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Anglo-Saxon

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wítan

  • verb [ strong ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
wítan, p. wát, pl. witon; pp. witen.
Wright's OE grammar
§1; §19; §30; §48; §96; §102; §133; §212; §213; §225; §232; §240; §263; §267; §298; §476; §540;
to see to, take heed to, guard, keep,
Grammar
wítan, absolute
Show examples

  • God wíteþon ðam héhstan heofna ríce ufan Alwalda,

    • Cd. Th. 32, 31
      • ;
    • Gen. 511.
[
He (God) witeð and wialdeð alle þing,
    Anglia i. II, 40.
Ihesu, wel þu witest hem,
    Jul. 51, 15.
>
Wel is him þat wakeð and witeð wel him seoluen,
    74, 6.
Swuch wardein (God), þet wit and wereð us ever,
    A. R. 312, 8.
Þe vif wittes, þet witeð þe heorte alse wakemen,
    14, 6.
Wite mine Bruttes a to þines lifes,
    Laym. 28604.
Crist . . . wite his soule,
    Havel. 405.
To witen ant to welden,
    Marh. 2, 23.
To wyten us wyþ þan unwihte,
    Misc. 72, 4.
]
Grammar
wítan, with acc.
Show examples

  • Ðæt bið gód swefen, wíte ðú ðæt georne on ðínre heortan,

      Lchdm. iii. 154, 19.
Grammar
wítan, with a clause
Show examples

  • Wíte ðú georne, ðæt ðú dó ealle ða tácn

    vide, ut omnia ostenta facias

    ,
      Ex. 4, 21.

  • Wíte ðæt ðín geþanc ne losige,

      Lchdm. iii. 154, 20.

  • Wýte ðæt ðú swá dó,

    • Nicod. 26
      • ;
    • Thw. 14, 23.

  • Wíte se óðer, ðæt hé hit béte,

    • L. C. S. 76
      • ;
    • Th. i. 418, 13.

  • Wé willaþ áwerian ús; wíte gé hwæt gé dón siððan,

    • L. Ælfc. P. l
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 364, 13.

  • Wé beóð unscildige, gif wé hit secgaþ eów; wíte gé hwæðer gé silfe eówrum sáwlum beorgan willan,

    • 43
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 382, 27.
[
Wite ȝe þet ȝe ȝemen þenne halie sunnedei,
    O. E. Homl. i. 11, 29.
Cf. Goth. Þu witeis σ ψ,
    Mt. 27, 4.
]
to lay to a person's charge, lay the blame of something on a person or thing, impute.
Grammar
wítan, absolute
Show examples

  • Wíte

    imputet

    ,
      Germ. 400, 560.
Grammar
wítan, with dat. of person
Show examples

  • Ðæt hé him ne wíte,

    • Bt. proem.
      • ;
    • Fox viii. 12.
Grammar
wítan, with dat. of person and acc. of charge
Show examples

  • Mínum ágnum scyldum ic hit wíte,

      Ps. Th. 21, 2.

  • Ne wíte ic him ða womcwidas,

    • Cd. Th. 39, 7
      • ;
    • Gen. 621.

  • Hwæt wítst ðú ús

    what do you lay to our charge?

    • Bt. 7, 5
      • ;
    • Fox 22, 36
      • :
    • Homl. Th. ii. 164, 28.

  • Mé Freá wíteþ sume ðara synna,

    • Exon. Th. 456, 32
      • ;
    • Hy. 4, 75
      • :
    • Salm. Kmbl. 885
      • ;
    • Sal. 442.

  • Hwæt wite ðú mé?

    • Soul Kmbl. 43
      • ;
    • Seel. 22.

  • Ic nyste hwæt hí mé witon.

      Ps. Th. 34, 15.

  • Hié witan Claudiuse ðone hunger, and hé wearð him grom (imperator convitiis in-festatus),

    • Ors. 6, 4
      • ;
    • Swt. 260, 22.

  • Ne wít ðú heom ðás synna

    ne statuas illis hoc peccatum

    ,
      H. R. 9, 29.

  • Gif ðú hwæt on druncen misdó, ne wít ðú hit ðam ealoðe,

      Prov. Kmbl. 39: 18: 54.

  • Gif hé hwylc hleahterlíc word onfinde, ðæt hé ðæt ús ne wíte,

    • Guthl. prol.
      • ;
    • Gdwin. 2, 13
      • :
    • Ps. Th. 65, 16.

  • Hwæþer Rómáne hit wíten nú ǽnegum men tó secganne hwæt hiera folces forwurde?

    • Ors. 5, 2
      • ;
    • Swt. 220, 9.

  • Hwæt sió syn wǽre, ðe him seó cwén wite,

    • Elen. Kmbl. 832
      • ;
    • El. 416.

  • Ic eom swíðe gefiónde ðætte gé woldon ǽnige wuht eów selfum wítan (wiétan,

      Halt. MS.
    ), ǽr ic hit eów wite. Hit is gód ðæt gé hit nú wiétun (wíton,
      Hatt. MS.
    ),

    • Past. 31
      • ;
    • Swt. 206, 19.

  • Æfter ðæm ðe him swá oftrædlíce mislamp, hié angunnan hit wítan heora látteówum and heora cempum heora earfeþa,

    • Ors. 4, 4
      • ;
    • Swt. 164, 25
      • :
    • Cd. Th. 51, 9
      • ;
    • Gen. 824
      • :
    • Hy. 6, 25
      • ;
    • Beo. Th. 5475
      • ;
    • B. 2741.
Grammar
wítan, with prep, governing person, and charge expressed in a clause
Show examples

  • Gif ðú mé on wíte, ðæt ic unrihtlíce ðone biscopdóm onfénge,

      Anglia x. 141, 22.
[
Gif þu witest eni þing þine sunne bute þi suluen,
    A. R. 304, 10.
Schal he hit wite me?
    O. and N. 1248.
If that I mysspeke wyte it the ale of Southwerk,
    Chauc. Mill. Prol. 32.
Wytyn imputo,
    Prompt. Parv. 531.
O. Sax. wítan
:
O. H. Ger. wízan imputare, statuere
,
Cf. Goth. fra-, in-weitan.
]
to go, depart
Show examples

  • Nylle ic ǽfre hionan út wítan, ac ic symle hér sófte wille standan,

      Met. 24, 52.
Etymology
[
Witeð ge awariede gastes into þat eche fir ite maledicti in ignem eternum,
    O. E. Homl. ii. 5, 36.
He heðen wit,
    123, 4.
Þe wolf to witeþ,
    Laym. 21311.
Herode wass witenn ut off life,
    Orm. 8222.
Ne wite þou noȝt fra me ne discesseris a me,
    Ps. 21, 12.
]
Similar entries
v. æt-, ed-, ge-, óþ-wítan.
Linked entries
v.  ge-wítan.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “wítan.” 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/36092.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • wítan, v.

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