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Anglo-Saxon

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sécan

  • verb [ weak ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
sécan, sécean; p. sóhte; pp. sóht
Wright's OE grammar
§47; §128; §129; §163; §215; §272; §273; §306; §309; §311; §326; §534;
To seek.
to try to find, to look for, make search for
Show examples

  • Ic séce míne gebróðru

    fratres meos quaero,

      Gen. 37, 16.
  • Hwæne sécst ðú? Jn. Skt. 20, 15.

  • Se ðe sécþ, hé hyt fint,

      Mt. Kmbl. 7, 8.

  • Hwæðer gé willen on wuda sécan gold ðæt reáde? . . . Hit witena nán ðider né séceþ (cf. gé hit ðǽr ne sécaþ, ne finde gé hit nó,

      Bt. 32, 3; Fox 118, 9), Met. 19, 8.

  • Ðonne gé Drihten sécaþ, ðonne geméte gé hine, gif gé hine mid inweardre heortan séceaþ,

      Deut. 4, 29.

  • Gé séceaþ (soecas,

      Lind.) ðone Hǽlynd, Mt. Kmbl. 28, 5.

  • Hé áxode hine, hwæt hé sóhte,

      Gen. 37, 15.

  • Ðín fæder and ic sárigende ðé sóhton,

      Lk. Skt. 2, 48.

  • Hí sóhton hyne,

      Mt. Kmbl. 21, 46: Blickl. Homl. 241, 12.

  • Mannes sunu com sécean (tó soecanne,

      Lind.)
    and hál dón ðæt forwearð, Lk. Skt. 19, 10.

  • Sécende God

    requirens Deum,

      Ps. Spl. 13, 3.
to try to get (the source from which a thing is sought marked by
tó)
Show examples

  • Ic monnes feorh tó slagan séce (MS. seðe)

    I will require man's life of the slayer,

      Cd. Th. 92, 7; Gen. 1525.

  • Ic tó Drihtne séce ðæt ic gód æt him begitan móte

    quaesivi bona tibi,

      Ps. Th. 121, 9.

  • Gif ðú ðé tó swá mildum mundbyrd sécest,

      Exon. Th. 252, 29; Jul. 170.

  • Heó úrne fultum séhþ,

      Homl. Th. ii. 112, 18.

  • Gumena gehwylcum ðara ðe geóce tó him séceþ,

      Andr. Kmbl. 2307; An. 1155.

  • Ðǽr is help gearu manna gehwylcum ðam ðe séceþ tó him,

      1818; An. 911.

  • Gé hí sécaþ tó fremdum gesceaftum,

      Bt. 14, 2; Fox 44, 17, 29.

  • Súþ-Seaxna mǽgþ him biscopþéninge séceaþ tó West-Seaxna biscope,

      Bd. 5, 23; S. 646, 24.

  • Ðæt se án ne ætburste ðe hé sóhte,

      Homl. Th. i. 82, 13.

  • Hwílum man ceás ða men ðe noldan swician . . . and syððan hit man sóhte be ðám ðe nearwlícast cúðan swician

    at one time the men were chosen that would not deceive . . . and since they have been looked for among those that could most oppressively deceive,

      L. I. P. 12; Th. ii. 320, 24.

  • Ús is nédþearf ðæt wé sécan ðone lǽcedóm úre sáuwle,

      Blickl. Homl. 97, 31.

  • Biddon wé Drihten ðæs leóhtes ðe nǽfre ne geendaþ . . . ðæt leóht wé sceolan sécan, ðæt wé mótan habban mid englum gemǽne,

      21, 14.

  • Bearn Godes brýda ongunnon on Caines cynne sécan,

      Cd. Th. 75, 33; Gen. 1249.

  • Woldon tó dúnscræfum drohtoþ sécan,

      Andr. Kmbl. 3077; An. 1541.

  • Uton sibbe tó him sécan,

      Exon. Th. 365, 11; Wal. 87.

  • Seócan,

      Ps. C. 109.

  • Hwæt elles is tó sécanne wið ðam hungre nymbe andlyfen,

      Bd. 1, 27; S. 494, 16.

  • Hé gǽþ sécende reste,

      Mt. Kmbl. 12, 43.

  • Sió ǽ sceal beón sóht on ðæs sacerdes múþe,

      Past. 15; Swt. 91, 17.
to try to attain an end, strive to effect a purpose, aim at, strive after, make something the object of endeavour
Show examples

  • Ic ne séce mínne willan ac ðæs ðe mé sende,

      Jn. Skt. 5, 30: 8, 50.
  • Hwæt sécst ðú? 4, 27.

  • León hwelpas sécaþ, ðæt him ǽt God gedéme,

      Ps. Th. 103, 20.

  • Gif hé ðone dóm ofer hine sóhte

    if the other tried to get judgment upon him,

      L. Alf. 49; Th. i. 56, 33.

  • Ðá hálgan ðe on ðyssum lífe náht ne sóhton ne ne gyrndon tó hæbbene,

      Blickl. Homl. 53, 25.

  • Hí sóhton hine him tó hláforde and tó mundboran

    they tried to get him to be their lord and protector,

      Chr. 921; Erl. 107, 29: 922; Erl. 108, 20, 28.

  • Gif ðæt riht tó hefig sý, séce siþþan ða líhtinge tó ðam cynge,

      L. Edg. ii. 2; Th. i. 266, 11.
to try to find out by investigation or examination
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  • Hwylc séceþ ðæt ðe sóðfæst byþ

    veritatem quis requiret?

      Ps. Th. 60, 6.

  • Sóhte synnum fáh, hú hé sárlícast meahte feorhcwale findan . . . Feónd hine gelǽrde,

      Exon. Th. 276, 24; Jul. 571.

  • Georne smeádon, sóhton searoþancum, hwæt sió syn wǽre,

      Elen. Kmbl. 827; El. 414.

  • Ongan on sefan sécean sóðfæstnesse weg tó wuldre,

      2295; El. 1149.

  • Ic ðíne gewitnesse wylle sécan

    testimonia tua exquisivi,

      Ps. Th. 118, 22.

  • Lǽcedóm sǽcan

    medicamentum explorare,

      Bd. 1, 27; S. 494, 18.

  • Hwílum beóþ ða wǽtan on ðære wambe filmenum, ðonne sceal mon ðæt wíslíce sécean,

      Lchdm. ii. 222, 24.
to try to learn by asking,
to ask
Show examples

  • Ða mé cunnon andsware cýðan tácna gehwylces ðe ic him tó séce,

      Elen. Kmbl. 638; El. 319.
  • Ðá cwæð Maria tó ðæm engle: Hwæt is ðín nama? Ðá cwæð se engel tó hire: Hwæt sécestú mínne naman? Blickl. Homl. 137, 29.

  • Hé ðá Drihtnes willan sóhte

    he tried to learn what was the will of the Lord,

      225, 30.

  • Wíslíce gé dyde, ðætte mannum bedígled wæs on eorþan, ðæt gé ðæt on heofenas tó Gode sóhtan,

      201, 2.

  • Tó sécenne,

      205, 27.

  • Ic wát ðæt hió wile sécan (ask. Cf. Ðá seó cwén ongan fricggan,

      1116; El. 560) be ðam sigebeáme, Elen. Kmbl. 840; El. 420.
to go or
come to
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  • Oft sécende

    frequentantem,

      Wrt. Voc. ii. 34, 18.
to seek a person, to visit (cf.
Ger. be-suchen)
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  • Ðǽr beóþ gegearwoda Godes mildheortnessa ðǽm mannum ðe ða líchoman séceaþ þurh heora gebedo,

      Blickl. Homl. 193, 21.

  • Ða ðe æfter deáþe Dryhten sécaþ,

      Andr. Kmbl. 1200; An. 600.

  • Ðá hé ðone cyningc sóhte

    when he visited the king,

      Ors. 1, 1; Swt. 18, 10.

  • Sárge gé ne sóhton

    ye did not visit the afflicted,

      Exon. Th. 92, 19; Cri. 1511.

  • Hig ðæs wyrðe wǽron ðæt Godes englas hig sóhton,

      L. E. I. 25; Th. ii. 422, 15.

  • Séc nú ðínne þeów,

      Blickl. Homl. 87, 31.

  • Hider ic wille ðæt wé sécan Sc̃e Petre,

      Chr. 656; Erl. 31, 32.

  • Satan ic sécan wille,

      Cd. Th. 47, 15; Gen. 761.

  • Gewít ðú ðínne eft waldend sécan go back again to your master, 138, 17; Gen. 2293: Andr. Kmbl. 1886; An. 945. (1 a) to seek a person for protection,

    to take refuge with

    a person. v. sócn,
2
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  • Gif hwilc þeóf oððe reáfere gesóhte ðone cing . . . hé hæbbe nigon nihta fyrst. And gif hé ealderman oððe abbud oððe þegen séce, hæbbe þreora nihta fyrst,

      L. Ath. iv. 4; Th. i. 222, 28.
to seek a place,
to visit, resort to
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  • Hé (

    the phenix

    ) sunbeorht gesetu séceþ,
      Exon. Th. 217, 11; Ph. 278.

  • Ða men ðe ðyder cóman and ða hálgan stówe sóhton,

      Blickl. Homl. 125, 28: 201, 11.

  • Hí syððan gewunelíce ðider sóhton

    they afterwards resorted thither,

      Homl. Th. i. 504, 6.

  • Séce man hundred*-*gemót,

      L. Edg. ii. 5; Th. i. 268, 2.

  • Ðæt ðeós onlícnes eorþan séce

    fall to earth,

      Andr. Kmbl. 1462; An. 731.

  • Ðeáh heorot holtwudu séce,

      Beo. Th. 2743; B. 1369.

  • Ðæt hí secggan ðæm folce ðæt hí sunnandagum Godes cyrican georne sécan,

      Blickl. Homl. 47, 28: L. C. E. 2; Th. i. 358, 14.

  • Gif hié ǽnigne feld sécan wolden

    if they should attempt to come into the open country,

      Chr. 894; Erl. 90, 11.

  • Gewitan him Norþmen Difelin sécan,

      937; Erl. 115, 4.

  • Ðonne sculon hié ðás helle sécan,

      Cd. Th. 26, 14; Gen. 406: 136, 30; Gen. 2266.

  • Óðerne éðel sécan,

      Blickl. Homl. 23, 6.

  • Mere sécan

    to go to sea,

      Exon. Th. 474, 5; Bo. 25.
to seek immaterial things, to go to war,
resort to artifice, etc.
Show examples

  • Ic ne sóhte searoníþas, ne ne swór fela áþa on unriht,

      Beo. Th. 5469; B. 2738.

  • Se wuldres dǽl sigorleán sóhte

    the soul has gone to its reward,

      Exon. Th. 184, 14; Gú. 1344.

  • Se rinc sóhte óðer líf,

      Cd. Th. 98, 9; Gen. 1627.

  • Hí clǽnsunge bæþes sóhton,

      Bd. 1, 27; S. 495, 16.

  • Hié noldan leng heora hláforda ne heora wera ræstgemánan sécean,

      Blickl. Homl. 173, 16.

  • Ðá ðú gehogodest sæcce sécean,

      Beo. Th. 3982; B. 1989: 5117; B. 2562.

  • Fǽhþe sécan,

      5020; B. 2513.
to seek with hostile intent (as in to seek a person's life),
to try to get at, to go to attack
Show examples

  • Mé fyrenfulle fǽcne séceaþ, wyllaþ mé lífes ásécean

    me expectaverunt peccatores, ut perderent me,

      Ps. Th. 118, 95.

  • Him (hié, hí

    other MSS.

    ) mon mid óðrum floccum sóhte,
      Chr. 894; Erl. 90, 14.

  • Hié micle fierd gegadrodon and ðone here sóhton æt Eoforwícceastre,

      867; Erl. 72, 13.

  • Ða ðe míne fýnd wǽron, and míne sáwle sóhton mid níðe,

      Ps. Th. 69, 2: 85, 13: Mt. Kmbl. 2, 20.

  • Hié alle from him ondrédon, ðæt hí hié mid gefeohte sóhte,

      Ors. 1, 10; Swt. 48, 17.

  • Sécan míne fýnd míne sáwle

    persequatur inimicus animam méam,

      Ps. Th. 7, 5.

  • Ðá hié gewin drugon, and on healfa gehwone heáwan þohton, sáwle sécan,

      Beo. Th. 1606; B. 801.

  • Sécean sáwle hord, sundur gedǽlan líf wið líce,

      4835; B. 2422.
Etymology
[Goth. sókjan: O. Frs. séka: O. Sax. sókian: O. L. Ger. suocan: O. H. Ger. suohhan quaerere, petere, exquirere, arcessire, appetere, invisere: Icel. sœkja to seek, fetch; to visit, frequent; to prosecute (a suit); to attack.]
Similar entries
v. á-, for-, ge-, geond-, ofer-, on-, under-sécan.
Linked entries
v.  seócan seðe hám-sócn for-sécan.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “sécan.” 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/27299.

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  • sécan, v.

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