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Anglo-Saxon

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be-sittan

  • verb [ strong ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
be-sittan, to be-sittanne; p. -sæt, -sætt, pl. -sǽton; pp. -seten, [be by, near, sittan to sit].
to sit round, surround, beset, besiege; circumdare, cingere, obsidere
Show examples

  • Ða Læcedemonian besǽton ða burh Mæsiane tyn winter

    the Lacedæmonians surrounded the city of Messene for ten years,

    • Ors. 1, 14
      • ;
    • Bos. 37, 15.

  • Se cyng lét [hí] besittan ðone castel

    the king permitted [them] to beset the castle,

    • Chr. 1087
      • ;
    • Erl. 226, 9.

  • He besæt ða sinherge sweorda láfe

    circumdedit magno exercitu ensium reliquias [superstites],

    • Beo. Th. 5864
      • ;
    • B. 2936.

  • He fór to Hrofe ceastre, and besætt ðone castel

    he went to Rochester, and beset the castle,

    • Chr. 1087
      • ;
    • Erl. 226, 5.

  • Hie hine besǽton on ǽlce healfe on ánum fæstenne

    they beset it [the army] on every side in a fastness,

    • Chr. 894
      • ;
    • Erl. 92, 23 : 918
      • ;
    • Erl. 102, 35.

  • He wæs beseten mid his feóndum on ðære byrig

    he was beset by his enemies in the city,

    • Ps. Th. arg. 19
      • :
    • Chr. 894
      • ;
    • Erl. 92, 7.

  • Ic eom beseten

    obsideor,

    • Ælfc. Gr. 37
      • ;
    • Som. 39, 8.

  • Cassander hý hét ðǽr besittan

    Cassander commanded to besiege them there,

    • Ors. 3, 11
      • ;
    • Bos. 74, 16.

  • Hí þohton [MS. þohtan] hine inne to besittanne

    they thought to besiege him therein,

    • Chr. 1094
      • ;
    • Erl. 230, 22.

  • Antigones hine bedráf into ánum fæstenne and hine ðǽr besæt

    Antigonus drove him into a fastness and besieged him there,

    • Ors. 3, 11
      • ;
    • Bos. 73, 18 : Chr. 1l06
      • ;
    • Erl. 241, 8.

  • Gif he ðæs mægenes ne hæbbe ðæt he hine inne besitte

    if he have not sufficient power that he may besiege him within,

    • L. Alf. pol. 42
      • ;
    • Th. i. 90, 11.
to be in session, to hold sessions, to be able to sit as master of, be in posession to posess; considere, considere ad aliquid, possidere
Show examples

  • Fira bearn æht besittaþ

    filii hominum ad deliberationem considunt,

    • Andr. Kmbl. 820
      • ;
    • An. 410.

  • Ealdormen æht besǽton

    princes sat in council,

    • Andr. Kmbl. 1216
      • ;
    • An. 608 : 1254
      • ;
    • An. 627: Elen. Kmbl. 944
      • ;
    • Fl. 473.

  • Wálá wá! ðæt is sárlíc, ðæt swá leóhtes andwlitan men sceolan ágan and besittan þýstra ealdor

    alas! it is a woful thing, that the prince of darkness should own and possess [have influence over by sitting or being near, hold, be in possession of] men of so bright a countenance;

    heu, proh dolor! quod tam lucidi vultus homines tenebrarum auctor possidet

    • Bd. 2, 1
      • ;
    • S. 501, 16.
Linked entries
v.  be-seten.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “be-sittan.” 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/3947.

Checked: 1
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  • be-sittan, v.

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