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Anglo-Saxon

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sellan

  • verb [ weak ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
sellan, sillan, sylian; p. salde, sealde; pp. sald, seald
Wright's OE grammar
§55; §254; §276; §534;
To give something (acc.) to somebody (dat. ).
of voluntary giving, to put. into the possession of a person,
transfer ownership from one to another
Show examples

  • Ic sello Werburge ðás lond,

      Chart. Th. 480, 30: 481, 5.

  • Ðæt land ic sylle eów tó ágenne,

      Ex. 6, 8.

  • Ealle ðás rícu ic sylle (sello,

      Lind.: selle, Rush.) ðé, Mt. Kmbl. 4, 9.

  • Ðú sáwlum selest ginfæsta gifa,

      Met. 20, 226.

  • Eówer Fæder syleþ (selleþ,

      Rush.)
    gód ðám ðe hyne biddaþ, Mt. Kmbl. 7, 11.

  • Hig wǽron ðíne, and ðú hý sealdest mé,

      Jn. Skt. 17, 6.

  • Salde inpendebat (cf. geben wæs

    inpendebatur,

    21),
      Wrt. Voc. ii. in, 24.

  • Ecgbryht salde Basse mæsseprióste Reculf mynster on tó tymbranne,

      Chr. 669; Erl. 34, 25.

  • Hié saldon hiera nefum Wichte eálond,

      534; Erl. 14, 33.

  • Ðeáh Balac mé sille goldes án hús full,

      Num. 22, 18.

  • Hí ne mágon sellan ðæt hí gehátaþ,

      Bt. 16, 1; Fox 90, 16.

  • Nelle gé syllan (sella,

      Lind.)
    ðæt hálige hundum, Mt. Kmbl. 7, 6.

  • Gé cunnun góde sylena eówrum bearnum syllan (sellan,

      Rush.), 7, 11.

  • Biþ sald

    dabitur,

      Kent. Gl. 338.
to give what one is bound to give, to pay tribute,
offer, dedicate to God
Show examples

  • Sylle mé ðín forme bearn. Dó eall swá of hríðerum . . . syle (

    reddas

    ) hit mé on ðam ehtuþan dæge,
      Ex. 22, 29, 30.

  • Norþmonnum niéde sceoldon gombon gieldan and gafol sellan,

      Cd. Th. 119, 12; Gen. 1978.

  • Gafol syllan,

      Chr. 1006; Ell. 141, 10.

  • Hí willaþ eów tó gafole gáras syllan,

      Byrht. Th. 133, 7; By. 46.

  • Hié næfdan for him lamb tó syllenne,

      Blickl. Homl. 23, 26.
to give, furnish or supply with food, medicine, poison, etc. — Hwá sylþ ús flǽsc ? . . . Drihten eów silþ flǽsc and gé etaþ, Num. 11. 18. Byrelas sealdon wín of wunder*-*fatum, Beo. Th. 2327; B. 1161. Hié him sealdon áttor drinccan, Blickl. Homl. 229, 16: Ealle ða mettas ge drincan ða ðe habban hát mægen and scearp sele þicgean, Lchdm. ii. 184, 10 (often in Leechdoms). Him man metsunge syllan sceolde. Chr. 1006; Erl. 141, 10. Hé wolde syllan his assan fóddur, Gen. 42, 27. III a. with infin. instead of acc.
Show examples

  • Hwílum ic deórum drincan selle. Exon. Th. 393,

      25; Rä. 13, 5.

  • Gehwylc mé drincan sealde,

      484, 24; Rä. 71, 6.
to give one thing for another.
to sell for (
wið) a price
Show examples

  • Ic sylle wið wirðe

    vendo,

      Ælfc. Gr. 28, 8 ; Zup. 181, 17.

  • Hwí ne sealde heó ðás sealfe wið þrím hundred penegon,

      Jn. Skt. 12, 5.

  • Sume man wið feó sealde,

      Chr. 1036; Erl. 164, 34: Blickl. Homl. 79, 22.
to sell at (
to) a price
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  • Sélre ys ðæt wé hine syllon tó ceápe Ysmahélitum,

      Gen. 37, 27.
to sell
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  • Hé sylþ (

    vendit

    ) eall ðæt hé áh,
      Mt. Kmbl. 13, 44.

  • Hé worhte his weorc tó seofon nihtum, and sealde on ðone Sæternesdæg,

      Homl. Th: ii. 356, 6.
  • Hí sealdon heora gymstánas, i. 62, 21.

  • Ne eów ne ofþince ðæt gé mé sealdon (

    vendidistis

    ) on ðis ríce,
      Gen. 45, 5.

  • Syllaþ (

    vendite

    ) ðæt gé ágon,
      Lk. Skt. 12, 33.

  • Nán man hig ná undeóror ne sylle (sille,

      MS. D.);
    and gif hwá hí undeóror sylle, gilde ǽgðer .xl. scillinga, ge se ðe hí sylle ge se ðe hí bycge, L. Edg. ii. 8; Th. i. 270, 3-6.

  • Móna se óðer on eallum þingum tó dóndum nytlíc ys, bicgan, syllan, scip ástígan,

      Lchdm. iii. 184, 13.

  • Ða syllendan

    vendentes

    ,
      Lk. Skt. 19, 45.
to give in payment
Show examples
  • Hé sealde his ðone reádan gim, ðæt wæs his ðæt hálige blód, mid ðon hé ús gedyde dǽlnimende ðæs heofonlícan ríces. Blickl. Homl. 9, 36.

  • Eall ðæt feoh ðe hié wið ðæm weorce sellan woldon,

      Ois. 4, 12; Swt. 210, 4.

  • Syllan feoh wið freóde,

      Byrht. Th. 132, 58; By. 39.
to give into the keeping of,
hand over, deliver, commit, entrust
Show examples

  • Gif ðú mé sylst underwedd,

      Gen. 38, 17.

  • Ic befæste ðé ðæt eówde ðæt ðú mé sealdest,

      Blickl. Homl. 191, 27.

  • Hé hire sáule sealde Sarcte Michahele,

      147, 13.

  • Hé sealde his sweord ombihtþegne,

      Beo. Th. 1349; B. 672.

  • Hié sealdon ánum unwísum þegne Miercna ríce tó haldanne, and hé him gíslas salde,

      Chr. 874; Erl. 76, 26-28.

  • Hié sealdon hiera suna tó gíslum

    they gave their sons as hostages,

      Ors. 4, 11; Swt. 204, 4.
  • Hí on wedde sealdon, hwæt hý hyre syllan woldon. Homl. As. 196, 24.

  • Ðá wæs ic mid gýmenne mínra mága seald tó fédanne and tó lǽranne Abbude Benedicte,

      Bd. 5, 23 ; S. 647, 22.
to give a woman to be a man's wife
Show examples
  • Ðá wolde se fæder hí sellan sumum æþelon men tó brýde. Shrn. 31, 6.

  • Nyme hé hig tó rihtwífe. Gif se fæder hig him syllan nelle,

      Ex. 22, 17.
to give over to a hostile power,
deliver up to.
with dat.
Show examples

  • Ne syle (

    tradas

    ) ðú unscyldigra sáwla deórum,
      Ps. Th. 73, 18.

  • Ðý læs ðe ðín wiðerwinna ðé sylle ðám déman, and se déma ðé sylle ðam þéne,

      Mt. Kmbl. 5, 25.
without dat.
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  • Ne syle mé ne ne send mé mid ðám synfullan

    ne tradas me cum peccatoribus,

      Ps. Th. 27, 3.
with prepositions
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  • Hé sealde on edwít ðe mé ǽr trǽdan. Ps. Th. 56, 3.

  • Hé sealde his folc sweordes under ecge,

      77, 62.

  • Ne syle mé tó ðara módes willan,

      26, 14.

  • Ne ðú mé ne syle on ðone biterestan deáþ,

      Blickl. Homl. 229, 26.
  • Ne syle ðú mé in wíta forwyrd. Frag. Kmbl. 14; Leás. 9.

  • Mannes sunu ys tó syllenne on manna handa,

      Mt. Kmbl. 17, 22.
with dat. and prep.
Show examples

  • Drihten him sealde da burh on hishanda,

      Jos. 10, 32.
with a bad sense, to deliver wrongfully, to betray; cf. colloquial to sell a person.
Mannes sunu þú mid cosse sylst (seles, Rush.: selles, Lind.),
    Lk. Skt. 22, 48.
Nú is gehende se ðe mé sylþ (seleþ, Rush.: selleþ, Lind.), Mk. Skt. 14, 42. Ðæt mon ne selle his weorðscipe fremdum menn, Past. 36; Swt. 249, 21.
to give up, yield up
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  • Hé feorh seleþ

    he dies,

      Beo. Th. 2745 ; B. 1370.
to give forth, produce, be the source of
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  • Ne seleþ ðé wæstmas eorþe. Cd. Th. 62,

      17; Gen. 1015.

  • Sume sealdon (saldun,

      Rush.: saldon, Lind.) wæstm, Mt. Kmbl. 13, 8.

  • God lǽteþ hrusan syllan blǽda beornum, Runic pm. Kmbl. 341, 23; Rún. 12. VII a, to give light,

    emit

    sound :-- Sylle se friccea his stefne,
      Blickl. Homl. 163, 31.
  • Leóht sellan, Bt: 6; Fox 14, 23.
where the object is immaterial,
to give an answer, a pledge, a promise, etc.
Show examples

  • Ic eów treówa míne selle,

      Cd. Th. 92, 29; Gen. 1536.

  • Ic ðé wǽre míne selle,

      132, 35; Gen. 2203.

  • For ðínum gebode ðe ðú mé sealdest,

      Blickl. Homl. 241, 33.

  • Se Hǽlend him ne sealde náne andsware,

      Jn. Skt. 19, 9.

  • Hí sealdon áþas,

      Met. 1, 24.

  • Him lof syllaþ,

      Ps. Th. 65, 1.

  • Heora ǽlc sylle ðone áþ, ðæt . . . ,

      L. Edg. S. 6; Th. i. 274, 15. ¶
    where the object is expressed by a clause :-- Ic eów beháta and on hand selle, dæt gé sculon finden reste eowre sáwlen, Homl. As. 171. 29.

  • Ðæt hý ealle ðam sémende syllan, ðæt cyninges mund stande,

      L. E. G. 12 ; Th. i. 174, 22.

  • Slaga sceal his forspecan on hand syllan, and se forspeca mágum, ðæt se slaga wille bétan wið mǽgþe. Ðonne gebyreþ ðæt man sylle ðæs slagan forspecan on hand, ðæt se slaga móte mid griþe weddian,

      L. Edm. S. 7; Th. i. 250, 14-17.
to give leave, consent, forgiveness, etc.
Show examples

  • Ðyssum wordum óðer ealdormann geþafunge sealde (

    tribuens assensum

    ),
      Bd. 2, 13; S. 516, 13.
  • Hé him ne sealde leáfe. Homl. Th. ii. 380, 5.

  • Nis nán tweó ðæt hé forgifnesse syllan nelle ðám ðe hié geearnian willaþ,

      Blickl. Homl. 65, 8.
to give help, pain, peace, victory, etc.
Show examples

  • Ic ðé míne sylle sibbe,

      Andr. Kmbl. 194; An. 97.

  • Ðú sylest úrum leomum ræste,

      Blickl. Homl. 141, 11.

  • Se ðe sigor seleþ,

      Cd. Th. 170, 5 ; Gen. 2808.

  • Sile ðíne áre ðínum earminge,

      Hy. 2, 3.

  • Ús fultum sile,

      7, 80.

  • Gif Drihten him sige syllan wolde,

      Bd. 3, 24; S. 556, 18.

  • Ne biþ ðæm seald Drihtnes mildheortnes,

      Blickl. Homl. 49, 24. ¶
    where the object is expressed by a clause :-- Ne syleþ hé só;ðfæstum, ðæt him ýþende mód innan hreðre. Ps. Th. 54, 22.

  • Gúþláce engel sealde, ðæt him sweðraden synna lustas,

      Exon. Th. 109, 1; Gú. 83.

  • Syle mé, ðæt ðú mé generige níða gehwylces,

      Ps. Th. 118, 169.
to give punishment, reward
Show examples

  • Sealde him wítes clom,

      Cd. Th. 193, 11; Sat. 453.

  • Leán sellende eallum,

      240, 34; Dan. 396.
to give, endow with a capacity, life, sight, understanding, etc.
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  • Ðú sylest andgit eallum eorþbúendum,

      Ps. Th. 118, 130.

  • Ðú man geworhtest and him sealdest word and gewitt and wæstma gecynd,

      Hy. 9, 56.

  • Ðú sealdest ǽlcre gecynde ágene wísan,

      7, 66.

  • Sealde hé dumbum gesprec,

      Andr. Kmbl. 1153; An. 577.

  • Syle mé heortan clǽne,

      Ps. Grn. 50, 11.

  • Æghwylc ðe him eágna gesihþ cyning syllan wolde,

      Exon. 350, 22 ; Sch. 67.

  • Ðé biþ éce líf seald,

      Elen. Kmbl. 1052 ; El. 527. ¶ with the gerund :--
    Heáh geweorc furþor áspyrgen ðonne him freá sylle tó ongietanne, Exon. Th. 348, 17; Sch. 29.
to give one's heart to a person
Show examples

  • Nemne ic Gode sylle hýrsumne hige,

      Exon. Th. 124, 12 ; Gú. 338.
Etymology
[Goth. saljan to offer: O. Frs. sella to give, sell, pay: O. Sax. sellian to give: O. H. Ger. sellan traders: Icel. selja to hand over, to sell.]
Similar entries
v. á-, be-, for-, ge-, ymb-sellan; un-seald.
Linked entries
v.  seald sillan syllan a-sellan feoh.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “sellan.” 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/27410.

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  • sellan, v.

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