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Anglo-Saxon

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wæl

  • noun [ neuter ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
wæl, es; n.
Wright's OE grammar
§345;
in a collective sense,
the slain, the dead, a number of slain,
generally of death in battle
Show examples

  • Wæl feól on eorðan,

      Byrht. Th. 135, 31; By. 126: 140, 45; By. 303.

  • Ðæs wæles wæs geteald six hund manna mid ðám fýrenum flánum ofsceotene

    of those who died they counted six hundred shot with the fiery arrows,

      Homl. Th. i. 506, 6.
  • Ðá hé his bróðor siege ofáxode, ðá férde hé tó ðam wæle his líc sécende, ii. 358, 6.

  • Ðá gelæhton his gebróðra his líc of ðam wæle,

      Homl. Skt. ii. 25, 673.

  • Ðá sóhte hé on ðam wæle his líc,

      Bd. 4, 22; S. 591, 17.

  • Hé on wæle lǽge,

      Byrht. Th. 139, 65; By. 279: 140, 39; By. 300.

  • Hit næs ná gesǽd hwæt Pirruses folces gefeallen wǽre, for ðon hit næs þeáw ðæt mon ǽnig wæl on ða healfe rímde ðe wieldre wæs (

    mos est, ex ea parte quae vicerit occisorum non commemorare numerum

    ),
      Ors. 4, 1; Swt. 156, 21.

  • Ǽr hé ðæt wæl bereáfian mehte,

      3, 9; Swt. 128, 9: Beo. Th. 2429; B. 1212: 6047; B. 3027.

  • On wæl feallan

    to die in battle,

      Cd. Th. 123, 2; Gen. 2038.

  • On wæll fyllan to kill in battle, Bd. 1, 12; S. 481, 24. ¶ as object of verbs of slaying :-- Ðǽr wæs micel wæl geslægen on gehwæþre hond

    many were killed on both sides,

      Chr. 871; Erl. 74, 11: 833; Erl. 64, 20.

  • Ne wearð wæl máre folces gefylled,

      937; Erl. 115, 14.

  • Ðǽr was ungemetlíc wæl geslægen Norþanhymbra, sume binnan, sume bútan,

      867; Erl. 72, 15: Ors. 2, 5; Swt. 80, 26.

  • Hí him mycel wæl on geslógan

    magnam eorum multitudinem sternens,

      Bd. 1, 12; S. 481, 30,
    Hié ðǽr ðæt mǽste wæl geslógon on hǽþnum herige ðe wé secgan hiérdon óþ ðisne andweardan dæg, Chr. 851; Erl. 68, 4.

  • Hé menigfeald wæl felde and slóh,

      Guthl. 2; Gdwin. 14, 7.
in other connections
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  • Ðá geát mon ðæt átter út on ðone sǽ, and raþe ðæs ðǽr com upp micel wæl deádra fisca,

      Ors. 6, 3; Swt. 258, 17.
a single corpse, a slain person
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  • Hé mé habban wile dreóre fáhne, gif mec deáð nimeþ, byreþ blódig wæl,

      Beo. Th. 900; B. 448.

  • Ðonne walu feóllon,

      2089; B. 1042.

  • Crungon walo,

      Exon. Th. 477, 17; Ruin. 26.
in an abstract sense,
of destruction in war,
slaughter, carnage
Show examples

  • Wæl on gefeohte

    strages,

      Ælfc. Gr. 9, 27; Zup. 53, 5.

  • Mycel wæl (wælfill,

      MS. A.)
    gewearð on Brytene æt Wódnesbeorge, Chr. 592; Erl. 19, 34.

  • Hé hí on gelícnysse ðæs tráiscan wæles (

    caedis

    ) wundade,
      Bd. 3, 1; S. 523, 30.

  • Mid grimme wæle and herige

    saeva caede,

      4, 15; S. 583, 26.

  • Of wæle

    strage, occisione,

      Hpt. Gl. 427, 60.
in other connections,
destruction
Show examples

  • Com mycel wæl and monncwyld godcundlíce gesended

    supervenit clades divinitus missa,

      Bd. 4, 3; S. 567, 10.

  • Hé hí fram ðam mánfullan wæle (

    clade;

    destruction by famine) generede,
      4, 14; S. 582, 27.

  • Wæle

    strage; occisione

    (destruction of the soul by sin. v. Ald. 7),
      Hpt. Gl. 415, 22.
Etymology
[Þat wæl (heap, 2nd MS.) wes þe more, Laym. 4111. He lette al þæt wel weorpen an ane dich, 6427. Ic heo wulle biwinnen oðer an wæle liggen, 9497. O. Sax. wal (in wal-dád): O. H. Ger. wal strages, clades: Icel. valr the slain.]
Similar entries
v. ecg-, ungemet-wæl.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “wæl.” 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/34294.

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Full form

Word-wheel

  • wæl, n.

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