Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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scrífan

  • verb [ strong ]
  • preposition
Dictionary links
Grammar
scrífan, p. scráf, pl. scrifon; pp. scrifen
Wright's OE grammar
§490;
To decree, appoint (cf. ge-scrif)
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  • Scribun

    promulgarunt,

      Wrt. Voc. ii. 117, 74.

  • Scriben

    decerni,

      106, 22.
to decree to a person as his lot,
to allot, assign
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  • Swá missenlíce Dryhten eallum dǽleþ, scyreþ and scrífeþ,

      Exon. Th. 331, 10; Vy. 66.

  • Him (

    God

    ) þonc ǽghwá secge ðæs ðe hé for his miltsum monnum scrífeþ,
      333, 7; Vy. 98.
to fix as his lot for a person
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  • Ic sceal sécan ða hámas ðe ðú mé ǽr scrife

    I must visit the abodes that you (the body) have made my (the soul's) portion,

      371, 4; Seel. 70.

  • Brúcan swylcra yrmþa swá ðú unc ǽr scrife,

      373, 2; Seel. 102.

  • Ðæt wyt gesáwon heofona wuldor swylc swá ðú mé ǽr scrife,

      375, 25; Seel. 143.
to decree after judgment, to adjudge, doom, inflict, impose, pass as a sentence upon a person
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  • Folca gehwylcum Scyppend scrífeþ bí gewyrhtum eall æfter ryhte,

      75, 12; Cri. 1220.

  • Scrífeþ bí gewyrhtum meorde monna gehwam,

      286, 8; Jul. 728.

  • Gif hé bétan móte sylle wið his lífe swá hwæt swá man him scrífe

    si pretium ei fuerit impositum, dabit pro anima sua, quidquid fuerit postulatus,

      Ex. 21, 30.

  • Þrowige hé (

    a pledgebreaker

    ) swá biscep him scrífe,
      L. Alf. pol. 1; Th. i. 60, 10.

  • Þolige hé (

    a criminal priest

    ) ǽgðres ge hádes ge eardes, and wræcnige swá wíde swá pápa him scrífe,
      L. Eth. ix. 26; Th. i. 346, 6.

  • Ðǽr ábidan sceal maga máne fáh, hú him Metod scrífan wille,

      Beo. Th. 1963; B. 979.

  • Heo woldan ðíne dómas gehýran, and hú ðú ðám forworhtum scrífan woldest,

      Wulfst. 254, 17.
as an ecclesiastical term,
to shrive, to impose penance after confession, to hear confession and then impose penance
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  • Ðonne sacerd mannum fæsten scrífeþ

    quum sacerdos jejunium hominibus injungit,

      L. Ecg. C. 1; Th. ii. 132, 25.

  • Ðæt hé hit swá gebétt hæbbe, swá him his scrift scrífe,

      L. Ath. i. 25; Th. i. 212, 22.

  • Wé lǽraþ ðæt ǽlc preósta scrífe and dǽdbóte tǽce ðam ðe him andette,

      L. Edg. C. 65; Th. ii. 258, 9.

  • Ofer ealle ða scíre ðe hé (scrift) on scrífe,

      L. I. P. 7; Th. ii. 314, 5.

  • Man sceal ðam unstrangan men líðelícor déman and scrífan ðonne ðam strangan . . . Man sceal on godcundan scriftan ge on woruldcundan dóman ðás þingc tósceádan,

      L. C. S. 69; Th. i. 412, 5.

  • Hire nán preóst scrífan ne mót

    neque ulli presbytero confessionem ejus accipere licebit,

      L. Ecg. P. ii. 16; Th. ii. 188, 6.

  • His scrift him sceal swá scrífan, swá hé on his dǽdum gehýreþ, ðæt him tó dónne biþ . . . Gyf hwá tó ðam (

    making peace

    ) cyrran nylle, ðonne ne mæg hé ðam scrífan,
      L. E. I. 36; Th. ii. 432, 37-434, 4.
to care for, regard [cf. O. Sax. bi-skríban (with gen. or prep.) to care about] ,
with gen.
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  • Deáþ ðæs ne scrífeþ (cf. se deáþ swelces ne récþ

    mors spernit altam gloriam,

      Bt. 19; Fox 68, 32), Met. 10, 29.

  • Rihtes ne scrífeþ,

      25, 53.

  • Ne scrífe hé ðæs hlísan búton hú hé ryhtosð wyrce

    opus rectitudinis appetitio ignoret favoris,

      Past. 44, 3; Swt. 313, 16.
with dat.
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  • Se hláford ne scrífþ, se ðam here waldeþ, freónde ne feónde, feore ne ǽhtum (cf. se ðe hiora welt ne murnþ náuðer ne friénd ne fiénd,

      Bt. 37, 1; Fox 186, 7), Met. 25, 15.
with a clause
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  • Hí (the people of Sodom ) forléton eallinga ðone brídele ðæs eges, ðá hí ne scrifon hwæðer hit wǽre ðe dæg ðe niht, ðonne ðonne hí syngodon,

      Past. 55, 1; Swt. 427, 31.
Etymology
[He (the pope) þe scal scriuen of þine weorldlifen, þat þine sunen alle scullen þe from falle, Laym. 32074. Þe preost shall shrifenn þe and huslenn,
    Orm. 6128.
Him for to hoslon an for to shriue,
    Havel. 361.
Schryvyn̄ or here schryftys audire confessiones, Prompt. Parv. 449. Also schriven (reflex.) means to confess lch chulle schriuen me confitebor,
    A. R. 344, 6.
Mede shroue (shrof, shroof) hire of hire shrewednesse . . . Thanne he assoilled hir sone, Piers P. 3, 44. Schryvyn̄ or ben aknowe synnys yn schryfte confiteor,
    Prompt. Parv. 449.
O. Frs. scríva to impose a punishment.]
Similar entries
v. for-, ge-scrífan; riht-scrífend; scrift.
Linked entries
v.  be-scrifen.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “scrífan.” 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/27029.

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Full form

Word-wheel

  • scrífan, v.; prep.

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