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læssa

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Grammar
læssa, l. lǽssa,
Wright's OE grammar
§280; §445;
and add: A. as adj. agreeing with a substantive expressed or understood.
of size, extent in space
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  • Ic eom máre þonne þes middangeard, lǽsse þonne hondwyrm,

      Rä. 67, 2.

  • Lǽssan ymbgang hæfð se mann þe gǽð ábútan án hús þonne sé ðe ealle ðá burh begǽð. Swá eác ðe móna hǽfð his ryne hraðor áurnen on þám lǽssan ymbhwyrfte þonne seó sunne hæbbe on þám máran,

      Lch. iii. 248, 10-15: Met. 28, 12.

  • Lýssan minima,

      Kent. Gl. 1100.

  • Hé þára lǽssena ríca reccend is,

      Ors. 2, 1; S. 58, 25.

  • Senepes sǽd . . . is ealra sǽda lǽst (lǽsest,

      L.), Mk. 4, 31.

  • Se móna ealra tungla hǽfð lǽstne embegang,

      Angl. vii. 14, 134.
of number, in the case of collective unities
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  • Þǽr máre folc sig . . . þǽr lǽsse folc síg ,

      Ll. Th. i. 232, 14.

  • Hié werod lǽsse hæfdon þonne Húna cyning,

      El. 48.
of time
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  • Scyld wel gebearg líf lǽssan hwíle,

      B. 2571.
of qualities, emotions, conditions, actions, or occurrences, expressing extent or degree
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  • Wæs se gryre lǽssa efne swá micle swá bið wíggryre wífes be wǽpnedmen,

      B. 1282.

  • Ne þincð mé þæt wundur wuhte þe lǽsse,

      Met. 20, 117.

  • On ǽnigum þingum cræftig, on máran wísdóme oþþe on lǽssan,

      Bl. H. 49, 28.

  • Ǽnigne creft geliorman, oððe leásan oððe máran,

      Solil. H. 30, 22.

  • Lǽssan sige hæfð sé sé ðá burhware ofercymð,

      Past. 218, 18.

  • Hé forlǽt ðá máran gód and went hine tó ðǽm lǽssum

    relictis amplioribus bonis ad minima retorquetur

    ,
      403, 5.

  • Nó þæt lǽsest wæs hondgemóta, B. 2354. IV a. having a quality mentioned to a slighter extent,

    less in respect to (on )

    :-- Ic eom on mægne mínum lǽsse þonne se hondwyrm,
      Rä. 41, 95.
of things.
with respect to value
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  • Ꝥ man nǽnne ne slóge for lǽssan yrfe þonne .XII. pæniga weorð, búton hé fleón wille . . . ꝥ man ne wandode þonne þeáh hit lǽsse wǽre,

      Ll. Th. i. 242, 8-11.

  • Nalæs hí hine lǽssan lácum teódan, þeódgestreónum, þonne þá dydon þe hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon,

      B. 43.
with respect to importance or interest
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  • Ne sceolde hé nán ðing forgýman ðe ǽfre tó note mehte; ne forða ( = furþum) músfellan; ne ꝥ gít lǽsse is, tó hæpsan pinn,

      Angl. ix. 265, 9.

  • Ðæt hié be ðǽm lǽssan ðingum ongieten hú suíðe hié gesyngiað on ðǽm máran

    ut ex minori consideratione colligant, quantum in majoribus rebus delinquant

    ,
      Past. 375, 23.

  • Lǽstra þinga [ne] geðrýstlǽcende áht secgan þæs ðe hé geseah,

      Hml. S. 23 b, 644.
of persons or places, in reference to rank, dignity, &c.
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  • Ic eom lǽssa þonne ealle þíne miltsunga,

      Gen. 32, 10.

  • Man þe bið lǽssa maga þon[n]e se cyninges þegn,

      Ll. Th. i. 154, 7.

  • Heáfodmynstres griðbryce . . . medemran mynstres . . . gít lǽssan,

      342, 3.

  • Hé mǽðe cann on óðrum mannum, on his gelícum ge on lǽssan mannum,

      Wlfst. 51, 31.

  • Seó ilce burg Babylonia, seó ðe mǽst wæs and ǽrest ealra burga, seó is nú lǽst and wéstast,

      Ors. 2, 4; S. 74, 23.

  • Úre Áliésend, ðe mára is and mǽrra eallum gesceaftum, hé hine gemedomode tó biónne betwiux ðǽm lǽsðum (lǽstum, v. l.) and ðǽm gingestum monnum, Past. 301, 13. VI a. applied to the inferior or smaller of two persons or places of the same name :-- Ðæs Jacóbes leásse (lǽssa, R.) móder

    Jacobi minoris mater

    ,
      Mk. L. 15, 40.

  • Se lǽssa middangeard

    michrocosmos

    ,
      Wrt. Voc. i. 282, 22 : 64, 13.
referring to (mean) conduct
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  • Þætte ealra lǽst wæs, his gingran dohter hé nolde búton hæftniéde habban, seó wæs lytel cild

    etiam parvulas filias crudeli captivitate retinebat

    ,
      Ors. 3, 9; S. 128, 18.
of quantity
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  • Him gebyriað .v. æceras tó habbanne, máre gyf hit on lande ðeáw sý, and tó lytel hit bið beó hit á lǽsse,

      Ll. Th. i. 432, 25.

  • Sume beóð on máran áre, sume on lǽssan, sume fulneáh búton,

      Solil. H. 44, 13.

  • On lǽsse plihte,

      Ll. Th. i. 226, 6.

  • Ánra gehwylc þe hafað lǽsse mægen,

      Sal. 356. B. as substantive,
the less
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  • For hwan ne déþ hé ꝥ lǽsse nú hé þæt máre dyde?,

      Bl. H. 181, 6.
less, a smaller amount
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  • Ne wǽron þás ealle gelíce lange, ac on þyssum wæs þreó þúsend wintra, on sumre lǽsse, on sumere eft máre,

      Bl. H. 119, 4.

  • Ic for lǽssan leán teohhade,

      B. 951.

  • Sé þe lǽsse hæbbe,

      Ll. Th. i. 414, 19 note : Bl. H. 53, 16.

  • Hweðer ðú máre wisse þonne ðú nú wást, þe lǽsse,

      Solil. H. 59, 8. (2 a) with gen. :--
    Þæt hire þý læsse on þǽm lytlan ne bið ánum fingre þe hire on eallum bið þǽm líchoman, Met. 20, 179.

  • Hí lǽsse ongietað ðæs ðe him hreówan ðyrfe,

      Past. 411, 4.

  • Hé hit gehíwað swá þæt lǽst manna wát hú hé him wið þone ðeódfeónd gescyldan sceal,

      Wlfst. 54, 19.

  • Ðá ðe Lǽdensprǽce lǽste (lǽsðe,

    v. l.

    ) cúðon,
      9, 16.
what is of less importance
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  • He mót ǽgðer witan ge lǽsse ge máre, ge betere ge mǽtre,

      Angl. ix. 259, 23.
  • C. as adverb :-- Sé þee

  • Swunce máre sé þe unriht gestreón on his handa stóde, and lǽsse sé þe þǽr áriht onsprǽce,

      290, 5.

  • Ic lufige ǽlcne mínra freónda, sume lǽsse, sume máre,

      Solil. H. 16, 18.

  • Ic ðóhte þæt hit wǽre lǽsse ǽðrýt (

    less wearisome; or? a less weariness )

    tó gehýrenne,
      Hml. Th. ii. 2, 11.

  • Ǽlc fagnað þæs þe lǽste (

    to a very slight extent

    ) hé ongytan mæg,
      Solil. H. 31, 23.
Similar entries
v. lǽs.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “læssa.” 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/54200.

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