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Anglo-Saxon

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sprǽc

  • noun [ feminine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
sprǽc, spǽc, spréc, e; f.
Wright's OE grammar
§224; §225; §376; §562;
Speech.
in the following glosses
Show examples

  • Sprǽce

    disputationis

    ,
      Wrt. Voc. ii. 28, 49.

  • Godcundra spréca

    divinorum eloquiorum

    ,
      Hpt. Gl. 442, 37.

  • Sprǽce

    faminem

    ,
      Wrt. Voc. ii. 37, 28: 95, 38.

  • Sprǽce

    fatu

    ,
      38, 6.

  • Spéce wíse scema locutionis, i. 55, 22.Sprǽc

    loquela,

      88, 7.

  • Sprǽce

    omelias,

      288, 53: ii. 64, 16.

  • Spǽc oraculum, spréca

    oraculorum,

      62, 59, 60: Hpt. Gl. 503, 10.

  • Spǽcum

    oraculis,

      518, 33.

  • Spréce

    procacitate,

      506, 2.

  • Sprǽc

    sermo,

      Wrt. Voc. ii. 120, 45.

  • Gesmeád sprǽc

    sermo commentitius,

    i.
      55, 25.
speech, talking
Show examples

  • Ne sý ðǽr nán óðer spǽc inne, buton ðæt hig biddan God ...,

      L. Ath. iv. 7; Th. i. 226, 29.

  • Ðæt hí sín gehýrede on hyra menigfealdan spǽce (sprǽce, MS. A.: spréc, Lind. Rush.)

    in multiloquio suo,

      Mt. Kmbl. 6, 7.
speech, the faculty of speaking
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  • Gif sprǽc áwyrd weorð,

      L. Ethb. 52; Th. i. 16, 5.

  • Be ðam ðe him his sprǽc ofnimþ

    de eo cui sermo deficit,

      L. Ecg. P. 1, tit. 3; Th. ii. 170, 6.

  • Gif hwam seó sprǽc óþfylþ,

      Lchdm. ii. 288, 18.

  • Strong on sprǽce,

      Exon. Th. 410, 9; Rä. 28, 13.
skilful speech, speaking with art, eloquence
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  • Sprǽc

    eloquentia,

      Hpt. Gl. 529, 57.

  • Sumum men hé forgifþ wísdóm and sprǽce,

      Homl. Th. i. 322, 25.
what is said, a speech, saying, collection of words
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  • Heard is ðeós sprǽc

    durus est hic sermo,

      Jn. Skt. 6, 60.

  • Spéc,

      Kent. Gl. 503.

  • Ic áhsige eów ánre sprǽce, gif gé mé ða sprǽce secgeaþ

    interrogabo vos ego unum sermonem, quem si dixeritis mihi,

      Mt. Kmbl. 21, 24.

  • God geopenude Abrahame, hwæt hé mid ðære sprǽce mǽnde,

      Gen. 18, 20.

  • For ðære sprǽce ðe ic tó eów spræc,

      Jn. Skt. 15, 3. 'Ðín sunu leofaþ.' Ðá gelýfde hé ðære sprǽce, 4, 50: Lk. Skt. 1, 29.

  • Hé ásende hí, ðus cweðende: 'Faraþ ...' Hí férdon æfter ðæs cyninges sprǽce,

      Homl. Th. i. 78, 22: Cd. Th. 144, 3; Gen. 2384.

  • Iudas him andwyrde and cwæð ... Æfter ðyssere sprǽce,

      Homl. Skt. ii. 86, 317.

  • Engla sum Abraham cýgde, hé stille gebád áres sprǽce,

      Cd. Th. 176, 11; Gen. 2910.

  • Wiste sprǽca fela, wóra worda,

      29, 5; Gen. 445.

  • Ðá se Hǽlend geendode ðás sprǽca,

      Mt. Kmbl. 19, 1; 26, 1.

  • Spécce,

      Kent. Gl. 873.
speech, language, talk, discourse, words
Show examples

  • Þreó þing syndon ðe gebringaþ ðone gesǽligan tó heofenan ríce; ðæt is, hálig geþanc and gód spǽc (cf. ídele word, 9) and fullfremed worc,

      Wulfst. 299, 12.

  • Mé ðin sprǽc cwycade

    eloquium tuum vivificavit me,

      Ps. Th. 118, 50; 140.

  • Ne gelýfe wé ná for ðínre sprǽce (spréc, Lind.: spréce, Rush.)

    propter tuam loquelam,

      Jn. Skt. 4, 42.

  • Þeáwlícre spǽce

    tropologium,

      Hpt. Gl. 410, 44.

  • Ðu him hel sóðan sprǽce

    conceal the truth from him,

      Cd. Th. 110, 12; Gen. 1837.

  • Ic on ðisse byrig (

    Sodom

    ) gehýre yfele sprǽce werod habban,
      145, 20; Gen. 2408.

  • Hí habbaþ on múðe milde sprǽce,

      Ps. Th. 58, 7.

  • Ídele sprǽce, Hy. 7, 108. VI a. of written words :-- For ðære gelícnisse his gelógodan sprǽce

    from the likeness to his style,

      Ælfc. T. Grn. 8, 43.
a speech, language
Show examples

  • Ðeóda ungelíca ǽgþer ge on sprǽce ge on ðeáwum ... heora sprǽc is tódǽled on twá and hundseofontig, and ǽlc ðara sprǽca is tódǽled on manega ðeóda,

      Bt. 18, 2; Fox 62, 28-34.

  • Hé reorde gesette eorðbúendum ungelíce, ðæt hié ðære spǽce spéd ne áhton,

      Cd. Th. 101, 22; Gen. 1686.

  • On Engliscre sprǽce,

      Ælfc. T. Grn. 1, 26.

  • Hé sealde heora ǽlcum synderlíce sprǽce, ðæt heora ǽlcum wæs uncúð, hwæt óðer sǽde,

      4, 11.
  • Ealle men sprǽcon áne sprǽce. Gen. 11, 1.

  • Ða apostolas cúðan ealle ða sprǽca ðe syndon swá wíde swá middaneard is,

      Wulfst. 294, 8: 296, 1.

  • Mid sprécum hiá sprecas níuum

    linguis loquentur nouis,

      Mk. Skt. Lind. 16, 17.
speech, e.g. to have speech of or with a person,
conversation, consultation, conference, discussion
Show examples

  • Nis ðæt lytulu sprǽc to gehéganne (

    of the day of judgment

    ),
      Exon. Th. 445, 17; Dóm. 8.

  • Folc biþ gebonnen tó sprǽce,

      451, 10; Dóm. 101.
  • Se déma æfter langsumre sprǽce lét ða módor tó ðam suna. ... 'Bǽde ðú forðí ðínre módor sprǽce, ðæt ðú hí gebígdest fram mé,' Homl. Skt. i. 4, 341-357.

  • Hé hét Agustinum to his sprǽce cuman

    jussit Augustinum ad suum advenire colloquium,

      Bd. 1, 25; S. 486, 39: Guthl. 9; Gdwin. 48, 21: 11; Gdwin. 54, 4: Cd. Th. 33, 6; Gen. 516.

  • Æt sprǽce ðære

    at that consultation,

      122, 29; Gen. 2034: Bd. 2, 13; S. 516, 13.

  • Æfter heora sprǽce,

      Jud. 3, 19.

  • Gisomnadun ða biscopas tó spréce

    colligerunt pontifices concilium,

      Jn. Skt. Rush. 11, 47.

  • Sprǽce and geþeahte habban

    to treat, consult;

    agere,
      Bd. 1, 27; S. 492, 16.

  • Cwæþ ðæt hé wolde mid his freóndum sprǽce and geþæht habban

    cum amicis suis sese de hoc collaturum esse dicebat,

      2, 13; S. 515, 37.

  • Hæfdon betwih him sprǽce and geþeahte

    habito inter se consilio,

      3, 29; S. 561, 6.

  • Ða hi hæfdon lange sprǽce and geflit

    longa disputatione habita,

      2, 2; S. 502, 13.

  • Gif hwylc mæssepreóst untruman men sprǽce forwyrne (colloquium denegaverit), L. Ecg. P. i. 2; Th. ii. 172, 27. VIII a.

    a question, case that requires explanation

    :-- Ungelíc ðære sprǽce ðe wé æfter spyriaþ,
      Bt. 38, 2; Fox 198, 25.

  • Ðæt folc ðe hæfde ǽnige sprǽce eode út tó ðam getelde

    omnis populus, qui habebat aliquam quaestionem, egrediebatur ad tabernaculum,

      Ex. 33, 7.

  • Ðú spenst mé on ða mǽstan sprǽce and on ða earfoþestan tó gereccenne ... and uneáþe ǽnig com tó ende ðære sprǽce; forðam hit is þeáw ðære sprǽce and ðære áscunge, ðætte simle ðónne ðǽr án tweó of ádón biþ, ðonne biþ ðǽr unrím ástyred ... Swá is ðisse sprǽce ðe ðu mé æfter ácsast

    ad rem me omnium quaesitu maximam vocas, cui vix exhausti quidquam satis sit; talis namque materia est, ut una dubitatione succissa innumerabiles aliae succrescant,

      Bt. 39, 4; Fox 216, 14-26.
a sentence, decision, agreement, terms
Show examples

  • Ðá com Putrael tó Bora and bed his forespéce tó Ælfríce. Ðá sette Bora ðás spéce wið Ælfríce: ðæt wes, ðæt Putrael sealde Ælfríce .viii. oxan, and gef Bora sixtig penga for ðere forespǽce, and dide hine sylfne sacclés wið Ælfríce,

      Chart. Th. 628, 17.
a case, cause, suit, claim,
in a general sense
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  • Wið ðon ðe heó his spǽce underfénge

    in consideration of her receiving his suit

    (Godwine asked for the lady in marriage),
      Chart. Th. 312, 14.

  • Ðeáh hié ryhte sprǽce hæbban hiera yfel on him tó tǽlanne

    mala recte redarguunt,

      Past. 28, 5; Swt. 197, 2.

  • Ðú démst míne sprǽce

    fecisti causam meam,

      Ps. Th. 9, 4.
as a legal term
Show examples

  • Ðæt ðis ǽfre gesett sprǽc wǽre

    that this for ever should be a settled suit,

      Chart. Th. 203, 4: 172, 2.

  • Ongan ðá tó specenne on ðat land ... óð ðæt seó sprǽc wearð ðam cynge cúð,

      302, 15.

  • Be dóme and sprǽce. ... Gehwilc sprǽc hæbbe ándagan hwænne heó gelǽst sý,

      L. Ed. proem.; Th. i. 158, 3-7: 11; Th. i. 164, 22.

  • Ǽgehwilcre sprǽce ðe máre sý ðonne .iiii. mancussas,

      L. A. G. 3; Th. i. 154, 9.

  • Gif man mæssepreóst tihtlige ánfealdre sprǽce ... æt þrímfealdre sprǽce,

      L. Eth. ix. 19; Th. i. 344, 11-13, 15-17.

  • Fultum æt swá micelere sprǽce,

      L. Ath. v. 8, 3; Th. i. 236, 16.
  • Gif ús feoh áríse æt úrum gemǽnum sprǽce, v. 3; Th. i. 232, 5.

  • Æt cynges spǽce, lecge man .vi. healfmarc wedd,

      L. Eth. iii. 12; Th. i. 296, 25.

  • Clǽne ǽlcere spǽce,

      L. C. S. 28; Th. i. 392, 12.

  • Swá fela manna ... tó gewitnesse gehwylcere sprǽce,

      L. Ath. iv. i; Th. i. 222, 11.

  • Ǽlcne wítefæstne man ðe ic on sprǽce áhte (

    gained at law, as the result of a suit

    ),
      Chart. Th. 557, 22.

  • Hé dráf his sprǽce

    he prosecuted his suit,

      376, 11.

  • Ic spǽce drífe mid fullan folcrihte,

      L. O. 2; Th. i. 178, 13.

  • Habban ða geréfscypas begen ða fullan spǽce gemǽne,

      L. Ath. v. 8, 4; Th. i. 236, 25.

  • Man ne mót sprǽca drífan binnan Godes cyrican,

      L. Ælf. C. 35; Th. ii. 356, 29.
talk about a person or thing,
report, fame
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  • Ðæs ðe má seó sprǽc be him férde,

      Lk. Skt. 5, 15.

  • Ðá férde ðeós sprǽc be him,

      7, 17.

  • Hé ongan bodian and wídmǽrsian ða spǽce,

      Mk. Skt. 1, 45.
in the Northern Gospels spréc
translates words denoting places where there is speaking
Show examples

  • In spréce (spréc, Lind.)

    in synagoga,

      Mk. Skt. Rush. 6, 2.

  • On spréce (spréc, Lind.)

    in foro,

      12, 38: Lk. Skt. Rush. 20, 46: Lind. 7, 32.
Etymology
[O. Sax. spráka: O. Frs. spréke: O. H. Ger. spráhha lingua, loquela, sermo, sermocinatio, colloquium, eloquium, ratio, judicium, consilium, senatus.]
Similar entries
v. ǽfen-, æfter-, ǽrend-, burh-, bysmor-, dol-, eald-, edwít-, ellen-, for-, fore-, frécnen-, frum-, gedwol-, gegaf-, gilp-, hete-, Lǽden-, morgen-, of-, ofer-, on-, sceáwend-, scrift-, sóð, stunt-, teosu-, tó-, twí-, untíd-, wiðer-, woruld-, ymbe-sprǽc (-spǽc); -sprǽce, -sprec.
Linked entries
v.  spǽc spéc spréc.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “sprǽc.” 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/28547.

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  • sprǽc, n.

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