Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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láf

  • noun [ feminine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
láf, e; f.
Wright's OE grammar
§367; §562;
what is left, remnant, remains, relic, remainder, rest, lave [in northern dialects]
Show examples

  • Láf

    superstes,

    • Ælfc. Gr. 9
      • ;
    • Som. 11, 7
      • .

  • Healmes láf

    stipulæ,

    • Ælfc. Gl. 59
      • ;
    • Som. 67, 131
      • ;
    • Wt. Voc. 38, 51
      • .

  • Ðǽr wæs ungemetlíc wæl geslægen and sió láf wið ðone here friþ nam

    there was immense slaughter, and those who were left made peace with the Danes,

    • Chr. 867
      • ;
    • Erl. 72, 17
      • :
    • 894
      • ;
    • Erl. 93, 1
      • .

  • Seó wǽpna láf

    the weapons' leavings, the survivors of a battle,

    • Cd. 93
      • ;
    • Th. 121, 5
      • ;
    • Gen. 2005
      • .

  • Secg gára láf se ða gúþe genæs,

    • 94
      • ;
    • Th. 121, 32
      • ;
    • Gen. 2019
      • .

  • Ða Norþmen dreórig daraþa láf,

    • Chr. 937
      • ;
    • Erl. 115, 3
      • ;
    • Æðelst. 54
      • .

  • Seoððan se écea dǽl of biþ ðæt is seó sáwl hwæt biþ elles seó láf búton wyrma mete

    when the eternal part, that is the soul, is gone, what else is the rest but food for worms?

    • Blickl. Homl. iii. 32
      • .

  • Ic beó tó láfe

    resto,

    • Ælfc. Gr. 24
      • ;
    • Som. 25, 62
      • .

  • Ne wearþ ðǽr forþon án Bret tó láfe

    there [at Anderida] was not even one Briton left,

    • Chr. 491
      • ;
    • Erl. 14, 7
      • .

  • Ðæs folces ðe ðǽr tóláfe wæs,

    • Blickl. Homl. 79, 20
      • .

  • Betǽcan eów on hǽðenra hand heries láfe

    to deliver you into the hands of the heathen, all that is left of or by a host,

    • Wulfst. 295, 20
      • .

  • Sumes þinges láfe

    reliquiæ,

    • Ælfc. Gr. 13
      • ;
    • Som. 16, 19
      • .

  • Láfa árleásra forwurþaþ

    reliquiæ impiorum interibunt,

    • Ps. Spl. 36, 40
      • .

  • Wætra láfe

    the survivors of the flood,

    • Cd. 75
      • ;
    • Th. 93, 21
      • ;
    • Gen. 1549
      • .

  • Hí námon ða láfa

    tulerunt reliquias,

    • Mt. Kmbl. 14, 20
      • .
used in poetry of weapons with the gen. of the implement employed in making them
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  • Ic eom wráðra láf fýres and feóle

    I am the leaving of foes, of fire and of file [a sword, forged in the fire and sharpened by the file],

    • Exon. 126 a
      • ;
    • Th. 484, 6
      • ;
    • Rä. 70, 3
      • .

  • Homera láfa

    swords,

    • Beo. Th. 5651
      • ;
    • B. 2829
      • :
    • Exon. 102 b
      • ;
    • Th. 388, 14
      • ;
    • Rä. 6, 7
      • :
    • Chr. 937
      • ;
    • Erl. 112, 6
      • ;
    • Æðelst. 6.
what is left as an inheritance, legacy, heirloom [of armour or weapons: 'das schwert ist des mannes grösztes kleinod, das nur auf seinen nächsten männlichen erben übergeht'
  • Grmm. Gesch. D. S. p. 12
    • ]
Show examples

  • Beaduscrúda betst ðæt míne breóst wereþ; ðæt is Hrædlan láf, Welandes geweorc,

    • Beo. Th. 913
      • ;
    • Bö 454
      • .

  • Gomel swyrd Eánmundes láf

    an ancient sword, an heirloom from Eanmund,

    • 5216
      • ;
    • B. 2611
      • :
    • 5250
      • ;
    • B. 2628
      • .

  • Ðǽr brægd eorl Beówulfes ealde láfe,

    • 1595
      • ;
    • B. 795
      • :
    • 2981
      • ;
    • B. 1488
      • .

  • Hét in gefetian Hréðles láfe; næs sincmáððum sélra on sweordes hád,

    • 4389
      • ;
    • B. 2191
      • .
a relict, widow
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  • Láf vel forlǽten wíf

    derelicta,

    • Ælfc. Gl. 88
      • ;
    • Som. 74, 65
      • ;
    • Wrt. Voc. 50, 46
      • .

  • Ne nime ðæs forþfarenan láf nánne óðerne man búton his bróður

    uxor defuncti non nubet alteri, sed accipiet eam frater ejus,

    • Deut. 25, 5
      • .

  • And ǽfre ne geweorþe ðæt Cristen man gewífige on ðæs láfe ðe swá neáh wǽre on woroldcundre sibbe

    and never let it happen that a Christian man marry the relict of him who was so near [within the prohibited degrees] in worldly relationship,

    • L. Eth. vi. 12
      • ;
    • Th. i. 318, 15
      • :
    • L. C. E. 7
      • ;
    • Th. i. 364, 23
      • .

  • Se forlét his fulluht and lifode on héðenum þeáwe swá ðæt hé heafde his feder láfe tó wífe,

    • Chr. 616
      • ;
    • Erl. 21, 40
      • .

  • Paplinus genam Æðelburge Eádwines láfe and gewát on scipe tó Cent,

    • 633
      • ;
    • Erl. 25, 21
      • .

  • Ðá gewát Eádríc ... Ðá hæfde Eádríc láfe and nán bearn

    then Eadric died ... Eadric left a widow but no child,

    • Chart. Th. 272, 22
      • .
Etymology
[
Goth. laiba a remnant
:
O. Frs. láva
:
O. Sax. léƀa
:
Icel. leif
:
O. H. Ger. leiba.
]
Derived forms
ege-, ende-, eormen-, here-, húsel-, met-, sǽ-, un-, weá-, ýð-, yrfe-láf
Linked entries
v.  lǽf.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “láf.” 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/21034.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • láf, n.

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