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Anglo-Saxon

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æ
þ

wá

  • adverb
  • interjection
Dictionary links
Wright's OE grammar
§133;
Grammar
wá, adv.
Woe, ill
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  • Ða mé grame wǽron and mé wá dydon (cf. Goth. wai-dédja),

    • Ps. Th. 118, 38.
with dat. of person
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  • Ðé byþ ǽfre wá

    it shall be ever ill with thee,

    • Nicod. 26
      • ;
    • Thw. 14, 12: Beo. Th. 369
      • ;
    • B. 183: Exon. Th, 444, 25
      • ;
    • Kl. 52: Blickl. Homl. 61, 2.

  • Him biþ æt heortan wá,

    • Salm. Kmbl. 210
      • ;
    • Sal. 104.

  • Him wæs ǽghwǽr wá,

    • Cd. Th. 285, 24
      • ;
    • Sat. 342.

  • Bið ðam men full wá,

    • 40, 5
      • ;
    • Gen. 634.

  • Hí ne mihton ásecgan, hú wá ðám sáwlum byð,

    • Wulfst. 147, 17.

  • Ðæt him nǽfre ǽr nǽre swá wá swá him ðá wæs,

    • 235, 19.

  • Ne weorðe ðé nǽfre tó ðæs wá, ðæt ðú ne wéne betran andergilde,

    • Prov. Kmbl. 41.
with gen. of the source of ill
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  • Wæs gehwæþeres waa,

    • Met. 1, 25.
with dat. of person, and
gen. of source
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  • Ðæm folce wæs ǽgþres waa, ge ðæt..., ge eác ðæt...,

    • Ors, 3, 7
      • ;
    • Swt. 114, 31.

  • Him wæs gehwæðres wá, ge .. . ge...,

    • Elen. Kmbl. 1253
      • ;
    • El. 628.
with a clause
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  • Him bið wá on his móde, ðæt gé swá ánrǽde beód,

    • Homl. Skt. i. 17, 167.

  • Ðá wæs ðam deófle waa on his móde, ðæt se man sceolde ða myrhðe geearnian,

    • Hexam, 17
      • ;
    • Norm. 24, 22.
interject.
woe, alas; vae,
with dat. of person
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  • Wá (wǽ,

    • Lind. Rush.
    ) ðam menn

    uae homini illi,

    • Mk. Skt. 14, 21.

  • Wá eów ðe hlihaþ,

    • Blickl. Homl. 25, 22.

  • Wá mé forworhtum,

    • Exon. Th. 280, 20
      • ;
    • Jul. 632.

  • Waa ieów welegum,

    • Past. 26
      • ;
    • Swt. 181, 23.
with dat. of person and
gen. of cause of ill
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  • Wá ðæs gestreónes ðam ðe his mǽst hafaþ,

    • Wulfst. 45, 19.

  • Wá heom ðæs wærscipes,

    • 268, 19: Hy. 2, 6
      • ;
    • Exon. Th. 393, 11
      • ;
    • Rä. 12, 8.

  • Wá mé ðære wyrde

    heu mihi

    • Ps. Th. 119, 5.
with preposition
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  • Wá mánfullan (ve impio) for his misdǽdan,

    • Wulfst. 45, 15.

  • Wá (wǽ,

    • Lind.
    ) ðysum middangearde þurh swicdómas

    vae mundo a scandalis,

    • Mt. Kmbl. 18, 7.
well-a-way, well-a-day (
  • Laym.
wa la wa:
  • A. R. O.
    • and
  • N.
wo la wo:
  • Chauc.
wai la wai)
Show examples

  • Wá lá! áhte ic mínra handa geweald,

    • Cd. Th. 23, 32
      • ;
    • Gen. 368.

  • Wá lá ðære yrmðe and wá lá ðære woruldscame,

    • Wulfst. 163, 3.

  • Wá ús lá,

    • Blickl. Homl. 153, 26.

  • Wá lá wá

    eheu,

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 32, 44.

  • Wá lá wá hú ic greów..., wá lá on hú micelre genihtsumnysse ic hwílum wæs,

    • Homl. Skt. ii. 30, 189-193.

  • Wá lá wá ðæt is sárlíc

    heu, pros dolor!

    • Bd. 2, 1
      • ;
    • S. 501, 14.

  • Wá lá wá ðæt ða ungesǽligan menn ne magon gebídon hwonne hé him tó cóme,

    • Bt. 39, 1
      • ;
    • Fox 212, 1
      • .
expressing anger or contempt, ah; vah
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  • Wá lá wá

    euge, euge,

    • Ps. Lamb. 39, 16.

  • Wá ðæt ðes tówyrpð Godes tempel,

    • Mt. Kmbl. 27, 40.

  • Wá lá (wǽ,

    • Lind. Rush.
    ) se tówyrpð ðæt tempel

    va qui destruit templum,

    • Mk. Skt. 15, 29.
Etymology
[
Goth. wai vae
:
O. Sax. O. H. Ger. wé
:
Icel. vei
.]
Similar entries
v. wei; wáwa, weá.
Linked entries
v.  eów waa wǽ.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “wá.” 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/34175.

Checked: 2
Full form

Word-wheel

  • wá, adv.; int.

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