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Anglo-Saxon

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self

  • pronoun
Dictionary links
Grammar
self, seolf, silf, sylf; pron. <b>A.</b>
Wright's OE grammar
§84; §463;
self, very, own.
with a noun
which it immediately follows
Show examples

  • Ðam ðe se þeóden self sceóp nihte naman,

      Cd. Th. 9, 10; Gen. 139.

  • Drihten sylf. Blickl. Homl. 41,

      4:51, 6.

  • God selfa cuman wille,

      1153, 31.

  • Hé, Drihten selfa, cwæð,

      165, 2.

  • Drihten sylfa,

      39, 25.

  • God seolfa,

      Cd. Th. 286, 11; Sat. 350.

  • Nǽniges gebyrd círicean ne mǽrsiaþ nemþe Cristes sylfes and ðyses Iohannes,

      Blickl. Homl. 161, 11.

  • From ðære dura selfre ðisse béc

    ab ipso libri hujus exordia.

      Past. proem. ; Swt. 25, 11.
  • Gode sylfum underþeódde. Blickl. Homl. 109, 22 : 73, 12.

  • Gearo mód ge eác swylce deáþ sylfne tó þrowienne

    paratum vel eiiam ad moriendum animum,

      Bd. 1, 26; S. 487, 38.
  • On ðæt dægréd sylf. Judth. Thw. 24, 24 ; Jud. 204.

  • Rómáne selfe sǽdon,

      Ors. 5, 3; Swt. 220, 20.

  • Nǽnig man ða lǽstas sylfe ufan oferwyrcean ne mihte,

      Blickl. Homl. 125, 35.

  • Hé ða deádan sylfe áwehte,

      173, 29.
which it follows, but not immediately
Show examples

  • Nergend com nihtes self. Cd. Th. 159,

      12; Gen. 2633.

  • Ðeáh ðe ðæt hús ufan open sý sylf,

      Blickl. Hom. 125, 30.

  • Mé sægde ǽr dæt wíf hire wordum selfa,

      Cd. Th. 160, 11; Gen. 2648.

  • Hé mid hondum Hǽlend genom sylfne be sídan,

      299, 5; Sae. 545.
along with a personal pronoun in the dative
Show examples

  • Pilatus on hys dómerne hym sylf áwrát ealle ða þyng,

      Nicod. 34; Thw. 19, 33.

  • Óðra gesceafta weorðaþ him selfe tó náuhte,

      Met. 11, 87.
which it immediately precedes
Show examples

  • On ðé sylf cyning wrát, wuldres God,

      Andr. Kmbl. 3017; An. 1511.

  • Héht sylf cyning him Abraham tó,

      Cd. Th. 161, 27 ; Gen. 2671.

  • Hit is se seolfa sunu Waldendes,

      289, 11; Sat. 396.

  • Se sylfa cyning lýsde (hié) of firenum,

      Exon. Th. 74, 20; Cri. 1209.

  • Sylfes ðæs folces,

      481, 20; Rä. 65, 6.

  • Under ðam sylfum norþdǽle middangeardes

    sub ipso septentrionali vertice mundi,

      Bd. 1. 1; S. 473, 29.
  • Ic tó sylfum Drihtne cleopode. Ps. Th. 54, 16.

  • Ðæt ða sylfan ýþa wǽron áhofene ofer ðæt scip,

      Blickl. Homl. 235, 6.

  • Ðæt ða sylfan his láreówas æt his múþe leornodan

    that his very teachers learned from his mouth,

      Bd. 4, 24; S. 598, 8.
which it precedes, but not immediately
Show examples

  • Bidon þegnas . . . swá him sylf bebeád swegles ágend,

      Exon. Th. 34, 16; Cri. 543.

  • Bídan selfes gesceapu heofoncyninges,

      Cd. Th. 52, 12 ; Gen. 842 : 36, 4; Gen. 566.

  • Wearð sylfum ætýwed ðam cásere swefnes wóma,

      Elen. Kmbl. 138 ; El. 69.
with a pronoun,
in agreement with a personal pronoun denoting the subject of the sentence and
following it immediately
Show examples

  • Ic sylf (seolf, Lind. : solfa, Rush.) hit eom

    ipse ego sum,

      Lk. Skt. 24, 39.

  • Heó sylf hié þeówen nernde,

      Blickl. Homl. 13, 13.

  • Ðæt hé sylfa cwæð,

      13, 26: 95, 5.

  • Beó hé sylfa syxta,

      L. C. S. 30; Th. i. 394, 5, MS. G. Sý hé
    scyldig his sylfes, L. Ath. iv. prm. ; Th. i. 220, 12.

  • Hé swíðor mínes feores wilnade ðonne his selfes,

      Nar. 8, 6.

  • Mid his sylfes willum, willan

    ultro,

      Bd. 1, 7 ; S. 477, 15, 22.

  • Gif þeów ete his sylfes rǽde,

      L. Wih. 15 ; Th. i. 40, 11.

  • Hwæt segst ðú be ðé sylfum (seolfum,

      Lind. : fore ðec solfne. Rush.), Jn. Skt. 1, 22.

  • Heó hæfde hire sylfre geworht ðæt mǽste wíte,

      Blickl. Homl. 5, 26.

  • Gif his ríce on him sylfum biþ tódǽled . . . Gif ðæt hús ofer hit sylf ys tódǽled . . . Gif Satanas winþ ongén hine sylfne,

      Mk. Skt. 3, 24-26.

  • Mé siolfne,

      Chart. Th. 476, 19.

  • Ic swerige þurh mé sylfne

    per memetipsum juravi,

      Gen. 22, 16.

  • Heó hié sylfe tó þeówene genemde,

      Blickl. Homl. 9, 23.

  • Nú mæg sóð hit sylf gecýðan,

      187, 16.

  • Ðone anwald úre selfra,

      Past. 33; Swt. 220, 7.
  • Suá micle giéman úrra niéhstena suá suá úre selfra, 5 ; Swt. 45, 12.

  • Hí hiora selfra nánne anweald nabbaþ,

      Bt. 16, 3; Fox 54, 18.

  • Hiora seolfra hǽlo,

      Nar. 30, 18.

  • Heó hié selfe áweredon . . . him leófre wæs ðæt hié hié seolfe fornéðdon,

      Ors. 5, 3; Swt. 220, 23-26.

  • Eáþmódgiaþ eów sylfe. Blickl. Homl. 99, 3. (α 1) with irregular construction :-- Ðeáh ðe hí synd of miclum dǽle heora sylfes anwealdes quamvis ex parte sui sint juris, Bd. 5, 23; S. 647, 3.

    (β)

    following the pronoun, but not immediately :-- Hé eác self biþ gecostod,
      Past. 16 ; Swt. 104, 20.

  • Hwæt hé mé self bebeád

    what he himself bade me,

      Cd. Th. 34, 10; Gen. 535.

  • Hé his brýde ofslóh self mid sweorde,

      Met. 9, 31.

  • Gif hé wille sylf Godes dómas gedégan,

      Blickl. Homl. 43, 11.

  • Hé wæs þridda sylf,

      Elen. Kmbl. 1707; El. 855: Andr. Kmbl. 1330; An. 665.

  • Ne wén ðú ðæt ic tó ánwillíce winne wið ða wyrd, forðam iç hit nó selfe ne ondrǽde,

      Bt. 20; Fox 70, 21.

  • Ðá ðá wé hit nóhwæðer ne selfe ne lufodon,

      Past. pref. ; Swt. 5, 6.

  • Sylfe,

      Blickl. Homl. 53, 1: 223, 20.

  • Hié wénaþ ðæt hié wísran sién selfe ðonne óðre. Past. 48,

      1; Swt. 365, 20.
along with a pronoun in the dative
Show examples
  • Ðú meaht nú ðé self geseón. Cd. Th. 38, 23 ; Gen. 611.

  • Hé feóll him silf

    quem percussit Josue ad internecionem,

      Jos. 10, 33.

  • Hí weorþaþ him selfe tó náuhte,

      Bt. 21 ; Fox 74, 36.
preceding the pronoun
Show examples

  • Ðǽr syndon dǽlas on sylfre hire

    cujus participatio ejus in idipsum,

      Ps. Th. '121, 3.
in agreement with a demonstrative
Show examples
  • Þurh ðæs sylfes hand ðe ic ǽr onsended wæs, Soul Kmbl. 111 Seel. 56.
with a possessive
Show examples

  • Be mínre seolfre nídþearfe

    de propio meo periculo,

      Nar. 9, 24.

  • On ðínes silfes hand,

      Hy. 7, 83.
  • Ðín ríce and ðínes sylfes feorh. Blickl. Homl. 185, 1.

  • Mínes sylfes múþ os

    meum,

      Ps. Th. 77, 2.

  • Ðínre sylfre sunu. Exon. Th. 21,

      23; Cri. 339.

  • Wé sceoldon úrra selfra waldan, Past. 33; Swt. 220, 5. II a. where the pronoun with which

    self agrees is not the subject of the sentence :-- Hé (Claudius Marcellus) fór on ðone ende Hannibales folces ðe hé self (Hannibal) on wæs, and hiene selfne (Hannibal )

    gefliémde.
      Ors. 4, 9; Swt. 192, 11-13.

  • Antonius forlét Octauianuses swostor and him selfum onbeád gewin,

      5, 13; Swt. 244, 32.

  • Ðæt man tó óðrum lǽþþe hæbbe and hine hatige and tǽle behindan him sylfum,

      Blickl. Homl. 65, 1.

  • Neoptolomus com tó Antigone . . . Ðá sende Antigones hiene selfne (

    Neoptolomus

    ),
      Ors. 3, 11; Swt. 146, 9.

  • Æðelstán wið Anláf gefeaht and his firde ofslóh and áflímde hine sylfne,

      Jud. Thw. p. 163, 10.

  • Ðá gelýfde ic him . . . beswang hine and tó heora sylfra dóme ágeaf,

      Blickl. Homl. 177, 24.
standing alone
Show examples

  • Oft gebyreþ, ðonne se scrift ongit ðæs costunga ðe hé him ondetteþ, ðæt eác self biþ mid ðǽm ilcum gecostod,

      Past. 16; Swt. 105, 20.

  • Hit Scipia hám onbeád, . . . and eác self sǽde, ðá hé hám com,

      Ors. 4, 12 ; Swt. 208, 34.

  • Seolf,

      Cd. Th. 143, 5; Gen. 2374.

  • Nime fíf and beó sylf sixta,

      L. C. S. 44; Th. i. 402, 7, MSS. A. G.
    For hwon wríhst ðú sceome, and ðín sylf þecest líc, Cd. Th. 54, 15 ; Gen. 877.

  • Is ðín ágen sprǽc innan fýren, sylf swíðe hát

    ignitum eloquium tuum vehementer,

      Ps. Th. 118, 140.

  • Ðǽr habbaþ englas dreám, sanctas singaþ, ðæt is seolfa for God,

      Cd. Th. 286, 21; Sat. 355.

  • Ðá onféng hé gáste. . . and sylfa his wunda áwráþ. Bd. 4,

      22; S. 590, 36.

  • Hé his torn gewræc selfes mihtum,

      Cd. Th. 4, 26; Gen. 59: Beo. Th. 1404; B. 700.

  • Hé beáhhordes brúcan móste selfes dóme,

      1794; B. 895.

  • Sleáþ synnigne ofer seolfes múþ. Andr. Kmbl. 2602 ; An. 1302 : Cd. Th. 248,

      17; Dan. 514.

  • Gest hine clænsie sylfes áþe,

      L. Win. 20; Th. i. 40, 19.

  • Sylfæs,

      18; Th. i. 40, 14.

  • Sylfum tó sconde

    to thine own shame,

      Exon. Th. 90, 27 ; Cri. 1480.

  • Se swóre for sylfne æfter his rihte,

      L. R. 4; Th. i. 192, 6.

  • Se cásere héht eft gearwian sylfe tó síðe, Elen. Kmbl. 1998; El. 1001. III a. along with a pronoun in dative :-- Biþ him self sunu and fæder

    ipsa sibi proles, suus est pater,

      Exon. Th. 224, 12; Ph. 374.

  • Ðæt ðú ús sunnan onsende, and ðé sylf cyme,

      8, 8; Cri. 114.

  • Nime fíf and beó him sylf sixta,

      L. C. S. 44; Th. i. 402, 7.

  • Him sylfa,

      30; Th. i. 394, 5.

  • Eall ðis mágon him sylfe geseón,

      Exon. Th. 69, 6; Cri. 1116.
denoting voluntary or independent action (not inflected?). Cf.
Goth. Silbó airtha akran bairith αὐτομάτη ἡ γῆ καρποφορεῖ Mk. 4, 28; and see self-déma, -líc, -sceaft, -will, -wille, -willende
Show examples
  • Genim túncersan, sió ðe self weaxeþ, and mon ne sǽwþ. Lchdm. ii. 22, 12.

  • Gif hé wíf self hæbbe gange hió út mid him. Gif se hláford him wíf sealde sié hió ðæs hláfordes

    if he have a wife that he got himself, let her go out with him. If the lord gave him a wife, she shall be the lord's,

      L. Alf. 11; Th. i. 46, 4.

  • Gif hit cucu feoh wǽre and hé secgge ðæt hit self ácwǽle

    died a natural death,

      L. Alf. 28; Th. i. 52, 2.

  • Marius and Silla gefóran him self, and Cinna wæs ofslagen,

      Ors. 5, 11; Swt. 236, 24.

  • Hié woldon of ǽlcerre byrig him self anwald habban

    imperare singulae cupiunt,

      3, 7; Swt. 112, 20.

  • Hé ne mihte hine handum self mid hrægle wryón,

      Cd. Th. 95, 1; Gen. 1572.

  • Ðonne wearp seó eorþe hit sóna sylf (

    of its own accord

    ) of hire,
      Blickl. Homl. 127, 2.

  • Ðone sylf ne mæg man áspyrigean

    man left to himself cannot investigate it,

      Elen. Kmbl. 930; El. 466.
  • B. (the) same,
with a demonstrative
Show examples

  • Ðú eart se sylfa God ðe ús ádrife fram dóme,

      Ps. Th. 107, 10.

  • Ðæt ilce geþanc and seó sylfe carfulnyss ðe heom amang ðam nihtslǽpe wæs on heora heortan, eáll ðá hí áwacodon hí ðæt sylfe geþohton,

      Homl. Skt. i. 23, 441.

  • Ðæt selfe wæter þegnunge gearwode beforan his fótum,

      Blickl. Homl. 247, 10.

  • Weorðeþ sunne sweart gewended . . . Móna ðæt sylfe,

      Exon. Th. 58, 19 ; Cri. 938: 387, 25 ; Rä. 5, 10.

  • Ic ðé sǽde ǽr on ðisse selfan béc (cf. on ðisse ilcan béc,

      Bt. 37, 1; Fox 186, 25), Met. 25, 54.

  • On ðære sylfan nihte . . . On ðam sylfan mynstre,

      Bd. 4, 23 ; S. 595, 33, 36.

  • On ðam sylfan leóhte,

      S. 596, 3.

  • On ðam sylfan stede ðe ðú him settest,

      Ps. Th. 83, 6.

  • Ðý sylfan dæge,

      Exon. Th. 71, 12 ; Cri. 1154: Menol. Fox 94; Men. 47.

  • Dón ðæt selfe,

      Past. 44, 3; Swt. 323, 21.

  • Ðæt seolfe,

      L. E. G. proem. ; Th. i. 166, 9.

  • Hí cumaþ tógeánes Antecriste . . . and beóþ ofslegen þurh ðone sylfan feónd,

      Ælfc. T. Grn. 3, 45.

  • On ða sylfan tíde,

      Blickl. Homl. 171, 19.
  • Heó tófereþ ðæt sár; ðæt sylfe heó déþ mid wíne gecnucud. Lchdm. i. 190, 18: Ps. Th. 81, 3: 83, 6 : 128, 1.

  • His freónda forspǽc forstent him eal ðæt sylfe, swylce hit sylf spǽce,

      Wulfst. 38, 17.
alone
Show examples

  • Ic mé on múþe mægene hæbbe, and ic sódfæst word on sylfan healde,

      Ps. Th. 118, 43.

  • On selfe wísan

    in the same fashion,

      Lchdm. ii. 72, 17.
Etymology
[Goth. silba: O. , Frs. O. Sax. O. L. Ger. self: O. H. Ger. selp: Icel. sjálfr.]
Similar entries
v. selfe.
Linked entries
v.  seolf silf siolf sylf.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “self.” 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/27390.

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  • self, pronoun.

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