Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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G

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WHEN g is the last radical letter of an Anglo-Saxon word, and follows a long vowel or an r, it is often changed into h, but then the g is resumed when followed by a vowel; as, - Beáh a ring; gen. es; m. beáges of a ring; pl. beágas rings; burh a town; gen. e; f. burge of a town; beorh a hill; gen. es; m. beorges of a hill; pl. beorgas hills. The same change takes place after a short vowel in wah a wall; gen. wages. In the conjugation of verbs, in some cases; h is found taking the place of g; thus from belgan to be angry, bilhst, bilhþ; from ágan to own, áhte.
g is generally inserted between the vowels -ie, making -ige, -igende, etc. the first sing. pres. and part of verbs in -ian. Thus, from lufian to love, bletsian to bless, etc. are formed ic lufige
I love, ic bletsige I bless, lufigende loving, bletsigende blessing.
In later English the place of the earlier g is often taken by y, sometimes by w; as, - Geár a year, dæg a day, dagas days. etc; morg(en) morrow, sorg =
sorrow, etc.
The Anglo-Saxon Rune RUNE not only stands for the letter g, but for gifu a gift, because gifu is the Anglo-Saxon name of this Rune,
Similar entries
v. gifu II. and RÚN.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “G.” 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/13064.

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