Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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FEOH

  • noun [ neuter ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
FEOH, fioh; gen. feós; dat. feó; n.
Wright's OE grammar
§86; §87; §139; §173; §182; §215; §231; §328; §329; §346; §399;
cattle, living animals; pĕcus, jūmenta
Show examples

  • Gif ðé becume óðres monnes giémeleás feoh [G and H] on hand

    if the stray cattle of another man come to thy hand,

    • L. Alf. 42
      • ;
    • Th. i. 54, 9.

  • Feoh bútan gewitte

    the cattle without understanding,

    • Salm. Kmbl. 46
      • ;
    • Sal. 23.

  • Wiht seó ðæt feoh fédeþ

    a thing which feeds the cattle,

    • Exon. 109 a
      • ;
    • Th. 416, 21
      • ;
    • Rä. 35, 2.

  • Ic sealde him gangende feoh

    I gave him live stock [walking cattle],

    • Cd. 129
      • ;
    • Th. 164, 23
      • ;
    • Gen. 2719.
cattle being used in early times as a medium of exchange, hence Money, value, price, hire, stipend, FEE, reward; pĕcūnia, merces
Show examples

  • Næbbe gé feoh on eówrum bígyrdlum

    nōlīte possĭdēre pĕcūniam in zōnis,

    • Mt. Bos. 10, 9.

  • Se ðe his feoh to unrihtum wæstmsceatte ne syleþ

    qui pĕcūniam suam non dĕdit ad ūsūram,

    • Ps. Th. 14, 6.

  • Ðæt he him sealde wið feoh ðæt scræf

    ut det illi spēluncam pĕcūnia,

    • Gen. 23, 9.

  • Ic ðé ða fǽhþe feó leánige

    I will recompense thee for the strife with money,

    • Beo. Th. 2765
      • ;
    • B, 1380.
as property chiefly consisted of cattle, hence
Goods, property, riches, wealth; bŏna, dīvĭtiæ, ŏpes
Show examples

  • His feoh onfón fremde handa

    dirĭpiant aliēni omnes dīvĭtias ejus,

    • Ps. Th. 108, 11.

  • Ne wilniaþ nánes óðres feós

    wish for no other riches,

    • Bt. 14, 2
      • ;
    • Fox 44, 22.

  • We ðé feoh syllaþ

    we will give thee wealth,

    • Cd. 130
      • ;
    • Th. 165, 2
      • ;
    • Gen. 2725: Ors. 2, 4
      • ;
    • Bos.43, 22.
the Anglo-Saxon Rune ᚠ = f, the name of which letter in Anglo-Saxon is feoh money, wealth,-hence this Rune not only stands for the letter f, but for feoh money, as,-
Show examples

  • ᚠ [ = feoh] byþ frofur fira gehwylcum

    money is a consolation to every man,

    • Runic pm. 1
      • ;
    • Kmbl. 339, i
      • ;
    • Hick. Thes. i. 135, 1.

  • ᚠ [ = feoh] on foldan

    wealth on earth,

    • Exon. 19 b
      • ;
    • Th. 50, 28
      • ;
    • Cri. 808: Elen. Grm. 1270.
Etymology
[
Piers P. fee
:
Chauc. fee
:
Laym. feoh, feo, n
:
Orm. fe, fehh
:
Plat. vee, veih, n. cattle
:
O. Sax. fé, fio; Hel. fehu, n. pĕcus, ŏpes
:
O. Frs. fia, fya, n
:
Dut. vee, n
:
Kil. veech, vee pĕcus
:
Ger. vieh, n
:
M. H. Ger. vihe, n
:
O. H. Ger. fihu, n
:
Goth. faihu, n. cattle, goods
:
Dan. fæ, n
:
Swed. fä, n
:
Icel. fé, n. cattle, goods
:
Lat. pĕcus, n
:
Lith. pekus cattle
:
Sansk. pasu, m. cattle.
'The importance of cattle in a simple state of society early caused an intimate connection between the notion of cattle, and of money or wealth. Thus we have Lat. pĕcus cattle; pĕcūnia money; and Goth. faihu cattle, possessions, is identical with O. H. Ger. fihu, fehu; Ger. vieh cattle; Icel. fé cattle, money; A. Sax. feoh cattle, riches, money, price, reward,' Wgwd.]
Derived forms
cwic-feoh, hǽðen-, woruld-
Linked entries
v.  feá fioh feoh-fang.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “FEOH.” 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/10322.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • FEOH, n.

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