Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

Dictionary online

ildest

  • adjective
Dictionary links
Grammar
ildest, superl.
of eald.
eldest, oldest
Show examples
  • Úre ieldesta mǽg

    parens primus [Adam],

    • Past. 43, 5
    • ;
    • Swt. 313, 15
    • .
  • Hé sóhte fram ðam yldestan óþ ðone gingestan

    quos scrutatus, incipiens a majore usque ad minimum.

    • Gen. 44, 12.
  • Ða yldestan

    senes,

    • Ps. Th. 104, 18
    • .
  • Ða yldestan chus and cham hátene wǽron

    the eldest were named Cush and Ham,

    • Cd. 79
    • ;
    • Th. 97, 22
    • ;
    • Gen. 1616
    • .
As the oldest might be supposed best fitted to fill the highest positions the word gets the meaning principal, chief, greatest
Show examples
  • Se yldesta

    cardinarius, i. primarius,

    • Ælfc. Gl. 48
    • ;
    • Som. 65. 66
    • ;
    • Wrt. Voc, 14, 1
    • .
  • Yldest byrla

    magister calicum.

    • 113
    • :
    • Som. 79, 130
    • ;
    • Wrt. Voc. 60, 34
    • .
  • Hé wæs ieldesð [summus ] ofer ða hálgan cirican,

    • Past. 17, 6
    • ;
    • Swt. 115, 16
    • .
  • Hwylc hyra yldest wǽre

    quis eorum major esset,

    • Lk. Skt. 9, 46, 33, 24.
  • Ieldesta bisceop

    pontifex maximus,

    • Ors. 5, 4
    • ;
    • Swt. 224, 2
    • .
  • Tyrus hét him tó clypian ðone ðe on ðam scype yldost wǽre

    Tyrus bade call to him the principal man on the ship,

    • St. And. 28, 6
    • .
  • Hé clipode him tó his yldestan geréfan

    dixit ad servum seniorem.

    • Gen. 24, 2
    • .
  • Aaron and ða yldestan men

    tam Aaron quam principes synagogæ,

    • Ex. 34. 31.
  • Ða ieldestan men ðe tó Bedanforda hiérdon,

    • Chr. 918
    • ;
    • Erl. 104, 23
    • .
  • Ða yldestan witan gehádode and leáwede Angelcynnes,

    • 1012
    • ;
    • Erl. 146, 7
    • :
    • 978
    • ;
    • Erl. 127, 9
    • .
  • Ða yldestan þægenas,

    • 1015
    • ;
    • Erl. 151, 19
    • .
  • Ealle ða yldestan menn on West-Seaxon

    all the principal men of Wessex,

    • 1036
    • ;
    • Erl. 165, 1
    • .
  • Ða ðe ieldeste wǽron

    equites,

    • Ors. 6, 4
    • ;
    • Swt. 260, 24
    • .
  • Ða yldstan setl on gesamnungum

    the highest seats in the synagogues;

    primas cathedras in synagogis,

    • Lk. Skt. 20, 46.
  • Ic hit rehte ðam yldostan Egiptan witun

    I told it to the chief wise men of Egypt,

    • Gen. 41, 24
    • .
Etymology
[
Laym. ældeste
:
Ayenb. eldeste
:
Icel. ellztr
:
O. H. Ger. altist, altost primus, primogenitus; thie altoston thes folkes seniores
. For the use similar to that given under II. of a word denoting in the first instance age, cf.
Goth. þai sinistans (lit. eldest) manageins by which Ulfilas translates οί πρεσβύτεροι τοû λαοû
;
and the passage in Ammianus Marcellinus 'sacerdos omnium maximus apud Burgundios vocatur sinistus.'
]
Similar entries
v. ildra.
Full form

Word-wheel

  • ildest, adj.