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Anglo-Saxon

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healf

  • noun [ feminine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
healf, e; f.
Wright's OE grammar
§64; §262; §294;
Substitute:
Side, part
Show examples

  • Hac on ðás healfe,

    illac

    on ðá healfe,

    • Ælfc. Gr. Z. 225, 4
      • .
as a specification of position or direction.
one of two sides of an object (v. 3.)
Show examples

  • ꝥ tóswollene lim

    (the foot)

    fram þǽre uferran healfe beþe,

    • Lch. ii. 68, 14
      • .

  • Lǽt blód of earme, næs on þá healfe þe ꝥ sár biþ,

    • 262, 16
      • .

  • On ðá healfe þe heó scínð, þǽr byð dæg, and on þá healfe þe heó ne scínð, ðǽr byð niht. Ǽfre byð on sumre sídan þǽre eorðan dæg, and ǽfre on sumre sídan niht,

    • Lch. iii. 234, 25-28
      • .

  • An bá halbae (halbe, halfe, v. ll.)

    altrinsecus,

    • Txts. 38, 51
      • .

  • On twá healfa,

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 1, 8.

  • ꝥ wé sendan on twá healfa tó þám geréfum,

    • Ll. Th. i. 236, 14.
(the right or left)
side, hand:
Show examples

  • Gif þú færst tó þǽre winstran hælfe, ic healde þá swíðran healfe; gif þú þá swíðran healfe gecíst, ic fare tó þǽre winstran healfe,

    • Gen. 13, 9.

  • Dextrorsum

    on ðá swýðran healfe,

    sinistrorsum

    on ðá wynstran healfe,

    • Ælfc. Gr. Z. 225, 7-9
      • .
of a person
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  • Þú sittest on sínre swíðran healf,

    • Hy. 7, 42
      • .

  • Hé sette Mannases on his winstran hand, þæt wæs on Israhéles swíðran healfe,

    • Gen. 48, 13
      • .
of a thing
Show examples

  • Fram swíþre healfe

    dextro cornu,

      Wr
    • t. Voc. ii. 140, 2
      • .

  • Hit

    (the cross)

    ongan swǽtan on þá swíþran healfe,

    • Kr. 20
      • .
one of more than two sides (V. 3)
a definite number
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  • On áne healfe,

    • Chr. 892
      • ;
    • P. 82, 33
      • .

  • Him mon on þreó healfe onwinnende wæs,

    • Ors. 4, 7
      • ;
    • S. 184, 3
      • .

  • On seofon healfa swógað windas,

    • Cri. 950
      • .

  • Bið seó tunge tótogen on týn healfa,

    • Seel. 115
      • .
indefinite
Show examples

  • On healfe gehwáre,

    • Ph. 206
      • .

  • Heó ne helt on náne healfe.

    • Bt. 33, 4
      • ;
    • F. 130, 36
      • :
    • Met. 20, 164
      • .

  • On ǽlee healfe,

    • Chr. 892
      • ;
    • P. 82, 34
      • .

  • On hwilce healfe,

    • Gen. 1918
      • .

  • Him mon sceolde an má healfa on feohtan þonne on áne,

    • Ors. 2, 5
      • ;
    • S. 80, 27
      • .

  • Hí on healfa gehwone þringað,

    • Ph. 336
      • .

  • Hié on healfa gehwone he áwan þóhton,

    • B. 800
      • .
where feówer is used indefinitely
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  • Þá burgware self þæt fæsten onbærndon an feówer healfa

    succensis domibus suis,

    • Ors. 3, 11
      • ;
    • S. 144, 32
      • .

  • For þǽm gewinnum þe hié þá hæfdon on feówer healfa,

    • 4, 10
      • ;
    • S. 196, 19
      • .
with force as in either 1 or 2 and
gen. of object
Show examples

  • Hí

    (sun and moon)

    be healfe heofones þisses on áne ne lǽt God

    God does not let them be on the same side of heaven,

    • Met. 29, 43
      • .

  • Beón on þá swíþran healfe Drihtnes,

    • Bl. H. 95, 21
      • .

  • On þá swíþran healfe mínes dǽles,

    • 147, 30
      • .

  • Wǽles healfe

    aluei marginem,

    • An. Ox. 3679
      • .

  • On óþre healfe Donua þǽre ié,

    • Ors. 1, 1
      • ;
    • S. 16, 12
      • .

  • On þá healfe muntes

    ultramontana,

    • Chr. 887
      • ;
    • P. 80, 26
      • :
    • Bt. 18, 2
      • ;
    • F. 64, 11
      • .

  • Hí ne lǽt God on áne healfe þæs heofones bión,

    • 39, 13
      • ;
    • F. 234, 8
      • .

  • Þá twá ǽdran on twá healfa þára eágena,

    • Ors. 4, 6
      • ;
    • S. 178, 23
      • .

  • Hé gesette twá folc on twá healfa his,

    • S. 174, 32
      • .

  • Hié selfe wǽron on þǽm midmestan, and þá óþre on twá healfa hiera,

    • 5, 12
      • ;
    • S. 242, 4
      • .

  • Behealde hé on feówer healfe his,

    • Bt. 19
      • ;
    • F. 68, 22
      • :
    • Ll. Th. i. 224, 8
      • .
with dat. of object
Show examples

  • Hé gesæt Godfæder on þá swíþran healfe,

    • Bl. H. 91, 5.

  • Mé bið gongendre gréne on healfe, and mín swæð sweart on óðre,

    • Rä. 22, 9
      • .

  • Him on healfa gehwám hettend seomedon,

    • Exod. 209
      • .

  • Him on healfa gehwone,

    • Cri. 928
      • .

  • Beóð twégen dǽlas on twá healfa þám gemetegodum dǽle,

    • Lch. iii. 262, 1
      • .
with prep, be healfe
beside (with dat.)
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  • Hæleðum be healfe féran,

    • B. 2262
      • .

  • Him be healfe sittan (standan, eardian),

    • An. 1065
      • :
    • By. 152
      • :
    • Rä. 85, 20
      • .
of the position occupied by two opponents
Show examples

  • Twégen gewin drugon . . . hý hine trymedon on twá healfa,

    • Gú. 104
      • :
    • El. 955
      • .

  • Fyrdhwate on twá healfe tohtan sécað,

    • 1180.
one of the opposite sides in a conflict
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  • Hwæðer healf hæfð sige,

    • Ors. 3, 1
      • ;
    • S. 100, 9
      • .

  • Wæs swíðe feala manna forfaren on Cnutes healfe,

    • Chr. 1025
      • ;
    • P. 157, 18
      • .

  • Wearð swíðe stranglic gefeoht on bá halfe,

    • 1066
      • ;
    • P. 199, 13
      • .
one of the parties to a transaction, dispute, &c.
Show examples

  • Gán twégen menn of ǽgðre healfe,

    • Ll. Th. i. 226, 19, 20
      • .

  • Gerǽdden þá witan on ǽgðer halfe ꝥ man yfeles geswác, and geaf se cyng his freóndscipe on ǽgðre healfe,

    • Chr. 1048
      • ;
    • P. 174, 17-19
      • .

  • Man freóndscipe gefæstnode mid wædde on ǽgðere healfe,

    • 1014
      • ;
    • P. 145, 11
      • .

  • Hergodon hí on heora healfe and Cnut on his,

    • 1016
      • ;
    • P. 147, 16
      • .

  • Beó on náðre healfe ná má manna þonne .xii.,

    • Ll. Th. i. 212, 7
      • .

  • Hié getrúwedon on twá healfe frioðuwǽre,

    • B. 1095
      • :
    • 1305
      • :
    • 2063
      • .
behalf, account
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  • Swá oft swá þá óþre hergas út fóron, þonne fóron hié oþþe mid oþþe on heora healfe on,

    • Chr. 894
      • ;
    • P. 84, 22
      • .
side, quarter, direction
Show examples

  • Ðæt hé ne ðyrfe an náne healfe anbúgan tó nánum synlicum luste.

    • Past. 83, 15.

  • Ne léten hié nó hié on ǽlce healfe gebígean

    nequaquam eos per tot varietatis latera mutabilitatis aura versaret,

    • 306, 4
      • .

  • Ða spréce nǽnig mon on nǽnge óðre halfe oncaerrende sié nymne suǽ þis gewrit hafað,

    • C. D. B. i. 446, 13
      • .

  • Þú ondrǽdan ne þearft on þá healfe

    (in that quarter,i.e, from Grendel)

    aldorbealu eorlum.

    • B. 1675
      • .

  • Þeódbealu on þreó healfa. Án is þára þæt hý him yrmða tó fela andweard seóð . . . ,

    • Cri. 1268
      • .

  • Weras þeahtedon on healfa gehwǽr, sume hyder sume þyder

    they considered the matter on all sides,

    • El. 548
      • .
Etymology
[
Goth. halba
:
O. Sax. halƀa
:
O. Frs. halve
:
O. H. Ger. halba
:
Icel. hálfa.
]
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “healf.” 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/51971.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • healf, n.

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