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Anglo-Saxon

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mótan

  • verb [ preterite-present ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
mótan, ic, hé mót, ðú móst; wé móton; p. móste (
Wright's OE grammar
§545;
from mót-te).
to be allowed, may, mote,
Grammar
mótan, with an infinitive
Show examples

  • Mót ic drincan

    licet mihi bibere,

    ic móste

    mihi licuit,

    gif wé móstan

    si nobis liceret,

    beón álýfed

    licere,

    • Ælfc. Gr. 33
      • ;
    • Som. 37, 15.

  • Wé móton

    nobis licet,

    ðú móstest

    tibi licuit,

    • 44
      • ;
    • Som. 46, 29.

  • Ðú móst heonon húðe lǽdan,

    • Cd. 98
      • ;
    • Th. 129, 25
      • ;
    • Gen. 2148: Beo. Th. 3347
      • ;
    • B. 1671.

  • Monna gehwylc geceósan mót swá helle hiénþu swá heofones mǽrþu.

    • Exon. 16 b
      • ;
    • Th. 37, 9
      • ;
    • Cri. 590.

  • Gif hé ús geunnan wile ðæt wé hine grétan móton.

    • Beo. Th. 700
      • ;
    • B. 347.

  • Ne mágon hié and ne móton (

    are not able and are not permitted

    )

    ðínne líchoman deáþe gedǽlan,

    • Andr. Kmbl. 2431
      • ;
    • An. 1217.

  • Ðæt hié on ðæt fǽgon, ðæt ic swá lytle hwíle lifgean móste,

    • Nar. 32, 21.

  • Ðæt ðú wilwega wealdan móstest,

    • Ps. Th. 90, 11.

  • Móstes,

    • Exon. 28 a
      • ;
    • Th. 85, 10
      • ;
    • Cri. 1389.

  • Hé him álýfde ðæt hí ærnan móstan.

    • Bd. 5, 6
      • ;
    • S. 618, 42.

  • Ðæt ic gást mínne ágifan móte.

    • Andr. Kmbl. 2832
      • ;
    • An. 1418.

  • Ðæt ðú móte írætwa dǽlan,

    • Cd. 136
      • ;
    • Th. 171, 15
      • ;
    • Gen. 2828.

  • Ðæt hé ða yldu móte wendan tó lífe,

    • Exon. 58 b
      • ;
    • Th. 210, 24
      • ;
    • Ph. 190.

  • Ðǽr wé mótun sécan,

    • 65 b
      • ;
    • Th. 242, 8
      • ;
    • Ph. 670.

  • Mótan,

    • 11 b
      • ;
    • Th. 16, 1
      • ;
    • Cri. 246.

  • Móten,

    • 13 a
      • ;
    • Th. 23, 30
      • ;
    • Cri. 376.
Grammar
mótan, with ellipsis of infinitive,
Grammar
mótan, to be supplied from preceding clause
Show examples

  • Ða ic for God wille gemundbyrdan gif ic mót,

    • Cd. 114
      • ;
    • Th. 149, 12
      • ;
    • Gen. 2473.

  • Blǽd biþ ǽghwæm ðæm ðe Hǽlende héran þenceþ, and wel is þam ðe ðæt mót,

    • 221
      • ;
    • Th. 287, 11
      • ;
    • Sat. 365.

  • Uton fleón ða hwíle ðe wé móton.

    • Homl. Th. ii. 124, 20.

  • Nú cweþaþ oft preóstas ðæt Petrus hæfde wíf: fulsóþ hý secgaþ, forðam ðe hé swá móste ðá,

    • L. Ælfc. C. 6
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 344, 23.
to be inferred otherwise
Show examples

  • Ic him yfle ne mót

    I may not be harmful to him,

      E
    • xon. 127 b
      • ;
    • Th. 491, 5
      • ;
    • Rä. 80, 9.

  • Ðú of néde móst (

    mayst go

    ),
    • Andr. Kmbl. 230
      • ;
    • An. 115.

  • Nǽfre hió tó helle mót,

    • Exon. 110 a
      • ;
    • Th. 421, 19
      • ;
    • Rä. 40, 20.

  • Hé begeat leáfe ðæt hé of ðam lande móste.

    • Homl. Skt. 3, 328.

  • Ðæt Metellus tó Róme móste,

    • Ors. 5, 9
      • ;
    • Swt. 232, 25.

  • Ðæt hé móste mid ðæm sunu wið Somnitum,

    • 3, 10
      • ;
    • Swt. 140, 17.
to be obliged, must
Show examples

  • Man mót on eornost mótian wið his drihten,

    • Ælfc. T. Grn. 15, 3.

  • Londríhtes mót monna ǽghwylc ídel hweorfan,

    • Beo. Th. 5765
      • ;
    • B. 2886.

  • Ðæt hit sceaðen mǽl scýran móste,

    • 3883
      • ;
    • B. 1939.
[This verb is one of the small class of verbs called preterite-present. The infin. does not occur in any of the dialects, but in the forms which are found the conjugation is the same as that of the A.S. verb.
Goth. ga-mót; p. -mósta
:
O. Sax. mót; p. mósta
:
O. Frs. mót; p. móste
:
O.H. Ger. muoz, móz; p. muosi, muoste.
]
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “mótan.” 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/23193.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • mótan, v.

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