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sél

  • adjective
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Grammar
sél, (the positive form does not occur, but is found in Layamon) ; cpve. sélra, sélla ; spve. sélest, sélost; adj.
Wright's OE grammar
§556;
Good.
of health
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  • Sóna seó blǽdder tó séiran (

    to a healthier condition

    ) gehwyrfeþ,
      Lchdm. i.206, 15.
good, worthy, having excellent qualities or
properties
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  • Sancte Iohannes wæs mára and sélra eallum óðrum mannum,

      Blickl. Homl. 163, 20.

  • Sýlra,

      161, 24.

  • Ðeáh hine se dysiga dó tó cyninge, hú mæg gesceádwís scealc gereccan, ðæt hé him ðý sélra sié oððe þince,

      Met. 15, 15.

  • Nǽnig sélra nǽre rondhæbbendra ríces wyrðra

    no warrior was worthier, more deserving of rule,

      Beo. Th. 1725 ; B. 860.

  • Næs mid Rómwarum sincgeofa sélla

    among the Romans was not a prince of nobler character,

      Met. 1, 50.

  • Bóþ his sylfes swíðor micle ðonne se sélla mon,

      Exon. Th. 315, 11 ; Mód. 29.

  • Him wearþ sélle líf bihýded,

      227, 3 ; Ph. 417.

  • Wé sculon ídle lustas forseón and ðæs séllran gefeón,

      47, 19 ; Cri. 757.

  • Ðæt hé fére him tó ðam sélran ríce (

    heaven

    ),
      352, 24 ; Sch. 102.

  • On sýllan mon,

      377, 20 ; Deór. 6.

  • Uton wé georne teolian ðæt wé ðe beteran sýn & ðe sélran for ðære láre ðe wé gehýrdon,

      Blickl. Homl. 111, 19.

  • Gé sóhtun ða sǽmran and ða séllan nó démdan æfter dǽdum,

      Exon. Th. 131, 30; Gú. 463.

  • Ðú se sélusta Theophilus

    optime Theophile,

      Lk. Skt. 1, 3.

  • Hláford mín and bróðor ðín se sélesta,

      Exon. Th. 183, 26 ; Gú. 1333.

  • On gódre and on sélestre heortan

    in corde bono et optimo,

      Lk. Skt. 8, 15.

  • Nymaþ of eówrum sélustan wæstmum,

      Gen. 43, 11.
good of its kind,
of persons,
possessing the excellences of a class, excellent, well-qualified, skilful, efficient
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  • Hé ðæs wǽpnes onláh sélran sweordfrecan,

      Beo. Th. 2940 ; B. 1468.

  • Nǽfre ic sǽlidan sélran métte,

      Andr. Kmbl. 942 ; An. 471.

  • Ic fæste binde swearte wealas, hwilum séllan men,

      Exon. Th. 393, 23 ; Rä. 13, 4.

  • Omerus se góda sceop ðe mid Crécum sélest wæs . . . Firgilius wæs mid Lǽdenwarum sélest,

      Bt. 41, 1 ; Fox 244, 4-6.

  • Cwéna sélost, Drihtnes módor,

      Menol. Fox 334 ; Men. 168.

  • Ealra sigebearna ðæt séleste and æþeleste,

      Exon. Th. 33, 4 ; Cri. 520.

  • Twegen wǽron biscopas and twegen mæssepreóstas ealle ða sélestan

    omnes sacerdotes fuere praeclari,

      Bd. 3, 23 ; S. 555, 19.

  • Manige ðara sélestena cynges þéna forþférdon,

      Chr. 897 ; Erl. 94, 32.
of things
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  • Næs sincmáðþum sélra on sweordes hád

    there was no greater treasure in the shape of a sword,

      Beo. Th. 4392 ; B. 2193.

  • Hí nǽfre song séllan ne hýrdon,

      Exon. Th. 325, 8 ; Víd. 108.
  • Ídel stód húsa sélest. Beo. Th. 294 ; B. 146.

  • Hof séleste (

    the ark

    ),
      Cd. Th. 84, 6 ; Gen. 1393.

  • Éce líf, sélust sigeleána,

      Elen. Kmbl. 1051 ; El. 527.

  • Blícan swá ðæt séloste gold,

      H. R. 15, 35.

  • Seó séleste gesǽlþ,

      Bt. 24, 2 ; Fox 82, 3.

  • Biþ Drihten úre se sélosta scyld

    the Lord will be our most effectual shield.

      Blickl. Homl. 13, 10.

  • Heó hié gegyrede mid ðon sélestan hrægle, 139, 7. IIIa. marking the rank or class of a person :-- Ðone sélestan (

    of the highest class

    ) . . . ðane óðerne . . . ðane þriddan,
      L. Ethb. 26 ; Th. i. 8, 12.
good, advantageous, to one's interest, advisable
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  • Is hit micle sélre ðæt wé hine álýsan,

      Andr. Kmbl. 3124 ; An. 1565.

  • Sélle,

      Exon. Th. 371, 15 ; Seel. 76.

  • Him sylfum sélle þynceþ leahtras tó fremman,

      266, 33 ; Jul. 407.

  • Ne mæg ðec séllan rǽd mon gelǽran,

      119, 4 ; Gú. 249.

  • Wé ðé mágon sélre ge*-*lǽran,

      Andr. Kmbl. 2706 ; An. 1355.

  • Ðá forléton wé ða frécnan wegas and ðǽm sélran wé férdon,

      Nar. 17, 13.

  • Ðæt him soelest wǽre ðæt hié friþes wilnaden

    nullam esse residuam spem, nisi in petenda pace,

      Ors. 4, 10 ; Swt. 202, 18.

  • Hé brytniæ swǽ hígum maest réd sié and ðaem sáwlum soelest,

      Chart. Th. 461, 2 : 465, 33.

  • Ófest is sélost,

      Cd. Th. 196, 18 ; Exod. 293 : Andr. Kmbl. 3129 ; An. 1567 : Beo. Th. 518 ; B. 256.
  • Hwæt sélest wǽre tó gefremmanne, 351 ; B. 173 : Elen. Kmbl. 2328 ; El. 1165.

  • Ellen biþ sélast ðam ðe sceal dreógan dryhtenbealu,

      Exon. Th. 183, 4 ; Gú. 1322.

  • Biþ andgit ǽghwǽr sélest,

      Beo. Th. 2123 ; B. 1059.

  • Is hit ealles sélest tó sécenne hwæt ðæs willa sié,

      Blickl. Homl. 205, 27.
good, honourable, noble, proper
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  • Deáþ biþ sélla eorla gehwylcum ðonne edwítlíf,

      Beo. Th. 5773 ; B. 2890.
  • Sélre biþ ǽghwæm ðæt hé his freónd wrece, ðonne hé fela murne, 2773 ; B. 1384 : Andr. Kmbl. 640 ; An. 320.

  • Ðé ðæt sélre geceós, éce rǽdas,

      Beo. Th. 3523 ; B. 1759.
  • Hé smeáde hwæt him sélest (or under
) tó dónne wǽre quid sibi esset faciendum tractabat,
    Bd. 2, 9 ; S. 512, 15.
Maria geceás ðone sélestan dǽl, Lk. Skt. 10, 42.
of value, precious
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  • Ðú golde eart, sincgife sýlla. Andr. Kmbl. 3016 ; An. 1511.

  • Hú nys seó sáwl sélre ðonne mete

    nonne anima plus est quam esca ?

      Mt. Kmbl. 6, 25.

  • Ne hýrde ic guman ǽnigne bringan ofer sealtne mere sélran láre,

      Menol. Fox 204 ; Men. 103.

  • Gé synt sélran ðonne manega spearuan,

      Mt. Kmbl. 10, 31.

  • Gif hé nele ðone sélestan dǽl Gode gedǽlan,

      Blickl. Homl. 195, 7,
good, happy, pleasant
Show examples

  • On ðǽm sélran þingum

    in secundis rebus,

      Nar. 7, 26.

  • Wé dreámas hefdon sélrum tídum,

      Cd. Th. 267, 29 ; Sat. 45.
Etymology
[Þu scalt uurþan sæl thou shalt prosper, Laym. 1234. Cloten hauede enne sune þe sel (bold, 2nd MS.) wes, 4071. Mid selere strengðe with great strength, 21654. Seoue þusend selere (boldere, 2nd MS.) þeinen, 18011. Ich wulle sende to selen mine þeinen, 25162. Ne isæh na man selere cniht nenne, 21166. Þat us is selest (best, 2nd MS.) to don, 918. In al þat sel is, H. M. 47, 34. Goth. séls good, kind : Icel. sæll blest, happy.]
Similar entries
v. next word.
Linked entries
v.  sélost.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “sél.” 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/27361.

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  • sél, adj.

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