Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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stæf

  • noun [ masculine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
stæf, es; m.
Wright's OE grammar
§54; §336; §612;
a staff, stick
Show examples

  • Staeb

    olastrum,

      Wrt. Voc. ii. 115, 49.

  • Stæf, 63, 41: baculus, i. 80, 2:

    fustis,

      Ælfc. Gr. 9, 28; Zup. 55, 9.

  • Ðín gyrd and ðín stæf (

    baculus

    ) me áfréfredon,
      Ps. Th. 22, 5.

  • Mid gierde men biþ beswungen, and mid stæfe hé biþ áwreðed. Gif ðǽr ðonne sié gierd mid tó ðreágeanne, sié ðǽr eác stæf mid tó wreðianne,

      Past. 17; Swt. 126, 2.

  • Gangan bí stafe

    to walk with the aid of a staff,

      L. Alf. 16; Th. i. 48, 10: Ex. 21, 19.

  • Mid ylpenbánenon stæfe ða eorðan delfan,

      Lchdm. i. 244, 24. '
    Hafa ðé mínne stæf on handa.' Se drý ðá nam ðone stæf Homl. Th. ii. 418, 1-2.

  • Ða cild rídaþ on heora stafum, and manigfealdne plegan plegiaþ,

      Bt. 36, 5; Fox 180, 9.

  • Stafas

    vectes,

      Ps. Lamb. 106, 16.
a written character, a letter, the old letters having been carved on staves. Cf.
Germ. buch-stabe
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  • Littera is stæf on Englisc, and is se læsta dǽl on bócum ... Wé tódǽlaþ ða bóc tó cwydum, and syððan ða cwydas tó dǽlum, eft ða dǽlas tó stæfgefégum, and syððan ða stæfgefégu tó stafum; ðonne beóþ ða stafas untódǽledlíce; forðan ðe nán stæf ne byþ náht, gif hé gǽþ on twá. Ǽlc stæf hæfþ þreó ðing,

    nomen, figura, potestas,

      Ælfc. Gr. 2; Zup. 4, 18-5, 5.

  • S, wuldres stæf,

      Salm. Kmbl. 225; Sal. 112: 250; Sal. 124.

  • Ic háten eom, swá ða siex stafas sweotule bécnaþ,

      Exon. Th. 407, 4; Rä. 25, 10.

  • Áwriten Gréciscum stafum,

      Lk. Skt. 23, 38.

  • Gemétte ic sweartum stafum áwritene eall ða mán ðe ic ǽfre gefremede,

      Bd. 5, 13; S. 633, 8.

  • Oft gehwá gesihþ fægre stafas áwritene, ðonne heraþ hé ðone wrítere and ða stafas, and nát hwæt hí mǽnaþ,

      Homl. Th. i. 186, 1-3: Lchdm. iii. 290, 13.

  • Ne cúðe hé bóclíce stafas ... hé nǽnne stæf ne cúðe, Homl. Th. ii. 96, 24-30. II a. a mark in writing :-- Stafum apicibus, Wrt. Voc. ii. 5, 29. II b.

    a letter

    as representing a minute detail :-- Án strica oððe án stæf ðære ealdan ǽ ne biþ forgǽged,
      Homl. Th. ii. 200, 1.
in pl.
a collection of written symbols, a letter, writing
Show examples

  • Hé mé ealle on stafum áwrát,

      Bd. pref.; S. 472, 3.

  • Ðysne geleáfan hé gýmde gefæstnian sinoþlícum stafum ... Ðara stafa is ðes fruma,

      4, 17; S. 585, 14-17: 41.

  • Swá hwæt swá hé of godcundum stafum geleornode

    whatever he learnt from the sacred writings,

      4. 24; S. 596, 33.

  • Bæd hé ðone Abbud ðæt hé him sende trymmendlíce stafas and gewrito (

    exhortatorias litteras

    ),
      5, 21; S. 642, 38: Chr. 167; Erl. 8, 15.

  • Nim ðíne stafas and wrít hundeahtatig,

      Lk. Skt. 16, 7.
letters, book-learning, literature
Show examples

  • Bóclícum stafum

    litteris liberalibus,

      Hpt. Gl. 503, 55.
  • Hú meta cann ðes stafas, ðonne hé ne leornode? Jn. Skt. 7, 15.

  • Hé ðá wæs in stafas and on leornunge getogen,

      Guthl. 2; Gdwin. 18, 6.
v. ár-, bóc-, candel-, cranc-, di[s]-, ende-, fácen-, gebregd-, gleó-, gyrn-, hearm-, heg-, inwit-, leád-, píl-, rún-, sár-, sorh-, wróht-, wyrd-stæf (-stafas); stafa.
Etymology
[Goth. stabs an element, a rudiment: O. Sax. O. L. Ger. [bók-]staf: O. Frs. stef: O. H. Ger. stap baculus, virga, regula: Icel. stafr a staff, post; a letter; in pl. learning.]
Linked entries
v.  stafa.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “stæf.” 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/28621.

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Word-wheel

  • stæf, n.

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