǽðelnóð arcebisceop werige his landáre nú, ealswá hé dyde ǽr Ægelríc wǽre geréfa, vi. 187, 19.
  • Ðæt mon ælles ðises freólses áre ǽfre for áne híde werian scolde; for ðam ðe Godes ár ǽfre freogre beón sceal ðonne ǽnig woruldár, v. 113, 33.
to protect, guard from wrong or
injury,
of persons
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  • God, se ðás fyrd wereþ,

      Cd. Th. 195, 10; Exod. 274.

  • Gif man ofsleá óþerne for neóde ðǽr hé his hláfordes ceáp werige

    si quis alium occiderit ex necessitate, ubi rem domini sui tuebatur,

      L. Ecg. C. 24; Th. ii. 150, 5.

  • Ðæt hé (

    a king

    ) Godes cyrcan weorþige and werige,
      L. I. P. 2; Th. ii. 304, 26.

  • Ðæt hí Godes þeówas symle werian and weorðian,

      L. Eth. vi. 45; Th. i. 326, 23.

  • Hý sculan cyrican wyrðian and werian,

      L. I. P. 11; Th. ii. 318, 25: 25; Th. ii. 338, 30.

  • Manig strec man wyle, gif hé mæg and mót, werian his man swá hwæðer him þincð ðæt hé hine eáð áwerian mæge,

      L. C. S. 20; Th. i. 388, 2. (1 a) with dat. :-- Ðú mé
    weredest wráþum feóndum, ðe mé woldon yrre on ácýðan, Ps. Th. 137, 7.
of things
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  • Beaduscrúda betst, ðæt míne breóst wereþ,

      Beo. Th. 911; B. 453.

  • Se hwíta helm hafelan werede,

      2901; B. 1448.
to hold, occupy. v. warian, III a
Show examples

  • Ða ðe onhǽle eardas weredon, Exon. Th. 123, 14; Gú. 322. [Ich wolle ðat Gyso bisschop werie (

    possideat

    ) now hiss lond also his forgenge aforen hym er dude,
      Cod. Dip. Kmbl. iv. 195, 14.
    ]
Etymology
[Ic eou wulle werien wið elcne herm, O. E. Homl. i. 13, 20. I compe hine werien, Laym. 8288. Weorien heom mid wepnen, 21289. Þu mihht werenn þe fra þeȝȝm, Orm. 1406. Scheld to werien ham mide, A. R. 52, 5. Were þe agean me, 400, 7. Foyne if him lust on foote himself to were, Chauc. Kn. T. 1692. Goth. warjan prohibere: O. Sax. werian: O. Frs. wera: O. H. Ger. werien prohibere, cohibere, inhibere, resistere, defendere, vetare, abnuere, abigere: Icel. verja to defend.]
Similar entries
v. á-, be-, ge-werian; un-wered; warian.
Linked entries
v.  a-werian ge-werian wergan warian.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “werian.” 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/35379.

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  • werian, v.

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