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Anglo-Saxon

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sceacan

  • verb [ strong ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
sceacan, scacan; p. sceóc, scóc; pp. sceacen, scacen, scæcen.
Wright's OE grammar
§51; §57; §312; §508;
to shake (intrans.),
quiver
Show examples

  • Gerd from uinde styrende ł sceæcende,

      Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 11, 7.
but generally used of rapid movement,
of living creatures, to flee, hurry off, go forth (cf. (?) colloquial
shack to rove about)
Show examples

  • Ðá sceóc hé on niht fram ðære fyrde him sylfum tó myclum bysmore

    he fled at night from the English army to his great disgrace,

      Chr. 992; Erl. 130, 32.

  • Hé sceóc dígellíce of ðære byrig

    he hurried off secretly from the town,

      Homl. Th. ii. 154, 12.

  • Sceócon módige maguþegnas morþres on luste

    they hurried on lusting for murder,

      Andr. Kmbl. 2280; An. 1141.

  • Hé behét ðæt hé nǽfre siððan of ðammynstre sceacan nolde

    he promised that he would not leave the monastery in a hurry again,

      Homl. Th. ii. 176, 28.

  • Hwí woldest ðú sceacan bútan mínre gewitnisse

    cur ignorante me fugere voluistil?

      Gen. 31, 27.

  • Deófol ongon on fleám sceacan,

      Exon. Th. 280, 17; Jul. 630; Judth. Thw. 25, 34; Jud. 292.

  • Hí gewiton in forwyrd sceacan

    they hurried to perdition,

      Andr. Kmbl. 3187; An. 1596.

  • On gerúm sceacan,

      Exon. Th. 401, 20; Rä. 21, 14.

  • On lyft scacan, fleógan ofer foldan,

      Cd. Th. 280, 32; Sat. 263; Beo. Th. 3610; B. 1803.
  • [Nes þer nan biscop ꝥ forð on his wæi ne scoc, naa]
of material things,
to move quickly, to be flung, be displaced by shaking
Show examples

  • Hwílum hára scóc forst of feaxe

    at times the hoar frost was thrown from my hair,

      Exon. 498, 26; Rä. 88, 7.

  • Strǽla storm, strengum gebǽded, scóc ofer scyldweall,

      Beo. Th. 6227; B. 3118.
of immaterial things (time, life, thought, etc.),
to pass, proceed, depart
Show examples

  • Ðonne mín sceaceþ líf of líce

    when my life takes flight from the flesh,

      Beo. Th. 5478; B. 2742; Exon. Th. 327, 4; Wíd. 141.

  • Swǽ giémeleáslíce oft sceacaþ úre geþohtas from ús ðæt wé his furðum ne gefrédaþ

    curae vitae ex sensu negligenti quasi nobis non sentientibus procedunt,

      Past. 18, 7; Swt. 138, 20.

  • Seó tíd gewát sceacan

    time passed on.

      Cd. Th. 9, 2; Gen. 135.

  • Is nú worn wintra sceacen,

      Elen. Kmbl. 1263; El. 633.

  • Ðá wæs dæg sceacen,

      Beo. Th. 4602; B. 2306, 5448; B. 2727.

  • Ðá wæs winter scacen,

      2277; B. 1136.

  • Wæs hira blǽd scacen

    their glory had departed,

      2253; B. 1124.

  • Biþ se wén scæcen,

      Exon. Th. 50, 23; Cri. 805.

  • Biþ his líf scæcen,

      329, 25; Vy. 39.

  • Biþ týr scecen,

      447, 27; Dóm. 45.
to shake (trans.)
Show examples

  • Ic sceace (scace, scæce)

    concutio,

      Ælfc. Gr. 28, 4; Zup. 169, 7.

  • Gúðweard gumena wælhlencan sceóc,

      Cd. Th. 188, 31; Exod. 176.

  • Sceacas (scæcas, Rush.) ðæt asca of fótum iúrum

    excubite te pulverem de pedibus vestris,

      Mk. Skt. Lind. 6, 11.

  • Wæs sceacen

    vibratur,

      Germ. 401, 47.
to weave (cf. bregdan)
Show examples

  • Scecen wé plumemus (cf. windan plumemus, 83, 78;

    plumarium opus

    dicitur quod ad modum plumarum texitur, Du Cange),
      Wrt. Voc. ii. 66, 80.
Etymology
[O. Sax. skakan to depart; ellior skók he died: cf. O. H. Ger. untscachondes flutivagi, Grff. vi. 412: Icel. skaka to shake (trans.).]
Similar entries
v. á-, of-, on-, óþ-, tó-sceacan.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “sceacan.” 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/26487.

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Word-wheel

  • sceacan, v.

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