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Anglo-Saxon

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swín

  • noun [ neuter ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
swín, es;
Wright's OE grammar
§25; §126;
n,
a swine. [As may be seen from the charters and the laws, swine were an important item in the livestock of the English. They were owned in large numbers (contract the number held by the Norwegian Ohthere, v. infra), as appears from the passages given below, in which gifts of swine are recorded; references to their pasturage often occur, v. mæst, mæstan, mæsten ; to the herd who had charge of them is assigned the second place in the list of those whose employments are defined in the Rectitudines Singularum Personarum, v. Th. i. 436; while the frequent occurrence of the word swín in local names, v. Cod. Dip. Kmbl. vi. . 339, may be taken as further evidence. The value of swine, as compared with other domestic animals, is determined by the passages (v. infra) in the laws where the various animals are mentioned together.]
Show examples
  • Swín porcus vel sus. Wrt. Voc. i. 78, 36.

  • Swín sus, 286, 43.

    Suove-taurili

    æt ðǽrn geldum ðǽr wǽs swín and sceáp and fear, ii.
      31, 33: 86, 33.

  • Mára ic eom. and fǽttra ðonne ámæsted swin, Exon.

    Th.

      428, 9; Rä. 41, 105.

  • Binnan cirictúne ǽnig hund ne cume, ne swín ðe má, L. Edg. C. 26;

    Th. ii.

      250, 8.

  • Emban úrne ceápgild: hors tó healfan pund . . . And oxan tó mancuse, and cú tó .xx. , and swýn tó . x.

    (pence),

    and sceáp tó scł ł. ,
      L. Ath. v. 6, 2; Th. 5. 234, 1.

  • Be ǽlces nýtenes weorðe gif hí losiaþ. Hors mon sceal gyldan mid .xxx. sciłł. , myran mid , xx. sciłł. , oxan mid .xxx. p̃, cú mid .xxiiii. p̃. , swýn mid . viii. p̃. , man mid punde, sceáp mid sciłł. , gát mid . ii. p̃. ,

      L. O. D. 7 ; Th. i. 356, 5.

  • Swínes smere arvina vel

    adeps,

      Wrt. Voc. i. 44, 20.

  • Ðǽr wæs án swýna heord (suner berga, Lind. : suner swina, Rush.

    grex porcorum)

    . . . Ða deófla hyne bǽdon . . . ' Asende us on ðás swína heorde' . . . And hig férdon on ða swín,
      Mt. Kmbl. 8, 30-32.

  • Hé (Ohthere) hæfde tamra deóra syx hund . . Hé wæs mid ðǽm fyrstum mannum on ðæm lande

    (Norway);

    næfde hé þeáh má ðonne twentig swýna.
      Ors. 1. 1; Swt. 18, 14.

  • Ða ýtemestan leomo swína beóþ eáðmelte,

      Lchdm. ii. 196, 23.

  • Mon selle tó Folcanstáne . x. oxan and . x. cý and . c. swína,

      Cod. Dip. Kmbl. i. 310, 27.
  • Ic sello ðás lond . . . and twá þúsendu swína ic sello mid ðém londum ii. 120, 15.

  • Ic sello Berhtsige án híde bóclondes and ðǽrtó , c. swína, and geselle hió . c. swína tó Cristes cirican for mé and for míne sáwle and . c. tó Ceortesége,

      121, 3-6.

  • Ðá bet ic goniman swína micelne wrǽd (

    sues

    ) . . . forðon ic wiste ðæt swín wǽron ðæm elpendum láðe.
      Nar. 21, 23-26.

  • Gif mon on his mæstene unáliéfed swín geméte . . . Gif mon nime æfesne on swýnum; æt þrýfingrum (

    three fingers thick in fat),

    ðæt þridde; æt twýfingrum, ðæt feórðe; æt þymelum, ðæt fífte,
      L. In. 49; Th. i. 132, 12-19.

  • Gafolswán sylle ǽlce geáre . xv. swýn tó sticunge,

      L. R. S. 6; Th. i. 436, 13.
the image of a boar as the crest of a helmet. Cf. swín-líca, eofor-cumbol, -líc
Show examples

  • Swín ofer helme,

      Beo. Th. 2577; B. 1286.
  • Æt ðæm áde wæs éþgesýne swátfáh syrce, swýn eal-gylden, eofer írenheard, 2227; B. 1111
Etymology
[Goth. swein: O. Sax. O. Frs. O. H. Ger. swín : Icel. svín.]
Similar entries
v. gærs-, mere-, sliht-swín.
Linked entries
v.  swín-líca swýn swun.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “swín.” 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/29814.

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Full form

Word-wheel

  • swín, n.

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