Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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swǽman

  • verb [ weak ]
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Grammar
swǽman, p. de
To trouble, afflict, grieve. The verb occurs in this sense in later English
Show examples

  • Ofte hit timeð þat tat leoueste bearn sorheð and sweameð meast his ealdren,

      H. M. 35, 5.

  • Þe engles beoð isweamed, þat seoð hare suster swa sorhfulliche afallet,

      17, 20.

  • Ure Louerd ne mei uor reouðe wernen hire, ne sweamen hire heorte mid wernunge,

      A. R. 330, 11.

  • Þe swemande sorȝe soȝt to his hert,

      Allit. Pms. 54, 563.

  • Cf. also: His hert began to melt For veray sweme of this swemeful tale, Lydgate (cited ib. p. 199). Swemyn molestor, mereo; sweem, swemynge or mornynge

    tristicia, molestia, meror

    ,
      Prompt. Parv. 482, col. 1.

  • In A. S. only the compound á-swǽman (q. v.) is found, apparently with the meaning to become troubled or grieved. To the instance given under á-swǽman may be added the following :-- Swá Sanctus Paulus cwæþ ðætte God héte ealle ða áswǽman æt heofona ríces dura, ða ðe heora cyrican forlǽtaþ

    God would bid all those grieve. . .

    ,
      Blickl. Homl. 41, 34.

  • Sceolde se mín þearfa áswǽman (

    have cause to grieve

    ) æt ðínre handa,
      Wulfst. 258, 2.

  • Se sceocca sceall áswǽman æt ús, gif wé ánrǽde beóþ on úrum geleáfan,

      Homl. Skt. i. 17, 203.
Similar entries
v. swámian.
Linked entries
v.  á-swǽman.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “swǽman.” 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/29500.

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  • swǽman, v.

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