Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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sél

  • adverb
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Grammar
sél, soel ; also sélor ; adv. (cpve.)
Wright's OE grammar
§556;
Better.
of health
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  • Cwæð ðæt heó gelýfde ðæt hire sóna sél wǽre

    quia crederet eam mox melius habituram,

      Bd. 5, 3 ; S. 616, 11.

  • Sóna ic wæs wyrpende and mé sél wæs

    statim melius habere incipio,

      S. 616, 34 : 5, 5 ; S. 618, 4.
  • Sóna him biþ sél. Lchdm. iii. 288, 19.

  • Him biþ soel

    bene habebunt,

      Mk. Skt. Lind. 16,18.
  • Ia. of moral or spiritual well-being :-- Ne mæg ic gehycg*-**
of knowledge
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  • Gé sind searowum beswicene oððe sél nyton, móde gemyrde,

      Andr. Kmbl. 1490 ; An. 746.

  • Findaþ ða ðe fyrngewritu sélost cunnen,

      Elen. Kmbl. 748 ; El. 374.
of the operation of the senses
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  • Hé biþ suá micle sél gehiéred, suá hé ufor gestent,

      Past. 14, 1 ; Swt. 81, 17.
denoting excellence in act or in conduct
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  • Nó ðý sél dyde, ac ðam æðelinge oferhygd gesceód,

      Cd. Th. 246, 35 ; Dan. 489.

  • Ne gefrægn ic nǽfre wurðlícor æt hilde sixtig sigebeorna sél gebǽran,

      Fins. Th. 77 ; Fins. 38 : Beo. Th. 2029 ; B. 1012.

  • Hwylc hira sélast simle gelǽste hláforde æt hilde,

      Andr. Kmbl. 821 ; An. 411.

  • Bet gé rǽdaþ melius legitis, sélost (sǽlost, MS. T.) hí rǽdaþ

    optime legunt,

      Ælfc. Gr. 5 ; Zup. 9, 17.

  • Hwǽr ic sélast wisse cwén giefe bryttian,

      Exon. Th. 324, 28 ; Víd. 101.
denoting advantage or profit
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  • Hwæt byþ ús tó méde (ús ðý soel,

      Lind.), Mt. Kmbl. 19, 27.

  • Tó hwan hió ða næglas sélost and deórlícost gedón meahte,

      Elen. Kmbl. 2315 ; El. 1158.
denoting success or good result, with (more) success, (more) effectually, to (more)
purpose
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  • Ic gelýfe ðe sél and ðý fæstlícor ferhþ staþelige,

      Elen. Kmbl. 1589 ; El. 796.

  • Ne gefrægn ic nǽfre sixtig sigebeorna medu sél forgyldan,

      Fins. Th. 79 ; Fins. 39.

  • For ðý ðe mon ðás feorme ðý soel gelǽste,

      Chart. Th. 474, 12.

  • Næs him wihte ðe sél

    he did not succeed any the better,

      Beo. Th. 5368 ; B. 2687.

  • Sél æfter wælrǽse wunde gedýgan

    to be more successful in escaping wounds,

    5054 ;
      B. 2530.

  • Se æcer syððan gegreów .c. síða sélor ðonne hé ǽr dyde,

      Shrn. 137, 25.

  • Hú man sélost mæg synna forbúgan

    how sins may most effectually be avoided,

      Ælfc. T. Grn. 7, 38.

  • Hú ic ðíne; sóðfæstnesse sélest heólde,

      Ps. Th. 118, 54, 26.

  • Hié hígon gefeormien swǽ hié soelest þurhtión mégen,

      Chart. Th. 476, 31.
with verbs of liking or pleasing
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  • Hé nánum menn sél ne úðe ðonne mé

    there was no one he would sooner give it to than to me,

      Chart. Th. 485, 17.

  • Ða men ðe ic mínes erfes seólest onn,

      480, 20.

  • Se getreówa man sceal syllan his gód on ða tíd ðe hine sylfne sélest lyste his brúcan,

      Blickl. Homl. 101, 20.

  • Hí genáman ðæs folces ðe ðǽr tó láfe wæs and him sélost lícodan,

      79, 21.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “sél.” 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/27362.

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Word-wheel

  • sél, adv.

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