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Anglo-Saxon

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wiht

  • noun [ feminine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
wiht, e ; f. : es; n.
Wright's OE grammar
§103; §391;
a wight, creature, being, created thing
Show examples

  • Nis nán wuht (cf. nán gesceaft, 22) ðe mæge oððe wille swá heágum Gode wiþcweþan . . . Ne wéne ic ðæt ǽnig wuht (cf. gesceaft, 24) sié ðe wiþwinne

    non est aliquid, quod summo huic bono vel velit, vel possit obsistere. Non . . . arbitror

    .
      Bt. 35, 4; Fox 160, 29.

  • Manig wyht is mistlíce férende geond corþan

    quam variis terras animalia permeant figuris

    ,
      41, 6; Fox 254, 23.

  • Æle uht, ðæs ðe hió (

    an asp

    ) ábítt, scel his líf on slǽpe geendian,
      Ors. 5, 13 ; Swt. 246, 27.

  • Ic (

    a leather bottle

    ) eom wunderlícu wiht,
      Exon. Th. 399, 16 ; Rä. 19, 1
    (the word occurs often in the riddles). Úr . . . is módig wuht, Runic pm. Kmbl. 339, 12 ; Rún. 2.

  • Nánre wuhte líchoma ne beoð téderra ðonne ðæs monnes,

      Bt. 16, 2 ; Fox 52, 8.

  • Se hrycg færð æfter ǽlcre wuhte,

      Past. 1 ; Swt. 29, 14.

  • Wiþerweardnes wuhte gehwelcre,

      Met. 11, 78.

  • Ðære wihte,

      Exon. Th. 438, 9; Rä. 57, 5.

  • Ne mæg ic náne cwica wuht (

    animalia) ongitan, ðara ðe wite hwæt hit wille, oððe hwæt hit nylle, ðe ungenéd lyste forweorþan, for ðam ǽlc wuht (animal ]

    wolde bión hál and libban, ðara ðe mé cwica ðincð; búte ic nát be swylcum gesceaftum swylce náne sáwle nabbaþ,
      Bt. 34, 10; Fox 148, 13-17.
  • Sóð is ǽghwylc ðara ðe ymb ðás wiht wordum bécneþ; ne hafaþ heó ǽnig lim, leofaþ se þeáh. Exon. Th. 421, 30 ; Rä. 40, 26.

  • Hí geségon syllicran wiht, wyrm on wonge,

      Beo. Th. 6069 ; B. 3038.

  • Ic ða wihte geseah . . . heó wæs wundrum gegierwed. Exon. Th. 483,

      5; Rä. 68, 1.
  • Hwylce wihta beóð óðre tíd wífcynnes, and óðre tíd wǽpnedcynnes ? Salm. Kmbl. p. 202, 12.

  • Ic geseah ða anlícnessa ealra creópendra wuhta

    (reptilium

    ). . . Ða creópendan wuhta getácniaþ . . . ,
      Past. 21; Swt. 155, 14.
  • Swilca wuhta (fleógan, gnættas, loppe) him deriaþ. Bt. 16, 2 ; Fox 52, 14.

  • Manega wuhta (

    animalia

    ),
      Met. 31, 2.

  • Ðé sculon moldwyrmas ceówan, slítan swearte wihta (wihte,

      Exon. Th. 371, 10), Soul Kmbl. 146; Seel. 72.

  • Ðine wihte

    animalia tua

    ,
      Ps. Th. 67, 11.

  • Ða wihte twá,

      Exon. Th. 429, 38; Rä. 43, 16.

  • Flǽsc lytelra wuhta, smælra fugla,

      Lchdm. ii. 180, 13.

  • Wihta Wealdend,

      Cd. Th. 272, 25; Sat. 125.

  • Ne meahte ðǽr drincan wihta ǽnig,

      Ps. Th. 77, 44.

  • Ealra wihta gehwam

    omne animal

    ,
      144, 17.

  • Wuhta gehwylc,

      Met. 11, 52.

  • Earmost ealra wihta, ðara ðe cenned wǽre. Exon. Th. 421,

      7; Rä 40, 14.

  • Wihta gehwylce, deóra and fugla,

      61, 10; Cri. 982.

  • Cynna gehwylc cucra wuhta, ðara ðe lyft and flód fédaþ, feoh and fuglas,

      Cd. Th. 78, 23; Gen. 1297.

  • Dreám cwicra wihta,

      Exon. Th. 411, 5 ; Rä. 29, 8.

  • Ðeós lyfte byreþ lytle wihte, 438, 26; Rä. 58, 1. Ia. of evil beings :-- Yfel wiht

    phantasma

    ,
      Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 14, 26 : Mk. Skt. Lind. Rush. 6, 49.

  • Wiht unhǽlo (

    Grendel

    ),
      Beo. Th. 241; B. 120.

  • Werge wihta (

    devils

    ),
      Exon. Th. 455, 29; Hy. 4, 57.

  • Unfǽle men, wudewásan, unfǽle wihtu satiri vel

    fauni

    ,
      Wrt. Voc. i. 17, 20.

  • Ðas fúlan wuhta (wizards ) ðú sceoldest áwurpan of ðínum ríce,

      Homl. Th. ii. 488, 12.
a whit, thing; ǽnig wiht aught, anything,
without a negative
Show examples

  • Ðǽr hí ǽnige wuht ágnes gódes an heora anwealde hæfden,

      Bt. 27, 3; Fox 100, 4.

  • Ic eom swíðe gefiónde ðæt gé ǽfre woldon ǽnige wuht (ǽnig wuht (ǽnig-wuht?),

      Halt. MS.)
    eów selfum wítan, ǽr ic hit eów wíte, Past. 31 ; Swt. 206, 19.
with a negative, aught. See also III.
alone
Show examples
  • Ne bið him wiht tó sorge. Exon. Th. 238, 29 ; Ph. 611.

  • Ne wendaþ hine wyrda, ne hine wiht (or acc. ?) dreceþ, ádl ne yldo,

      334, 1; Gn. Ex. 9.

  • Nis íæt onginn wiht,

      119, 2; Gú. 248.
  • Nó hé him ðæs wyrmes wíg for wiht dyde. Beo. Th. 4685 ; B. 2348.
with a genitive
Show examples

  • Ne bið wiht forholen monna gehygda,

      Exon. Th. 65, 14; Cri. 1054.

  • Ne him wiht gescód ðæs ðe hý him tó teónan þurhtogen hæfdon,

      127, 35; Gú. 396.

  • Ne ðǽr hleonaþ unsméðes wiht,

      199, 15; Ph. 26.

  • Ne magon wé geleánian him mid láðes wihte,

      Cd. Th. 25, 15; Gen. 394.

  • Ne dyde ic for feóndscipe, ne for wihte ðæs ic ðé weán úðe

    did it not from enmity, or from aught of ill will

    ,
      163, 2 ; Gen. 2692.

  • Hé nele láþes wiht geæfnan. Exon. Th. 357,

      22; Pa. 32: Cd. Th. 16, 13; Gen. 242.

  • Ic ðínra worda ne mæg wuhtoncnáwan,

      34, 8; Gen. 534.

  • Wiht,

      Elen. Kmbl. 1364; El. 684.

  • Wonhýdig wer ðæs wiht ne cunnon

    vir insipiens non cognoscet

    ,
      Ps. Th. 91, 5.
  • Hí náne wuht ongitan ne cunnon ðara gǽstlecena beboda. Past. 1; Swt. 25, 23.
cases (with or without preps. ) with adverbial force,
without a negative
Show examples

  • Gif wé hit mægen wihte (

    anyhow

    ) áþencan,
      Cd. Th. 26, 2 ; Gen. 400.

  • Gif hit eówer ǽnig mæge gewendan mid wihte, ðæt hié word Godes forlǽten,

      27, 35 ; Gen. 428.

  • Ne wé wénaþ, ðæt hé wihte mæge ðis folc áfédan,

      Ps. Th. 77, 22.
with a negative
Show examples

  • Nis mé wihtæ þearf (

    there is no need at all

    ) hearran tó habbanne,
      Cd. Th. 18, 25 ; Gen. 278.

  • Hié ðæs wíges wihte ne róhton,

      228, 13; Dan. 201.

  • Ic ðé bæd ðæt ðú ðone wælgæst wihte ne (

    in no wise

    ) grétte,
      Beo. Th. 3995 ; B. 1995 : Andr. Kmbl. 3320; An. 1663.

  • Næs wordlatu wihte (

    at all

    ) ðon máre,
      3043; An. 1524.

  • Wuhte,

      Met. 14, 10 : 16, 14.

  • Næs him wihte ðe sél

    it was not a whit the better for him

    ,
      Beo. Th. 5368 ; B. 2687.

  • Nát ic hit be wihte (

    at all; cf. be dǽle in part ),

      Exon. Th. 468, 7 ; Phar. 4.

  • Ic mid wihte (cf. mid ealle) ne mæg of ðissum lioðobendum

    I am utterly unable to escape from these bonds

    ,
      Cd. Th. 24, 22; Gen. 381.

  • Wit ðus baru ne magon wesan tó wuhte (

    at any rate

    ),
      52, 5 ; Gen. 839.
  • Ic ne forhtige wiht (or under II. b. non movebor amplius, Ps. Th. 61, 2 : 113, 13. Him wiht ne speów they did not at all succeed, Judth. Thw. 25, 23; Jud. 274. Him wiht ne sceód grim gléda nið, Cd. Th. 245, 17; Dan. 464. Nó hé wiht fram mé fleótan meahte hraþor on holme, Beo. Th. 1087; B. 541. Ne beóð winter ðín wiht ðe sǽmran anni tui non deficient, Ps. Th. 101, 24. Hwæt wilt ðú cweþan, gif hwá wuht nylle wiþwinnan, ac mid fullan willan forlǽt ǽlc gód and fulgǽþ ðam yfele, Bt. 36, 6 ; Fox 182, 6. Hié noldon beón ábisgode náne wuht on eorðlícum ðingum rebus exterioribus nullatenus occupentur,
      Past. 18; Swt. 137, 1.
Etymology
[Goth. waihts ; f. res; ni waihte nihil: O. Sax. wiht; m. a thing, whit; wihtí, pl. evil spirits: O. H. Ger. wiht; n. substantia, animal, res : Icel. vættr; f. a being; especially a supernatural being.]
Similar entries
v. á-, ǽnig- (?), hel-, ná-, nán-, sǽ-wine; æl-, eall-wihta.
Linked entries
v.  eall-wihta Wiht-land uht wuht.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “wiht.” 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/35705.

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Word-wheel

  • wiht, n.

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