Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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sprecan

  • verb [ strong ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
sprecan, specan; p. spræc, spæc; pl. sprǽcon, spǽcon; pp. sprecen, specen
Wright's OE grammar
§7; §48; §80; §93; §224; §225; §278; §288; §291; §306; §310; §505;
To speak.
to exercise the faculty of speech
Show examples
  • Se dumba spræc,Mt. Kmbl. 9, 33.

  • Dumbe sprǽcon,

      Mk. Skt. 7, 37.

  • Ðú byst suwiende, and ðú sprecan ne miht,

      Lk. Skt. 1, 20.

  • Ænne lícþrowere . . . unsprecende forneán. . . . Rasilius gelǽdde hine forð wel sprecande,

      Homl. Skt. i. 3, 489.

  • Wæs eall weoruld sprecende on án gereord,

      Wulfst. 211, 19.

  • Geseónde dumbe specende (sprecende,

      MS. A.), Mt. Kmbl. 15, 31.
to use words in conversation, discourse, etc.
Show examples

  • Ic ne sprece tó ðǽm, ac ic sprece tó ðé,

      Bt. 38, 5; Fox 206, 12.

  • Ic secge ðis sárspell and ymb síþ spræce,

      Exon. Th. 458, 7; Hy. 4, 96.

  • Hwæþer ic be mé sylfum spece. Se ðe be him sylfum sprycþ,

      Jn. Skt. 7, 17, 18.

  • Nú ðú sprycst openlíce,

      16, 29.

  • Eorl óðerne tǽleþ behindan, spreceþ fægere beforan,

      Frag. Kmbl. 8; Leás. 5.

  • Ðá spræc se ofermóda cyning,

      Cd. Th. 22, 9; Gen. 338.

  • Hió spræc him þicce tó,

      43, 1; Gen. 684.

  • Drihten wið Abrahame spræc,

      139, 2; Gen. 2303.

  • Hig spǽcon (sprǽcon,

      MS. A.) him betwýnan, Lk. Skt. 24, 14.

  • Ðæt ðú ne belge wið mé, gif ic spræce. . . . Nú ic ǽne begann tó sprecanne tó mínum drihtne, ic wylle sprecan git,

      Gen. 18, 30-31.

  • Ic eom ásend wið ðé sprecan,

      Lk. Skt. 1, 19.

  • Ðonne hé spreocan ongan,

      Cd. Th. 269, 25; Sat. 78.
with acc.
where the object of the verb is word
or a similar form
Show examples

  • Ic ðás word spræce,

      Exon. Th. 457, 12; Hy. 4, 82.

  • Ðú ða word spricest,

      12, 2; Cri. 179.

  • Se ðe God sende sprycþ Godes word,

      Jn. Skt. 3, 34.

  • Ðú worn fela ymb Brecan spræce,

      Beo. Th. 1067; B. 531.

  • Him ellenróf andswarode, word æfter spræc,

      688; B. 341.

  • Ðæt gé on eárum sprǽcon,

      Lk. Skt. 12, 3.

  • Hié fela sprǽcon sorhworda somed,

      Cd. Th. 49, 7; Gen. 788.

  • Spǽcon,

      Ps. Th. 57, 3.

  • Gilde ǽlc ðe hit (

    the exculpation on oath

    ) ǽr sprece .cxx. sciłł.,
      L. Ath. i. 13; Th. i. 206, 6.

  • Warna ðæt ðú nán þing elles ne sprece, búton ðæt ic ðé bebeóde,

      Num. 22, 35.

  • Ðis synd ða word ðe ðú scealt sprecan tó folce,

      Ex. 19, 6.

  • Ongan hospword sprecan,

      Andr. Kmbl. 2632; An. 1317.

  • Ðæt ǽrende wæs sprecen,

      3242; An. 1623: Beo. Th. 1290; B. 643.
where the object of the verb is a word denoting the matter expressed in the words spoken
Show examples

  • Ic rǽd sprece

    I give counsel in my words,

      Cd. Th. 115, 2; Gen. 1913.

  • Ðú bysmor spycst

    blasphemas,

      Jn. Skt. 10, 36.

  • Tunga his sprecþ dóm,

      Ps. Spl. 36, 32.

  • Se ðe sóð spriceþ,

      Exon. Th. 3, 9; Cri. 33.

  • Hé beót spriceþ,

      290, 25; Wand. 70.

  • Heó mé wom spreceþ,

      402, 22; Rä. 21, 23.

  • Ða ðe sprecaþ sybbe,

      Ps. Spl. 27, 4.

  • Hié sprecaþ fácen and inwit,

      Cd. Th. 145, 30; Gen. 2413.

  • Fela hé mé láðes spræc,

      39, 9; Gen. 622.

  • Ðam ðe sár sprece sáwle mínre,

      Ps. Th. 108, 20.
where the object is that which is spoken about,
to mention
Show examples

  • On swelcum cræftum swelce wé ǽr sprǽnoc,

      Past. 9; Swt. 59, 12.

  • Of ðsǽm beorgum ðe wé ǽr sprǽcon (sǽdon,

      MS. L.), Ors. 1, 1; 805. 17, 44.

  • Wé gehýrdon hí sprecan Godes mǽrða mid úrum gereordum, Homl. Th. i. 314, 19. III a. with a clause,

    to say

    :-- Hié sprǽcon, ðæt hit betere wǽre,
      Ors. 2, 3; Swt. 68, 8.

  • Ðá gehýrde hé sumne ðara bróþra sprecan, ðæt hé wolde féran, Bd. 3, 2; S. 525, 5. III b. with the words that are spoken :-- Hí sáre sprecaþ: 'Hwá gesyhþ úsic?'

    dixerunt, Quis videbit eos?

      Ps. Th. 63, 4.
with a gen.
Show examples

  • Míne fýnd sprǽcon mé yfeles,

      Ps. Th. 40, 8.
with inst.,
to speak in a language, with words
Show examples

  • Ic sprece mongum reordum,

      Exon. Th. 390, 13; Rä. 9, 1.

  • Beówulf beótwordum spræc,

      Beo. Th. 5014; B. 2510: Exon, Th. 253, 24; Jul. 185.

  • Hé spræc him wordum tó,

      Ps. Th. 98, 7.

  • Hé wordum wið his Waldend spræc,

      Cd. Th. 155, 22; Gen. 2576.

  • Hé tó Noe spræc hálgan reorde,

      89, 19; Gen. 1483.

  • Hí sprǽcon úrum gereordum,

      Homl. Th. i. 314, 18.

  • Tó Geátum spræc mildum wordum, Beo. Th. 2347; B. 1171. VI. with prep. :-- Hé mid heardre ðreá hí on spræc and hí gebétte

    aspera illos invectione corrigebat,

      Bd. 3, 5; S. 527, 11.

  • Wé sind an specende

    dicturi,

      Wrt. Voc. ii. 28, 66.

  • On specende

    inspirans,

      93, 40.

  • On spæcende (swætende,

      Wrt.), 47, 31.

  • Ongeán sprecendes obloquentis, Ps. Spl. 43, 18. ¶

    In technical terms,

    v. sprǽc,
, sprecan æfter, on, ymb
to sue for, make a claim against, lay claim to
Show examples

  • Ðæt orf ðæt ic on spece

    the cattle that I lay claim to,

      L. O. 2; Th. i. 178, 15.

  • Ágnung biþ nér ðam ðe hæfþ ðonne ðam ðe æfter sprecþ,

      L. Eth. ii. 9; Th. i. 290, 21.

  • Ða fíf hída ðe Æðelm Híga ymb spycþ. . . . Ongon Híga him specan on mid óðran onspecendan and wolde him óðflítan ðæt lond

    the five hides about which Æthelm Higa has a suit . . . Higa along with other claimants began to make a claim against him (Helmstan), and wanted to get the land from him by litigation,

      Chart. Th. 169, 17-24.

  • Ðá spræc ic on ða mágas

    then I made a claim against the kinsmen,

      167, 18.

  • Hé spæc on his ágene módor æfter sumon dǽle landes,

      337, 4.

  • Ðá gemǽtæ hé ða swutelunga and ðǽrmid on ðæt land spæc, ongan ðá tó specenne on ðat land,

      302, 12.

  • Hine man tó rihte gelǽde ðám ðe him on sprǽcon (

    those that bring charges against him

    ),
      L. Eth. i. 4; Th. i. 284, 1.

  • Ðone áð ðe se gelýfan mihte ðe on sprece,

      L. Ed. 1; Th. i. 158, 18.

  • Ðæt nán man on his yrfenuman ne spece

    that no man bring an action against his heir,

      L. Eth. iii. 14; Th. i. 298, 10.

  • Ðone áð syllan, ðæt hé mid folcrihte on ðæt land sprece,

      L. O. D. 1; Th. i. 352, 13.
Etymology
[O. Frs. spreka: O. Sax. sprek*-*an: O. H. Ger. sprehhan.]
Similar entries
v. á-, be-, for-, forþ-, ge-, mis-, ofer-sprecan; un-sprecende, for-, fore-sprecen.
Linked entries
v.  specan on-spreca on-swætende on-spreca.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “sprecan.” 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/28567.

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Full form

Word-wheel

  • sprecan, v.

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