Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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swefen

  • noun [ neuter ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
swefen, swefn, es; n.
sleep: — Hit wæs deáðes swefn . . . menniscra morð. Cd. Th. 45, 1 ; Gen. 720. Hí slépon swæfnum dormierunt somnum,
    Ps. Spl. 75, 5.
Gif ic selle swefnu ł slǽp eágum mínum
si dedero somnum oculis meis,
    Ps. Lamb. 131, 4.
a dream
Show examples

  • Hé rehte him his swefen (

    somnium

    ) and bæd, ðæt hig him sǽdon, hwæt ðæt swefen beheóld,
      Gen. 41, 8.

  • Him wearð on slǽpe swefen ætýwed,

      Cd. Th. 247, 13 ; Dan. 496.

  • Swefn,

      257, 7; Dan. 654.

  • Hé ne wisse word swefnes sínes,

      223, 27 ; Dan. 126.

  • Com on sefan hwurfan swefnes wóma,

      222, 25 ; Dan. 110 : Elen. Kmbl. 142 ; El. 71.

  • Óðer swefen hine mǽtte and hé rehte ðæt his bróðrum: ' Ic geseah on swefne (

    per somnium

    ),'
      Gen. 37, 9.

  • For ðære gesihðe ðe hé on ðæm swefne geseah,

      Past. 16;Swt. 101, 18.

  • Ðá stód him sum mon æt ðurh swefen (

    per somnium

    ) . . . Ðá hét heó secgan ðæt swefen.
      Bd. 4, 24; S. 597, 11-31.

  • Swefn,

      Cd. Th. 159, 16; Gen. 2635.

  • Tó ásecganne swefen,

      224, 1; Dan. 129.

  • Swefnu gefremminge habbaþ

    dreams will have accomplishment,

      Lchdm. iii. 186, 12.

  • Swefenu,

      196, 11.

  • Swefna ýdele sint,

      188, 21.

  • Swefne (swæfna) gewisse synt,

      186, 19, 27.

  • Feor áweg gewítan swefna and nihta gedwymeru

    procul recedant somnia et noctium fantasmata,

      Hymn. Surt. 11, 29.
  • Ic swefna cyst secgan wylle, Rood Kmbl. 1; Kr. 1.

  • Hí áféngon andsware on swefnum,

      Mt. Kmbl. 2, 12.
  • On swefnum (soefnum. Lind.) gemynegod, 22: Homl. Th. i. 88, 15.

  • Heó ádrǽfe swefnu

    pellat sompnia,

      Hymn. Surt. 37, 6.
Etymology
[Now God my swevene rede aright, Chauc. Nonne Pr. T. 76. Thanne gan I to meten a merueilouse sweuene, Piers P. prol. 11. Swevene or dreme sompnium, sweuene or slepe sompnus, Prompt. Parv. 483. O. Sax. sweban a dream: Icel. svefn, söfn sleep: a dream: Dan. søvn sleep: Swed. sömn sleep.]
Similar entries
v. un-swefen.
Linked entries
v.  swefn.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “swefen.” 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/29601.

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  • swefen, n.

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