Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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spówan

  • verb [ strong ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
spówan, p. speów
Wright's OE grammar
§519;
To succeed.
used personally with instrumental of that in which the person succeeds,
to be successful
Show examples

  • Hú mæg hé ǽnige gewinne wið mé spówan

    how can he succeed in any struggle with me?

      Nar. 16, 20.

  • Ne mót ic ǽnige rihte spówan,

      Elen. Kmbl. 1830; El. 917: Andr. Kmbl. 3087; An. 1546: Cd. Th. 127, 23; Gen. 2115: Exon. 35, 27; Cri. 564.

  • Spówende spéd,

      117, 16; Gú. 225: 139, 14: Gú. 593: Cd. Th. 246, 14; Dan. 479.
used impersonally,
it succeeds with a person (dat.)
absolute
Show examples

  • Him spéwþ ðe bet,

      Btwk. 222, 9.

  • Ðá hié ongeáton, ðæt him ne speów,

      L. Alf. 49; Th. i. 56, 8.

  • Him wiht ne speów,

      Judth. Thw. 25, 23; Jud. 274: Beo. Th. 5701; B. 2854.

  • Gesæh Pilatus ðæt him náuwiht speóu (spéua, Lind.)

    videns Pilatus quia nihil proficeret

    ,
      Mt. Kmbl. Rush. 27, 24.
  • Him speów hwónlíce. Homl. Skt. i. 7, 94.

  • Hú swýþe him speówe

    quantum profecerit

    ,
      Bd. 2, 4; S. 505, 27.
with gen. of that in which a person succeeds
Show examples

  • Ðá ðá him ðæs (

    the attempt to raise the dead

    ) ne speów,
      Homl. Th. ii. 474, 11.

  • Ðé speów ðæs ðú wið freónd oððe feónd fremman ongunne,

      Cd. Th. 170, 9; Gen. 2810.
the object of success governed by a preposition
Show examples

  • Ða ðe on eorðlícum weorcum hwónlíce speówþ,

      Homl. Th. i. 526, 16.

  • Hú him speów ǽgðer ge mid wíge ge mid wísdóme,

      Past. pref.; Swt. 3, 8.

  • Hú him æt ǽte speów,

      Beo. Th. 6045; B. 3026.
Etymology
[O. H. Ger. spuon, spuoan (wk.).]
Similar entries
v. ge-, mis-spówan.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “spówan.” 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/28542.

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Word-wheel

  • spówan, v.

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