Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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swícan

  • verb [ strong ]
  • preposition
Dictionary links
Grammar
swícan, p. swác, pl. swicon; pp. swicen.
Wright's OE grammar
§490;
to move about, wander
Show examples

  • Oðer lifaþ lytle hwíle, swíceþ on ðisse sídan gesceafte, and ðonne eft mid sorgum gewíteþ,

      Salm. Kmbl. 737; Sal. 638.
  • [O. H. Ger. swíhante vagus.]
to move away, depart, escape
Show examples

  • Wiþ ðæt beón æt ne fleón, genim veneriam and gehóh hý tó ðære hýfe; ðonne beóþ hý wunigende and nǽfre ne swícaþ,

      Lchdm. i. 98, 2.

  • Hé for mundgripe mínum scolde licgean lífbysig, bútan his líc swice

    unless his body had escaped (from my grasp ),

      Beo. Th. 1937; B. 966.

  • Eam ic geseald ðǽr ic út swícan ne mæg

    traditus sum et non egrediebar,

      Ps. Th. 87, 8.

  • Hé biþ on ðæt wynstre weorud wyrs gesceáden, ðonne hé on ða swíþran hond swícan móte,

      Exon. Th. 449, 25; Dóm. 76.

  • Sceal ánra gehwylc óðrum swícan, forðam Dryhten wile ðæt earme flǽsc eorðan betǽcan each one must depart from other, for the Lord will commit frail flesh to earth, Runic pm. Kmbl. 343, 14; Rún. 20. II. a. swícan from to turn from, to withdraw favour or allegiance from, to rebel :-- Ða leóde him from swicon

    the people renounced their allegiance to the king of the Elamites

    (cf. recesserunt ab eo,
      Gen. 14, 4), Cd. Th. 119, 18; Gen. 1981.

  • Nóhwæðere ælmihtig ealra wolde Adam and Euan árna ofteón ðeáh ðe hé him from swice although he had withdrawn his favour from them (perhaps hé = hié and swice is plural

    though they had turned from him,

      58, 31; Gen. 954.
to desist from (dat. or prep.),
cease from
Show examples

  • Gif hé ðære hnappunge ne swícþ, ðonne hnappaþ hé óð hé wierð on fæstum slǽpe,

      Past. 28; Swt. 195, 11.

  • Hé from gebede swíceþ,

      Exon. Th. 264, 33; Jul. 373.

  • Á byþ on færylde, nǽfre swíceþ, Runic pm. Kmbl. 342,

      26; Run. 17.
to deceive
Show examples

  • Se ðe sweraþ néhstan his and ná swícþ (

    decipit

    ),
      Ps. Spl. 14, 6.

  • Se swíceþ ða mengo

    seducit turbas,

      Jn. Skt. Rush. 7, 12.

  • Ne nim ðú náne sibbe wið ðæs landes menn, ðe læs ðe hira ǽnig ðé swíce,

      Ex. 34, 15.
to fail in one's duty to another, be a traitor to,
desert
Show examples

  • Hwider hweorfaþ wé (St. Andrew's followers) hláfordleáse . . . gif wé swícaþ ðé

    if we desert thee,

      Andr. Kmbl. 814; An. 407.

  • Nǽfre hit (the sword) æt hilde ne swác manna ǽnigum

    it never failed any man in fight,

      Beo. Th. 2925; B. 1460.

  • Ðæt ðú Gode swíce

    that thou prove traitor to God,

      Andr. Kmbl. 1916; An. 960.

  • Hé nele Gode swícan,

      Exon. Th. 265, 27; Jul. 387.

  • Ða ríceste Frencisce men wolden swícan heora hláforde ðam cynge,

      Chr. 1087; Erl. 224, 3.

  • Drihten mé swícan ne wile

    the Lord will not desert me,

      Ps. Th. 53, 4.
Etymology
[His men him suyken (deserted) and flugæn, Chr. 1140; Erl. 264, 14. Heo sworen swiken (deceive) þat heo nolden, Laym. 4101. Ðe hunte him (the elephant) wille swiken (deceive), O. E. Misc. 20, 637. Þas ilke nefre ne swiken (ceased) to brekene þa licome, O. E. Homl. i. 43, 9. Bute ȝef þu swike ham (cease from such words), Marh. 5, 4. Hwanne ich swike (cease), O. and N. 1459. Hy ne zuykeþ (cease) neure niȝt ne day, Ayenb. 157, 21. O. Sax. swíkan: O. Frs. swíka: O. H. Ger. swíchan: Icel. svíkja: Dan. svige to deceive, leave in the lurch: Swed. swika.]
Similar entries
v. á-, be-, ge-swícan; swician.
Linked entries
v.  be-swicenness.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “swícan.” 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/29762.

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Full form

Word-wheel

  • swícan, v.; prep.

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