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Anglo-Saxon

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hwerfan

  • verb [ weak ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
hwerfan, hwierfan, hwirfan, hwyrfan; p. de; pp. ed.
to turn, revolve, move about, go, return, depart
Show examples

  • Óþ ðæt ðú eft hwyrfest tó him

    until thou shalt return to him,

    • Blickl. Homl. 233, 29
      • .

  • Mannes sáwl hweóle gelícost hwærfeþ ymbe hý selfe

    man's soul, just like a wheel, revolves about itself,

    • Bt. Met. Fox 20, 422
      • ;
    • Met. 20, 211
      • .

  • Hwærfþ,

    • 434
      • ;
    • Met. 20, 217
      • .

  • Hwerfeþ,

    • 28, 30
      • ;
    • Met. 28, 15
      • .

  • Hwyrfeþ,

    • Exon. 103 b
      • ;
    • Th. 394, 3
      • ;
    • Rä. 13, 12
      • .

  • Hægl hwyrft of heofones lyfte

    hail whirls down from the sky,

    • Runic pm. 9
      • ;
    • Kmbl. 341, 5
      • .

  • Hí hám hwyrfaþ

    domum redeunt,

    • L. Ecg. P. i. 14
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 178, 6
      • .

  • Cynna gehwylcum ðara ðe cwice hwyrfaþ

    for every race that living moves,

    • Beo. Th. 197
      • ;
    • B. 98
      • .

  • Hig eft syððan tógædere hwyrfdon

    postea iterum se conjunxerint,

    • L. Ecg. P. iv. 8
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 206, 8
      • .

  • Hie eft hwirfdon tó hiora ealdormannum

    they returned to their rulers,

    • Blickl. Homl. 239, 29
      • .

  • Hwearfdon geond ðæt atole scref

    roamed through that horrid den,

    • Cd. 214
      • ;
    • Th. 269, 13
      • ;
    • Sat. 72
      • .

  • Gehwá hám hwyrfe

    let every one return home,

    • L. E. I. 24
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 422, 1
      • .

  • On gemynd hwyrfe unrihtwísnys fædera his

    in memoriam redeat iniquitas patrum ejus,

    • Ps. Spl. 108, 13
      • .

  • Hwyrf eft on ða ceastre

    go again to the city,

    • Blickl. Homl. 249, 8
      • .

  • Wæs eft hwyrfende

    was returning,

    • 199, 6
      • :
    • 207, 30
      • :
    • 249, 12
      • .

  • Ðæt hwerfende hweól

    the revolving wheel,

    • Bt. 7, 2
      • ;
    • Fox 18, 35
      • .
to turn, change [trans. and intrans. ]
Show examples

  • He hwierfde his stemne nales his mód

    vocem, non mentem mutavit,

    • Past. 36, 7
      • ;
    • Swt. 257, 18
      • .

  • Adame his hyge hwyrfde and his heorte ongann wendan tó hire willan

    Adam's mind changed, and his heart began to turn to her desire,

    • Cd. 33
      • ;
    • Th. 44, 28
      • ;
    • Gen. 716
      • .

  • Ðeáh ðe his leóht gelómlíce hwyrfe

    though its light change frequently,

    • Lchdm. iii. 242, 16
      • .

  • Hwærfe hia

    convertantur,

    • Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 13, 15
      • .

  • Hiora heortan hé ongan hwyrfan

    convertit cor eorum,

    • Ps. Th. 104, 21.

  • Hwý ðú woldest ðæt seó wyrd swá hwyrfan sceolde

    cur tantas lubrica versat fortuna vices?

    • Bt. 4
      • ;
    • Fox 8, 12.
to exchange, barter [with gen.]
Show examples

  • Aðelwold bisceop and Wulfstán Uccea hwyrfdon landa on Eádgáres cyninges gewytnesse

    bishop Athelwold and Wulfstan Uccea exchanged lands with the witness of king Edgar,

    • Chart. Th. 230, 1
      • .

  • Nán man nehwyrfe nánes yrfes bútan ðæs geréfan gewitnesse

    let no man exchange any property without the witness of the reeve,

    • L. Ath. i. 10
      • ;
    • Th. i. 204, 17
      • .

  • Nán man ne bycge ne hwyrfe [hwirfe, MS. H.] búton hé gewitnesse hæbbe

    let no man either buy or barter unless he have a witness,

    • L. Eth. 1, 3
      • ;
    • Th. i. 282, 26
      • .

  • Huerfa

    mutuari,

    • Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 5, 42
      • .
Etymology
[
Laym. whærven; p. whærfde
:
Orm. wherrfedd perverse
:
O. Sax. gi-hwerƀian to turn, change
:
Icel. hverfa; p. hverfði to turn
:
O. H. Ger. hwarbian; p. hwarpta versare, rotare, redire, convertere, revertere, Grff. iv. 1233.
]
Derived forms
á-, be-, for-, ge-, on-, ymb-hwerfan
Similar entries
and see hweorfan, hwearfian.
Linked entries
v.  hwearfan hweorfan hwirfan hwyrfan.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “hwerfan.” 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/20136.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • hwerfan, v.

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