Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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un-fǽle

  • adjective
Dictionary links
Grammar
un-fǽle, adj.
Evil, ill, bad
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  • Unfǽle (printed -sǽle), gemáh

    improbus,

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 45, 16.
applied to living objects
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  • Hí wéndon ðæt hit unfǽle gást (phantasma) wǽre,

    • Mk. Skt. 6, 49.

    Satiri vel fauni vel selini vel fauni ficarii

    unfǽle men, wudewásan, unfǽle wihtu,

    • Wrt. Voc, i. 17, 20.

  • Unfǽle men

    satyri vel fauni,

    wudewásan

    ficarii vel invii,

    • 60, 23-4.
[Gif þe unfele man his wille folgeð, and teð him to unwrenches,
  • O. E. Homl. ii. 79, 27.
Þe laþe gast cwelleþþ hemm þurrh his unnfæle þeowwess,
  • Orm. 8034.
Iðisse wildernesse beoð monie vuele bestes (unfeale bestes monie,
  • MS. T.
    • ),
  • A. R. 198, 2.
Ȝef heo is atbroide þenne heo is unfele and forbrode,
  • O. and N. 1381.
]
applied to inanimate objects
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  • Ofet unfǽle (

    the forbidden fruit

    ),
    • Cd. Th. 45, 7
      • ;
    • Gen. 723.

  • Unfǽle dira (the passage is:

    dira vinculorum ligamina,

    • Ald. 44
      • ),
    • Anglia xiii. 34, 178.
Etymology
[Þat water is unfæle,
  • Laym. 22018.
Þat land is grislich and unfele, þe men beoþ wilde and unisele,
  • O. and N. 1003.
Þe stude (hell) is swiþe unvele (rimes with hele = heal),
  • Misc. 73, 45. Cf.
A seolcuð mere ... mid uniuele þingen,
  • Laym. 21744.
]
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “un-fǽle.” 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/32914.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • un-fǽle, adj.

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