Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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sweltan

  • verb [ strong ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
sweltan, swyltan, swiltan; p. swealt, pl. swulton; pp. swollen
Wright's OE grammar
§7; §80; §225; §263; §266; §499;
To die a natural or a violent death
Show examples

  • Swelte ic ( morior ) hér on lande,

    • Deut. 4, 22.

  • Wǽgdeóra gehwylc swelteþ,

    • Exon. Th. 61, 22
      • ;
    • Cri. 988.

  • Swylteþ,

    • 385, 33
      • ;
    • Rä. 4, 54: 419, 13
      • ;
    • Rä. 38, 5.

  • Ne swylteþ

    non obierit,

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 88, 35
      • .

  • Swylt

    moritur,

    • Jn. Skt. 21, 23.

  • Hé swelt,

    • Blickl. Homl. 245, 11.

  • Gé sweltaþ,

    • 8, 21.

  • Ealle men sweltaþ,

    • Bt. 18, 4
      • ;
    • Fox 68, 13.

  • Hí ne swyltaþ,

    • Blickl. Homl. 47, 1.

  • Hé swealt,

    • Cd. Th. 70, 15
      • ;
    • Gen. 1153.

  • Swealt (sweolt, Thw.),

    • Num. 20, 1.

  • Hí swulton,

    • Homl. Th. i. 84, 6: Cd. Th. 207, 10
      • ;
    • Exod. 464.

  • Ðæt án man swelte for folce,

    • Jn. Skt. 11, 50.

  • Ðæt hyt wǽre betere, ðæt án man swulte,

    • 18, 14.

  • Ðæt hé iwungen wǽre óþþæt hé swylte,

    • Blickl. Homl. 193, 4.

  • Hwí lǽddest ðú ús ðæt wé swulton on ðisum wéstene,

    • Num. 21
      • ;
    • 5.

  • Ic mæg sweltan blíðelíce

    laetus moriar,

    • Gen. 46, 30: Mt. Kmbl. 26, 35: Ex. 10, 28.

  • Sceal fǽge sweltan,

    • Exon. Th. 335, 2
      • ;
    • Gn. Ex. 27.

  • Swyltan,

    • Blickl. Homl. 59, 30.

  • Se man scyle deádlíce swyltan (swiltan, MS. C.),

    • Wulfst. 5, 9.

  • Sweltende

    obeuntem,

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 64, 54.

  • Beón swyltende,

      Blickl. Homl. 75, 33.
to die by or of something, where the cause of death is expressed by a case or by a preposition with a noun
Show examples

  • :-- Ne swelte ic mid sáre,

    • Ps. Th. 117, 17.

  • Ðú þurh deóra gripe deáþe sweltest,

    • Exon. Th. 250, 11
      • ;
    • Jul. 125.

  • Gé sweltaþ deáðe,

    • Cd. Th. 224, 28
      • ;
    • Dan. 143.

  • Draca morðre swealt,

    • Beo. Th. 1789
      • ;
    • B. 892: 5558
      • ;
    • B. 2782
      • .

  • Hé forneáh hungre swealt,

    • Ors. 4, 6
      • ;
    • Swt. 170, 30.

  • Hié hungre swultan,

    • Blickl. Homl. 79, 15.

  • Monige for hiora wundum swultan,

    • Nar. 16, 9,

  • Heora mænige máne swultan,

    • Ps. Th. 77, 30.

  • Tó ðam ðe hé deáðe swelte,

    • L. Alf. 13
      • ;
    • Th. i. 48, 2.

  • Ðú scealt deáðe sweltan

    morte morieris,

    • Gen. 2, 17: L. Alf. 14
      • ;
    • Th. i. 48, 4.

  • Ic sceal æt ðé sweltan deáðe,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 308, 27.

  • Wundum sweltan,

    • Byrht. Th. 140, 25
      • ;
    • By. 293
      • .

  • Hí ondrǽdaþ him ðæt hí sceolan swyltan for ðam húsle,

    • L. Ælf. E.
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 392, 3.
to die to anything, become dead to, have no further concern with
Show examples

  • :-- Ðú scealt sweltan synna and Criste lybban,

    • Homl. Skt. i. 3, 592.
Etymology
[
Laym. O. E. Homl. swelten
:
Orm. swell*-*tenn
:
Chauc. Piers P. swelte
:
Goth. swiltan
:
O. Sax. sweltan
:
Icel. svelta to die; svelta hungri to starve
:
Dan. sulteto starve; sulten hungry.
]
Similar entries
v. á-, for-, ge-sweltan.
Linked entries
v.  a-sweltan.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “sweltan.” 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/29657.

Checked: 2
Full form

Word-wheel

  • sweltan, v.

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