Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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spell

  • noun [ neuter ]
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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. I a. a historical narrative, history :-- 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. I b. a false or foolish story, a fable :-- 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. III a. a saying that is to be repeated to another, a message, an announcement. v. spell-boda, I, god-spell :-- 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
Show examples

  • 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.]
Similar entries
v. bealu-, bí-, eald-, fǽr-, forþ-, god-, gúþ-, hilde-, inwit-, lár-, láþ-, leás-, leóf-, lyge-, morgen-, riht-, sár-, sóþ-, weá-, wil-spell.
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.

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Word-wheel

  • spell, n.

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