Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

Dictionary online

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gál

  • adjective
Dictionary links
Grammar
gál, adj.
Light, pleasant, wanton, licentious, wicked; lĕvis, libīdĭnōsus, luxŭriōsus, mălus
Show examples

  • Ðam unstæððigan and ðam gálan, ðú miht secggan, ðæt he [MS. hi] biþ winde gelícra, ðonne gemetfæstum monnum

    to the inconstant and the light [man], thou mayest say that he is more like the wind, than modest men,

    • Bt. 37, 4
      • ;
    • Fox 192, 23, note 20, MS. Cott.

  • Ðæt he gesáwe ungelíce béc him berende beón þurh ða gódan gástas oððe þurh ða gálan

    ut cōdĭces diversos per bŏnos sīve mălos spīrĭtus sĭbi vīdĕrit offerri,

    • Bd. 5, 13
      • ;
    • S. 633, 25.

  • Gecunnian hwæðer he wǽre god oððe gál

    to try whether he were good or bad,

    • Gu. 17
      • ;
    • Gdwn. 74, 6.
Etymology
[
Orm. gal wanton
:
O. Sax. gél merry
:
Dut. Ger. geil lustful
:
M. H. Ger. geil licentious
:
O. H. Ger. geil lætus, elātus, fĕrox, libīdĭnōsus
:
Dan. geil wanton
:
and cf. Icel. gáli a wag.
]
Derived forms
ealo-gál, hyge-, medu-, rúm-, symbel-, wín-
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “gál.” 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/13207.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • gál, adj.

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