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wirsa

  • adjective
Dictionary links
Grammar
wirsa, (wirra occurs once in the Chronicle); cpve.; wirrest, wirst; spve. adj.
Worse, worst,
in a moral sense
Show examples

  • For hwam lifaþ se wyrsa leng?

    • Salm. Kmbl. 716
      • ;
    • Sal. 357.

  • Ne wearð nán wærsa dǽd gedón ðonne ðeós wæs,

    • Chr. 979
      • ;
    • Erl. 129, 4.

  • Gif wé ðæt ne dóþ, ðonne wyrce wé ús myccle synne; and ús is get wyrse ðæt wé úrne ceáp teóþian, gif wé willaþ syllan ðæt wyrste Gode,

      Blickl. Homl. 41, 7.

  • Hí for nánum ermþum ne byóð nó ðý betran, ac ðý wyrsan,

    • Bt. 39, 11
      • ;
    • Fox 230, 17.

  • Ðá gǽð hé and him tó genymð seofun óðre gástas wyrsan (nequiores) ðonne hé . . . and wurðaþ ðæs mannes ýtemestan wyrsan (pejora) ðonne ða ǽrran,

    • Mt. Kmbl. 12, 45
      • ;
    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 72, 59.

  • Ðes wyrresta cyning Neron,

      Homl. Th. i. 384, 3.

  • Se wyresta sceaþa (Judas)

      Blickl. Homl. 69, 10.

  • Ðis is manna se wyrresta,

      185, 2.

  • Se eallra wyrresta mon,

    • Bt. 14, 3
      • ;
    • Fox 46, 20.

  • Ðé þúhte ðæt eallra ðinga wyrrest,

    • 38, 4
      • ;
    • Fox 204, 9.

  • Ðæs wyrrestan eorðcyninga,

    • Cd. Th. 235, 13
      • ;
    • Dan. 305.

  • On werrestre dǽde

    in actione pessima,

      Confess. Peccat.

  • Swá byð ðisse wyrrestan (wyrsesta,

      Lind.
    , pessimae) cneórysse,

      Mt. Kmbl. 12, 45.

  • Wirestan,

      Deut. 1, 35.

  • Ða wyrstan (pessimam) ingewitnesse mé ic geseó,

    • Bd. 5, 13; S. 632, 32.

  • Ða wyrrestan, fá folcsceaðan,

    • Andr. Kmbl. 3183
      • ;
    • An. 1594.

  • Ðám wyrrestum wítes þegnum,

    • Exon. Th. 251, 28
      • ;
    • Jul. 152.

  • On werstum ðingum

    in rebus pessimis,

      Kent. Gl. 23.
Grammar
wirsa, of an unfitting condition of things
Show examples
  • And ðæt git wyrse is, ðæt wé witon manige foremǽre weras forþgewitene ðe swiþe feáwa manna á ongit
    • Bt. 19
      • ;
    • Fox 70, 11
      • ;
    • Met. 10, 57.
Grammar
wirsa, of the physical condition of persons or things
Show examples

  • Hé tóbrycð hys stede on ðam reáfe, and se slite byð ðe wyrsa,

      Mt. Kmbl. 9, 16.

  • Sió wund bið ðæs ðe wierse,

    • Past. 17; Swt. 123, 18.

  • Heó wæs ðe wyrse,

    deterius habebat,

      Mk. Skt. 5, 26.

  • Seó frecednes dæghwamlíce wæs wyrse and wyrse,

    • Bd. 4, 32
      • ;
    • S. 611, 24.
Grammar
wirsa, where injury is done to a person in respect to his well-being
Show examples

  • Se ðe óðerne mid wó forsecgan wille, ðæt hé áðer oþþe feó oþþe freme ðá wyrse sý,

    • L. C. S. 16
      • ;
    • Th. i. 384, 24.

  • Hí dydan mycelne hearm ábútan Hámtúne . . . swá ðæt seó scír and ða óðra scíra, ðæ ðǽr neáh sindon, wurdon fela wintra ðe wyrsan,

    • Chr. 1065
      • ;
    • Erl. 197, 11.
Grammar
wirsa, of the condition of affairs, of an (unfavourable) circumstance or event
Show examples

  • Mé ðǽr wyrse gelamp, ðonne ic tó hyhte ágan móste,

    • Cd. Th. 275, 22
      • ;
    • Sat. 175.

  • Hit him wyrse gelomp,

    • 272, 26
      • ;
    • Sat. 125.

  • Wæs ǽfre heora æftra sýð wyrse ðonne se ǽrra,

    • Chr. 1001; Erl. 137, 14.

  • Swá wearð hit fram dæge tó dæge lætre and wyrre,

    • 1066; Erl. 202, 17.

  • Ne wearð wyrse dǽd more disastrous act monnum gemearcod,

    • Cd. Th. 37, 24
      • ;
    • Gen. 594.

  • Hé áwende hit him tó wyrsan þinge,

    • 17, 13
      • ;
    • Gen. 259.

  • Hé tǽhte Absalone óðerne rǽd wyrsan tó his willan,

      Homl. Skt. i. 19, 206.

  • Wéne ic tó ðé wyrsan þinga, gif ðú Grendles dearst bídan,

    • Beo. Th. 1055
      • ;
    • B. 525.
Grammar
wirsa, of that which is harmful, painful, etc.
Show examples

  • Hí nǽfre wyrsan handplegan on Angelcynne ne gemitton

    they never met with harder fighting in England,

    • Chr. 1004; Erl. 138, note 7.

  • Ðý læs God ús sende on wyrsan tintrego,

      Blickl. Homl. 243, 20.

  • Ðæra synfullena deáþ byð se wyrsta (wyrresta,

      Ps. Surt.:
    wyrst,
      Ps. Spl.,
    pessima)

      Ps. Th. 33, 21.

  • Wilddeóra ðæt wyrreste (grimmeste,

      Exon. Th. 371, 29
    ) . . . wyrmcynna ðæt grimmeste (wyrreste,
      Exon. Th. 371, 32
    )

    • Soul Kmbl. 164-167
      • ;
    • Seel. 82-84.

  • Se deófol slóh lób mid ðære wyrstan wunde (with the most grievous disorder)

      Homl. Th. ii. 452, 26.

  • Mid ðý werrestan áttre

    with the most virulent poison,

      Shrn. 84, 28.

  • On ðone wyrrestan deáð

    to the most cruel death,,

    • Andr. Kmbl. 172
      • ;
    • An. 86.

  • We[r]stum gedrecenyssum

    saevissimis afflictionibus

      Hpt. Gl. 409, 59.

  • Getogen tó ðǽm wyrstan tintregum,

      Blickl. Homl. 245, 1.

  • Ða werrestan tintrega,

      229, 25.

  • Wyrrestan,

    • Exon. Th. 257, 20
      • ;
    • Jul. 250: Elen. Kmbl. 1860; El. 932.
Grammar
wirsa, marking inferiority
Show examples

  • Hé bið swíðe gelíc sumum ðara gumena ðe him þringaþ ymbe útan; gif hé wyrsa ne bið, ne wéne ic his ná beteran,

      Met. 25, 20.

  • Ǽlc man sylþ ǽrest gód wín, and ðonne hig druncene beóð ðæt ðe wyrse (wyrest,

      Rush.:
    wurresta,
      Lind.,
    deterius) byð

      Jn. Skt. 2, 10.

  • Hé ðæt betere geceás, and ðam wyrsan wiðsóc,

    • Elen. Kmbl. 2078
      • ;
    • El. 1040.

  • On ðone wyrsan dǽl scyrede,

    • Exon. Th. 75, 24
      • ;
    • Cri. 1226.

  • On ða wyrsan hand,

    • Salm. Kmbl. 998
      • ;
    • Sal. 500.

  • Onwendan heora wuldor on ðæne wyrsan hád styrces,

      Ps. Th. 105, 17.

  • Wyrsan wígfrecan,

    • Beo. Th. 4985
      • ;
    • B. 2496.

  • Buccena flǽsc is wyrrest,

      Lchdm. ii. 196, 17.

  • Gif wé willaþ syllan úre ðæt wyrste Gode,

      Blickl. Homl. 41, 8.
Etymology
[
Goth. wairsiza
;
cpve.: O. Sax. wirsa; cpve.; wirsista
;
spve.: O. Frs. wirra
;
cpve.: O. H. Ger. wirsiro; cpve.; wirsisto
;
spve.: Icel. verri; cpve.; verstr; spve.
]
Similar entries
v. weorr.
Linked entries
v.  wyrrest yfel weorr wersa wurst.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “wirsa.” 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/36024.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • wirsa, adj.

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