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sígan

  • verb [ strong ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
sígan, p. sáh, pl. sigon; pp. sigen.
Wright's OE grammar
§490;
to pass from a higher to a lower position, to sink, descend, decline, fall down
Show examples

  • Hé (a man hung on a tree) on wyrtruman sígeþ, fealleþ on foldan,

    • Exon. Th. 328, 29
      • ;
    • Vy. 25
      • .

  • Ðá hé on eorþan sáh

    cadens in terram,

    • Bd. 3, 12
      • ;
    • S. 537, 31
      • .

  • Hí áheówon ðæt treów ðæt hit brastliende sáh tó ðam hálgan were. Ðá worhte hé ongeán ðam hreósendum treówe róde tácn,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 508, 33
      • .

  • Him sáh (here, or from seón (?), but cf.

    Icel. höfðu út sigit iðrin í þat sárit
    ) se innoþ eall út,

    • L. Ælfc. C. 3
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 344, 6
      • .

  • Sitte gé sigewíf, sígaþ tó eorþan

    (in a charm for bees),
    • Lchdm. i. 384, 24
      • .

  • Ðú gestaþoladest eorþan swíðe wundorlíce . . . nánwuht eorþlíces hí ne healt, ðæt hió ne síge, and nis hire éðre tó feallanne ofdúne ðonne up,

    • Bt. 33, 4
      • ;
    • Fox 130, 37
      • .

  • Ne mæg hió hider ne ðider sígan,

    • Met. 20, 165
      • .

  • Hit hreósan wile, sígan sond æfter réne,

    • 7, 23
      • .

  • Ic sígan lǽte wællregn ufan

    I will cause to descend destructive rain from above,

    • Cd. Th. 81, 23
      • ;
    • Gen. 1349
      • .

  • Gewát se wilda fugel earce sécan, wérig sígan tó handa hálgum rince,

    • 88, 9
      • ;
    • Gen. 1462
      • .

  • Sígende

    preceps,

    • Germ. 399, 460
      • .
[
Þe kinge sah to grunde (deide, 2nd MS.), Laym. 10255.
Scal þi saule siȝen to helle 14589.
]
to sink as the sun to its setting
Show examples

  • Heó (the sun) síhþ tó ðam tácne (Aries) óþ ǽfen,

    • Anglia viii. 307, 20
      • .

  • Tungla torhtast tó sete sígeþ,

    • Menol. Fox 221
      • ;
    • Men. 112
      • .

  • Ealle stiorran sígaþ æfter sunnan under eorþan grund,

    • Met. 29, 15
      • .

  • Sió æþele gesceaft (the sun) sáh tó setle,

    • Chr. 937
      • ;
    • Erl. 112, 17
      • .
[
The sunne arist anes a dai and eft sigeð, O. E. Homl. ii. 109, 22.
]
in a figurative sense
Show examples

  • Ða men ðe sígaþ on ðisses middangeardes lufan óþ ðæt hié áfeallaþ of hiera ryhtwísnessum

    cadentes a sua rectitudine animas, atque in hujus mundi se delectatione reclinantes,

    • Past. 19, 1
      • ;
    • Swt. 143, 16
      • .

  • Mé on sáh unrihtes feala

    declinaverunt in me iniquitates,

    • Ps. Th. 54, 3
      • .

  • Swá swá wé sigon ǽr on ðæt unáliéfede óþ ðæt wé áfeóllon

    qui per illicita defluendo cecidimus,

    • Past. 54, 5
      • ;
    • Swt. 425, 15
      • .

  • Ðonne áginþ hé sylf sígan oððe áfylþ

    inclinavit se et cadet,

    • Ps. Th. 9, 30
      • .

  • Forlǽte heteníþa gehwone sígan,

    • Exon. Th. 352, 23
      • ;
    • Sch. 101
      • .
to move towards a point (cf. to make a descent upon a place)
Show examples

  • Fugla cynn on healfa gehwone heápum þringaþ sígaþ sídwegum

    contrahit in coetum sese genus omne volantum,

    • Exon. Th. 221, 19
      • ;
    • Ph. 337
      • .

  • Godwine sáh him ǽfre tówerd Lundenes mid his liþe ðæt hé com tó Súþgeweorce

    Godwin kept moving towards London with his force until he came to Southwark,

    • Chr. 1052
      • ;
    • Erl. 184, 19
      • .

  • Ðæt folc him sáh eall onbútan

    the people pressed upon him on all sides,

    • Homl. Skt. i. 23, 650
      • .

  • Eall seó burhwaru sáh út ætgædere ongeán ðæs cáseres tócyme

    the whole town moved out together in the direction of the emperor's approach,

    • 814
      • .

  • Guman sigon ætsomne.

    • Beo. Th. 619
      • ;
    • B. 307
      • .

  • Gif ðú ne wilt wirde steóran ac on selfwille sígan lǽtest

    (cf. gif seó wyrd swá hweorfan mót on yfelra manna gewill, and ðú heore nelt stýran, Bt. 4 ; Fox 8, 18),
    • Met. 4, 50
      • .

  • Him englas tógeánes heápum cwóman sígan,

    • Exon. Th. 34, 30
      • ;
    • Cri. 550
      • .
[
Engles sihen in to heouene, Jul. 77, 7.
Heo siȝen to his hærme, Laym. 8682.
Forð heo gunnen siȝen, 29071.
]
of the movement of time
Show examples

  • Iunius síhþ tó mancynne . . . Agustus síhþ tó mannum,

    • Anglia viii. 311, 6-17
      • .

  • Solmónaþ sígeþ tó túne,

    • Menol. Fox 32
      • ;
    • Men. 16
      • .
figurative
Show examples

  • Sigon tó slǽpe

    they sank to sleep,

    • Beo. Th. 2506
      • ;
    • B. 1251
      • .

  • Hine man þreáge mid teartran steóre ðæt is him síge on swingella wracu

    (verberum vindicta in eum procedat),

    • R. Ben. 52, 7
      • .
[
Wið þene sele brudgume þat siheð alle selhðe of from whom proceeds all happiness, H. M. 47, 35.
]
to ooze, run as matter,
Similar entries
v. seón
Show examples

  • Gif ðæt brægen út síge

    if the brain protrude,

    • Lchdm. ii. 22, 19
      • .

  • Lǽt sígan út on sum fæt

    let it drain out into a vessel,

    • iii. 48, 6
      • .
to strain, filter, act as a filter, cf. (?) sígere
Show examples

  • Sígende sond rén swylgþ

    bibulae arenae,

    • Bt. 12
      • ;
    • Fox 36, 12, 16
      • .
Etymology
[
O. Sax. sígan to sink (of the. sun); to proceed
:
O. Frs. síga
:
O. H. Ger. sígan declinare, ruere
:
Icel. síga to sink down, slide.
]
Similar entries
v. á-, ge-, on-sígan; sígend, and seón.
Linked entries
v.  sígere sígend.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “sígan.” 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/27662.

Checked: 2
Full form

Word-wheel

  • sígan, v.

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