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Anglo-Saxon

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tácn

  • noun [ neuter ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
tácn, ,es; n.
Wright's OE grammar
§133; §219; §285; §298; §348;
A token, sign
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  • Tácne

    dicimenta,

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 106, 53: 25, 57.

  • Tácn

    indicia,

    • 44, 68.
a sign, significant form
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  • Heofoncyninges tácen

    the cross,

    • Elen. Kmbl. 341;
    • El. 171.

  • Torht tácen Godes

    the sun,

    • Exon. Th. 204, 11;
    • Ph. 96.

  • Bútan Godes tácne ( the cross ),

    • 271, 32;
    • Jul. 491.

  • Þurh tácen ðære hálgan róde,

    • Homl. Th. i. 62, 12.

  • Tácna torhtost,

    • Elen. Kmbl. 327;
    • El. 164.
an ensign
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  • (lit. or fig.);

    Similar entries
    v. cf. tácn-berend, -bora
    :-- Tácon

    vexillum,

    • Rtl. 94, 7.

  • Ic slóh gréne tácne ( Moses' rod; Grein suggests ) gársecges deóp,

    • Cd. Th. 195, 23;
    • Exod. 281.

  • Swá swá sigefæst tácon

    veluti victricia signa,

    • Bd. 1, 8;
    • S. 479, 24.

  • Eal werod gehwyrfedum tácnum (versis signis) fóron,

    • Gl. Prud. 45 a.
    Hí ásetton tácna heora posuerunt signa sua,

    • Ps. Spl. 73, 6.
a token, a credential
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  • :-- Ne hé onfongen si bútan biscopes tácne oþþe gewrite

    ne absque commendatitiis litteris sui praesulis suscipiatur,

    • Bd. 4, 5;
    • S. 572, 43.

  • Ne ðú mé óðiéwest ǽnig tácen ðe hé mé tó onsende,

    • Cd. Th. 14, 20;
    • Gen. 540.
    Ic.
    a sign, monument
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    • :-- Hé hét brycge gewyrcan his sige tó tácne ðe he on ðæm síþe þurhteón þohte,

      • Ors. 2, 5;
      • Swt. 84, 4.
    Id.
    a sign of the Zodiac
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    • :-- Ðonne ðære sunnan ryne beó on ðam tácne ðe man virgo nemneþ,

      • Lchdm. i. 164, 12.

    • Ða twelf tunglena tácna,

      • iii. 242, 4.
    a sign, distinguishing mark (lit. or fig.)
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    • Tácon

      titulus,

      • Mt. Kmbl. p. 4, 3.

    • Swylc wæs ðæs folces tácen (

      a practice which distinguished them, a distinct feature of their manners

      ),
      • Andr. Kmbl. 58;
      • An. 29.

    • Hé onféng torhtum tácne (

      circumcision

      ),
      • Cd. Th. 143, 6;
      • Gen. 2375.

    • God him sealde tácen ( posuit Dominus Cain signum ), ðæt nán ðæra ðe hine gemétte hine ne ofslóge,

      • Gen. 4, 15.
    a sign to attract attention, a signal
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    • Ðonne ætýwþ mannes suna tácn on heofonan,

      • Mt. Kmbl. 24, 30.

    • Cómon þrý men tó ðære hýðe and ðær tácn slógon (

      gave a signal by striking

      ),
      • Guthl. 11;
      • Gdwin. 54, 24.

    • Tácen,

      • 12;
      • Gdwin. 58, 23.
    a sign of anything future, a prognostic
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    • :-- Ealle ða tácno and ða forebeácno ða ðe úre Drihten ǽr tóweard sægde, ðæt ǽr dómes dæge geweorþan sceoldan,

      • Blickl. Homl. 117, 30.
    a sign, an action that conveys a meaning
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    • :-- Ðis sindon ða tácna ðe mon on mynstre healdan sceal, ðǽr mon swígan haldan wile ... Ðæs abbudes tácen is ðæt mon his twégen fingras tó his heáfde ásette and his feax mid genime,

      • Techm. ii. 118, 1-5,
      and often. Treófugla tuddor tácnum cýðdon eádges eftcyme,

      • Exon. Th. 146, 10;
      • Gú. 707.
    a sign, indication, mark which shews condition or state
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    • Nán tácen ðære ǽrran tócwýsednesse næs gesewen,

      • Homl. Th. i. 62, 16.

    • Nǽfre wommes tácn eáwed weorþeþ,

      • Exon. Th. 4, 18;
      • Cri. 54.

    • Ongietan be sumum tácnum on his hiéremonna móde eal ðæt ðǽr gehýddes lutige,

      • Past. 21;
      • Swt. 153, 14.

    • Witan ðæra tída tácnu,

      • Mt. Kmbl. 16, 3.
    as a medical term, a symptom
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    • :-- Tácna ðære ádle,

      • Lchdm. ii. 20, 26.

    • Be tácnum on roppe,

      • 230, 16.

    • Gif sié ða ceácan áswollen and sió þrotu and ðú ða tácn geseó,

      • 46, 22.
    a sign, symbol, emblem
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    • Hwæt wille wé cweþan be ðam andweardan welan, ðe oft cymþ tó ðǽm gódum, hwæt hé elles sié bútan tácn ðæs tóweardan welan,

      • Bt. 39, 11;
      • Fox 230, 12.

    • Healdaþ mínne restedæg, hé ys tácn betwux mé and eów,

      • Ex. 31, 13.

    • Fugles tácen

      the symbolical character of the phenix,

      • Exon. Th. 232, 22;
      • Ph. 510.

    • Ðæt wé ðý geornor ongietan meahten tírfæst tácen, ðæt se fugel þurh bryne beácnaþ,

      • 236, 14;
      • Ph. 574.
    a sign which shews the truth or reality of anything, proof, demonstration, evidence
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    • Ðæt biþ tácn wísdómes, ðæt hine mon wilnige gehéran and ongitan,

      • Bt. 38, 2;
      • Fox 198, 22.

    • Ðæt is swíþe sweotol tácn ðam wísan, ðæt hé ne sceal lufian tó ungemetlíce ðás woruldgesǽlþa, forðæm hí oft cumaþ tó ðǽm wyrstum monnum,

      • 39, 11;
      • Fox 230, 8.

    • Him ðæt ( the writing on the wall ) tácen wearð, ðæt hé ligeword gecwæð,

      • Cd. Th. 260, 31;
      • Dan. 718.

    • Ðæt wæs tácen sweotol,

      • Beo. Th. 1671;
      • B. 833.

    • Hwæt dést ðú tó tácne, ðæt wé gelýfon,

      • Jn. Skt. 6, 30.

    • On ða ylcan tiid ðe hé ( David) genam his (Saul's ) spere on his getelde on niht, tó tácne ðæt hé inne mid him slǽpendum wæs,

      • Ps. Th. 35, arg.: Bd. 1, 1;
      • S. 474, 36: 2, 6;
      • S. 508, 42;
      • 4, 28;
      • S. 606, 41: Blickl. Homl. 7, 15.

    • Wé ðé ðás sǽlíc brohton tíres tó tácne,

      • Beo. Th. 3312;
      • B. 1654.

    • Ic ðæs tácen wege sweotol on mé selfum;

      • Cd. Th. 54, 31;
      • Gen. 885.

    • Sancte Iohannes mycelnesse se Hǽlend tácn sægde,

      the Saviour shewed by his words the greatness of St. John,

      • Blickl. Homl. 167, 18.

    • Ðǽr biþ on eádgum édgesýne þreó tácen somod, ðæs ðe hí hyra þeódnes wel willan heóldon,

      • Exon. Th. 76, 7;
      • Cri. 1236.

    • Ic wéne ðæt ic ðé hæfde ǽr gereht be manegum tácnum, ðætte monna sáwla sint undeáþlíce

      tu idem es, cui persuasum atque insitum permultis demonstrationibus scio, menteis hominum nullo modo ease mortaleis,

      • Bt. 11, 2;
      • Fox 34, 33: Elen. Kmbl. 1704;
      • El. 854.
    a supernatural sign, miracle, prodigy
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    • Ðis ( the turning of water into wine ) is ðæt forme tácn ðe hé on his menniscnysse openlíce geworhte,

      • Homl. Th. i. 58, 14.

    • Ðisse fǽmnan monige weorc gástlícra mægna and monig tácon heofonlícra wundra gewuniaþ gesǽde beón

      hujus virginis multa solent opera virtutum et signa miraculorum narrari,

      • Bd. 3, 8;
      • S. 531, 28.

    • Hé ( Christ ) sóðra swá feala tácna gecýðde, ðǽr hié tó ségon,

      • Andr. Kmbl. 1421;
      • An. 711.

    • Ic ( St. Michael ) gecýþe on eallum ðǽm tácnum ðe ðǽr gelimpeþ, ðæt ic eom ðære stówe hyrde,

      • Blickl. Homl. 201, 8.

    • On eallum tácnum and forebeácnum ðeGod sende þurh hine,

      • Deut. 34, 11.

    • Gif ǽnig wítega secge tácnu and forebeácnu,

      • 13, 1.

    • Tácna,

      • Homl. Th. i. 44, 24.

    • Noldan hí ða torhtan tácen oncnáwan ðe him beforan fremede freóbearn Godes,

      • Exon. Th. 40, 22;
      • Cri. 642.

    • Gesiáþ werc Dryhtnes ða set[t]e tácen ofer eórðan

      videte opera Domini quae posuit prodigia super terram,

      • Ps. Surt. 45, 9.
    VII a.
    a signal event, remarkable circumstance

    :-- Andsware cýðan tácna gehwylces ðe ic him tó séce

    to give me an answer in reference to every remarkable circumstance about which I enquire of them

    (cf. mé þinga gehwylc gecýðan, ðe ic him tó séce,
    • 817; El. 409
      • ),
    • Elen. Kmbl. 637;
    • El. 319.

  • Wé on gemynd witon álra tácna gehwylc swá Tróiána þurh gefeoht fremedon,

    • 1286;
    • El. 645.
Etymology
[
Goth. taikns;
f.: O. Sax. tékan;
n.: O. Frs. téken:
O. H. Ger. zeihhan
signum, signaculum, nota, titulus, miraculum: Icel. teikn, tákn a token, sign, wonder.]
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “tácn.” 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/30108.

Checked: 1
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  • tácn, n.

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