Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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spell

  • noun [ neuter ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
spell, es; n.
a story, narrative, account, relation
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  • Ðæt is mǽre spell

    (the story of Lot's wife),
    • Cd. Th. 155, 2
      • ;
    • Gen. 2566
      • .

  • Spelli

    relatu,

    • Txts. 93, 1720
      • .

  • Ðá rehton hí him sum hálig spel

    exponebant illi quendam sacrae historiae sermonem,

    • Bd. 4, 24
      • ;
    • S. 597, 34
      • .

  • Se man sǽde fram helle síðfæte swylc sár spell (sárspell ?) swylce nǽfre ǽr on men ne becom ne naht oft siððan

    the man told such a dismal story of the journey to hell as never before had come to men, and not often since,

    • Shrn. 49, 10
      • :
    • Cd. Th. 66, 31
      • ;
    • Gen. 1092
      • .

  • Spel wrecan

    to tell the story (of Beowulf's exploit),

    • Beo. Th. 1751
      • ;
    • B. 873
      • .

  • Hwílum gyd áwræc, hwílum spell rehte,

    • 4225
      • ;
    • B. 2109
      • .

  • Lyt swigode níwra spella ac hé sóðlíce sægde

    little of the story of what had just happened did he leave unsaid, but told truly,

    • 5788
      • ;
    • B. 2898
      • :
    • 6050
      • ;
    • B. 3029
      • .

  • Fela spella him sǽdon ða Beormas of hiera ágnum lande,

    • Ors. 1, 1
      • ;
    • Swt. 17, 31
      • .

  • Ðás níwan spel ic ðé ealle in cartan áwríte

    has nouas explicaturas historias omnia cartis commendabo,

    • Nar. 3, 17
      • .

  • Ic mæg singan and secgan spell in meoduhealle, hú mé cynegóde cystum dohten,

    • Exon. Th. 321, 31
      • ;
    • Víd. 54
      • .
a historical narrative, history
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  • Ic sette be háligra spelle (de historiis sanctorum) áne boc ... Ðara abbuda stǽr and spell ðysses mynstres on twám bocum ic áwrát

    historiam abbatum monasterii hujus in libellis duobus descripsi,

    • Bd. 5, 24
      • ;
    • S. 648, 20, 28
      • .

  • Ic ðé sende ðæt spell ðæt ic áwrát be Angelðeóde and Seaxum

    historiam gentis Anglorum quam edideram tibi transmisi,

    • Bd. pref.
      • ;
    • S. 471, 9
      • .

  • Ic cýþe hwanan mé ðás spell (the narratives contained in the history) cóman,

    • S. 471, 20
      • .

  • Hé spell martyra ðrowunge gesomnade

    historias passionis martyrum congregans,

    • 5, 20
      • ;
    • S. 641, 43
      • .

  • Ic longe spell hæbbe tó secgenne

    uber dicendi materia est,

    • Ors. 2, 8
      • ;
    • Swt. 94, 16
      • .
a false or foolish story, a fable
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  • Ealdra cwéna spell

    anilis fabula,

    • Wrt. Voc. i. 55, 24
      • .

  • Spel vel unnyt sprǽc

    fabula, i. bella,

    • ii. 146, 64
      • .

  • Mé mánwyrhtan manige on spellum sægdon

    narraverunt mihi iniqui fabulationes,

    • Ps. Th. 118, 85
      • .

  • Ðú gehérdest reccan on ealdum leásum spellum, ðætte Iob sceolde beón se héhsta god,

    • Bt. 35, 4
      • ;
    • Fox 162, 5
      • :
    • Met. 26, 2
      • .

  • Ðá ongunnon leáse men wyrcan spell, and sǽdon ðæt hió sceolde mid hire drýcræft men forbrédan,

    • Bt. 38, 1
      • ;
    • Fox 194, 30
      • .
an instructive talk, discourse, a philosophical argument, as a theological term a sermon, homily (v. spell-bóc)
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  • Sunnandæges spell ... Se diácon sǽde fram ðysum fýre emne swá wé rǽdaþ on Sunnandæges spelle,

    • Wulfst. 205, 4 - 206, 1
      • .

  • Ðæt nis tó spelle ac elles tó rǽdenne

    it is not to be taken as a sermon, but to be read otherwise,

    • Lchdm. iii. 232, 6
      • .

  • Se wísdóm écte ðǽt spell mid leoþe

    wisdom, added verse to his argument,

    • Bt. 12
      • ;
    • Fox 36, 7
      • .

  • Secgan spell

    to discourse,

    • 13
      • ;
    • Fox 36, 31
      • .

  • Gehér nú án spell be ðám ofermódum cyningum,

    • 37, 1
      • ;
    • Fox 186, 1
      • :
    • Met. 25, 1
      • .

  • Ongan Waldend wið Abraham sprecan sægde him unlytel spell

    held with him long discourse,

    • Cd. Th. 145, 14
      • ;
    • Gen. 2405
      • .

  • Spella and lára rǽd-hycgende,

    • Exon. Th. 301, 27
      • ;
    • Fä. 25
      • .

  • Ða twá béc on hundeahtatigum spellum

    (homilies),

    • Ælfc. Gr. pref.
      • ;
    • Zup. 2, 15
      • .

  • Bæd ðæt [hé] him on spellum gecýðde, onwrige worda gongum, hú . . . ,

    • Exon. Th. 171, 28
      • ;
    • Gú. 1133
      • :
    • Cd. Th. 33, 7
      • ;
    • Gen. 516
      • .

  • Gif ðú gesihst gimmas deórwyrða findan, spellu

    (parabolas)

    getácnaþ,

    • Lchdm. iii. 214, 1
      • .
a saying, remark, sentence, statement of a single point, dictum, cf. the later spell
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  • Hit is swíþe ryht spell ðæt Plato sǽde (the saying is then given). Ðá cwæþ ic: 'Ic com geþafa ðæt ðæt was sóð spell, ðæt Plato sǽde,

    • Bt. 35, 1, 2
      • ;
    • Fox 156, 8-14
      • :
    • 38, 3
      • ;
    • Fox 202, 19
      • .

  • Ic ðé mæg eáþe geand-wyrdan ðæs spelles

    I can easily give you an answer on the point you have mentioned,

    • 41, 2
      • ;
    • Fox 244, 24
      • .
a saying that is to be repeated to another, a message, an announcement.
Similar entries
v. spell-boda I, god-spell
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  • Brimmanna boda ábeód eft ongeán, sege ðínum leódum miccle láþre spell

    give them a much less pleasant message

    • Byrht. Th. 133, 15
      • ;
    • By. 50
      • .

  • Drihten dóm forgeaf ðám ðe his spel beraþ

    the Lord gave glory to those that bear his messages,

    • Cd. Th. 246, 15
      • ;
    • Dan. 479
      • .
speech, language of prose
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  • Ðá hé ðás bóc of Lǽdenum tó Engliscum spelle hæfde gewende, ðá geworhte hé hí eft tó leóþe,

    • Bt. pref.
      • ;
    • Fox viii, 9
      • .
Etymology
[
Goth. spill a fable, tale
:
O. Sax. spell
:
O. L. Ger. spell fabulatio, parabola
:
O. H. Ger. spell sermo, narratio, parabola, fabula, mythus
:
Icel. spjall a saying.
]
Linked entries
v.  spel.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “spell.” 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/28445.

Checked: 2
Full form

Word-wheel

  • spell, n.

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