Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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FYRD

  • noun [ feminine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
FYRD, fyrdung, e; f.
Wright's OE grammar
§225; §390; §563;
an army, the military array of the whole country; exercĭtus, expĕdītio. To take part in the fyrd was the general duty of every freeman, even of the mere churl, but as forming one branch of the trinoda necessitas it belonged especially to owners of land. 'Every owner of land was obliged to the fyrd or expeditio; the owner of bookland as liable to the trinoda necessitas alone; the occupier of folkland as subject to that as well as to many other obligations from which bookland was exempted.'
  • Stubbs'
    • ;
  • Const. Hist. i. 190, q. v.
By the simple appellation of fyrd the land-force was to be understood. The naval armament was denominated the scip-fyrd.
Similar entries
v. folc-land I [c]
Show examples

  • Be ðon ðe gesíþcund man fyrde forsitte. Gif gesíþcund mon, landágende, forsitte fyrde, geselle cxx scillinga and þolie his landes; unlandágende lx scillinga; cierlisc xxx scillinga; to fyrd-wíte [MS. fierd-wíte]

    in case a gesithcund man neglects the fyrd. If a gesithcund man owning land, neglect the fyrd, let him pay 120 shillings and forfeit his land; one not owning land, 60 shillings; a churlish man, 30 shillings; as a fine for neglecting the fyrd,

    • L. In. 51
      • ;
    • Th. i. 134, 7-10.
an army; agmen, exercĭtus
Show examples

  • Fyrd sceal wið fyrde sacan

    army shall strive against army,

    • Menol. Fox 565
      • ;
    • Gn. C. 52 : Cd. 146
      • ;
    • Th. 183, 8
      • ;
    • Exod. 88.

  • On Faraones fyrde

    in Pharaoh's army,

    • Exon. 122 a
      • ;
    • Th. 468, 3
      • ;
    • Phar. 2.

  • Claudius, se cásere, fyrde gelǽdde on Breotone

    Claudius, the emperor, led an army into Britain,

    • Bd. 1, 3
      • ;
    • S. 475, 11 : Cd. 145
      • ;
    • Th. 181, 17
      • ;
    • Exod. 62.

  • Gesomnade he his fyrd wið West-Seaxum

    he assembled his army against the West Saxons,

    • Bd. 2, 9
      • ;
    • S. 512, 2 : Cd. 149
      • ;
    • Th. 187, 24
      • ;
    • Exod. 156.

  • Fór fyrda mǽst

    the greatest of armies marched,

    • Elen. Kmbl. 69
      • ;
    • El. 35.

  • Hí heora fyrd gesomnedon

    they assembled their armies,

    • Bd. 3. 14
      • ;
    • S. 539, 36.
an expedition; expĕdītio
Show examples

  • Ðæt ic of ðisse fyrde feran wille

    that I will flee out of this expedition,

    • Byrht. Th. 138, 16
      • ;
    • By. 221.

  • Ðeáh ðú mid us ne fare on fyrd

    though thou go not with us in the expedition,

    • Ps. Th. 43, 11.

  • Onginnaþ ymb ða fyrde þencean

    they begin to think about the expedition,

    • Cd. 21
      • ;
    • Th. 26, 18
      • ;
    • Gen. 408 : 32
      • ;
    • Th. 43, 11
      • ;
    • Gen. 689 : 92
      • ;
    • Th. 118, 7
      • ;
    • Gen. 1961.
a camp; castrum
Show examples

  • Fyrd

    castrum,

    • Ælfc. Gl. 7
      • ;
    • Som. 56, 76
      • ;
    • Wrt. Voc. 18, 28.
[
Laym. ferde, uerde, f. an army
:
Orm. ferd an army
:
Scot. ferde an army, host
:
O. Sax. fard, f. an expedition
:
Frs. feard
:
O. Frs. ferd, f. an expedition
:
Ger. fahrt, fart, f. ĭter
:
M. H. Ger. vart, f
:
O. H. Ger. fart, f. ĭter
:
Dan. fart, færd, m. f. an expedition
:
Swed. fart, m. a passage
:
Icel. ferð, f. travel.
]
Linked entries
v.  færd feord ferd fierd fird folc-land fyrdung.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “FYRD.” 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/12891.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • FYRD, n.

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