Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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lácan

  • verb [ strong ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
lácan, p. leólc, léc; pp. lácen.
Wright's OE grammar
§511; §512;
to swing, wave about, move as a ship does on the waves, as a bird does in its flight, as flames do
Show examples

  • Ic láce mid winde

    I wave about with the wind,

      Exon. 108 a; Th. 412, 17; Rä. 31, 1.

  • Sum láceþ on lyfte

    one swings in the air [of the man who is hung on a tree ],

    87 b;
      Th. 328, 25; Vy. 23.

  • Is ðæt frécne stream ýða ofermǽta ðe wé hér on lácaþ

    perilous is the stream, huge the waves, on which here we toss,

    20 a;
      Th. 53, 24; Cri. 855.
  • Hie ofer feorne weg ceólum lácaþ Andr. Kmbl. 506; An. 253.

  • Fuglas ða ðe late þurh lyft lácaþ fiðrum

    birds which slowly through the air move with their pinions,

      Exon. 60 b; Th. 220, 7; Ph. 316.

  • Brondas lácaþ on ðam deópan dæge fires shall flame up on that solemn day [cf. to play applied to flame, and

    Icel.

    logi lék um þá v. Cl. and Vig. Dict. leika II. 2], 116 b; Th. 448, 23; Dóm. 58.

  • Ða ðe lácaþ ymb eaxe ende

    those stars that revolve about the pole,

      Bt. Met. Fox 28, 44; Met. 28, 22.

  • Leólc on lyfte

    he took his flight through the air [of the lost angel who was to tempt Adam ],

      Cd. 23; Th. 29, 10; Gen. 448: Exon. 114 a; Th. 438, 15; Rä. 57, 8.

  • Hé leólc ofer laguflód

    he bounded o'er the water,

    75 b;
      Th. 283, 2; Jul. 674.

  • Fugel uppe sceal lácan on lyfte

    up in the air must the bird wing its flight,

      Menol. Fox 537; Gn. C. 39.

  • Hwylc hyra [

    the seraphim

    ] néhst mǽge nergende flihte lácan, Exon. 13 b; Th. 25, 11; Cri. 399.

  • Ðú meahtes ofer rodorum feðerum lácan, feor up ofer wolcnu windan,

      Bt. Met. Fox 24, 17; Met. 28, 9.

  • Heofonfuglas ða ðe lácende geond lyft faraþ,

      Exon. 55 a; Th. 194, 24; Az. 144: Beo. Th. 5657; B. 2832: Elen. Kmbl. 1797; El. 900.

  • Lagu lácende

    the tossing waves,

      Andr. Kmbl. 873; An. 437.

  • Lácende líg

    the leaping flame,

      Cd. 197; Th. 246, 8; Dan. 476: Exon. 31 a; Th. 97, 23; Cri. 1595: Elen. Kmbl. 1156; El. 580: 2219; El. 1111.
to play [as in 2. Sam. 2, 14 'Let the young men play before us ... And every one thrust his sword in his fellow's side,' cf. æsc-plega], make use of a weapon, fight: Ða ne dorston ǽr dareðum lácan on hyra mandrýhtnes miclan þearfe
who before had not dared at their lord's dire need to join in the javelin-play,
    Beo. 5689; B. 2848.
to play [a musical instrument]
Show examples

  • Hió dumb wunaþ hwæðre hyre is on fóte fæger hleóþor; wrætlíc mé þinceþ hú seó wiht mǽge wordum lácan þurh fót neoþan

    dumb does it dwell, yet in its foot bath a fair voice; wondrous it seems to me how the wight can play with words by its foot from below,

      Exon. 108 b; Th. 414, 13; Rä. 32, 19.
Etymology
[Orm. to þeowwtenn Godd and lakenn [sacrifice], 973; þa þre kingess lakedenn [presented] Crist wiþþ þrince kinne lakess, 7430: Havel. leike; p. leikede to play: Piers P. laike to play: Goth. laikan; p. lailak: Icel. leika; p. lék: M. H. Ger. leichen.]
Derived forms
DER. be-, for-, geondlácan: daroþ-, faroþ-, lyft-lácende. v. lǽan, ellen-lǽa, and preceding word.
Linked entries
v.  leólc.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “lácan.” 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/20878.

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Full form

Word-wheel

  • lácan, v.

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