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wær

  • adjective
Dictionary links
Grammar
wær, adj.
Wright's OE grammar
§425;
ware, aware, having knowledge of something which is to be guarded against
Show examples

  • Ðá wurdon ða landleóde his (a band of Danes) ware and him wiþ gefuhton,

    • Chr. 917
      • ;
    • Erl. 102, 17.

  • Hé eode nihtes, ðæt hé his lífe geburge, ac ða hǽðenan wurdon wære his fare,

    • Homl. Skt. i. 22, 230.
ware, prepared for, on guard against something that might be hurtful,
absolute
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  • Beó gé wære

    uos estote parati,

    • Lk. Skt. 12, 40.

  • Ús is mycel þearf, ðæt wé geornlíce wacian and wære beón,

    • Btwk. 220, 27.

  • Se Hǽlend ús warnode, for ðam ðe hé wyle, ðæt wé ware beón,

    • Homl. Ass. 55, 113.

  • Man sceal wacigean and warnian symle, ðæt man geara weorðe . . . Leófan men, utan beón ðe wærran,

    • Wulfst. 90, 10.
with gen.
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  • Ús is micel þearf, ðæt wé wære beón ðæs egeslícan tíman, ðe nú tówærd is,

    • Wulfst. 191, 25.
with preposition
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  • Wes ðú giedda wís, wær wið willan,

    • Exon. Th. 302, 26
      • ;
    • Fä. 42.

  • Sóna wyrð deófol inne; is micel þearf ðæt manna gehwylc wið swylc wær sý,

    • Wulfst. 280, 11.

  • Ðæt wé geornlíce wacian and á wære beón wið deófles costnunga,

    • Btwk. 220, 35.

  • Woruldmenn wǽron wære wið heora fýnd,

    • Homl. Skt. i. 13, 150.

  • Wosas gé wære fram monnum

    cavete ab hominibus,

    • Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 10, 17.
ware, careful to avoid something, on guard against doing something,
with gen.
Show examples

  • Wénde ic ðæt ðú ðý wærra weorþan sceolde swylces gemótes,

    • Exon. Th. 267, 34
      • ;
    • Jul. 425.
with preposition
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  • Beó wær æt ðam, ðæt ðú nǽfre mínne sunu þyder ne lǽde

    cave, ne quando reducas filium meum illuc,

    • Gen. 24, 6.
with a clause
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  • Mín bearn, beó ðé wærr ðæt ðú ne drince of ðam wíne,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 170, 17.

  • Wærne ðé beón, ðæt ðú náht unrihtes ne dó getácnaþ,

    • Lchdm. iii. 214, 25.
ware, observant of, attentive to a warning
Show examples

  • Ðæt hí wære beón ðæs cwydes,

    • Wulfst. 7, 6: L. I. P. 19
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 330, 2.
wary, cautious, sagacious, prudent, cunning
Show examples

  • Wær

    cautus, i. sagax, prudens, acutus,

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 130, 5.

  • Wær geápnis

    argumentum,

    • 125, 1.

  • Hé bið scarp and biter and swíðe wær on his wordum,

    • Lchdm. iii. 162, 13.

  • Hé wær (printed þær) weorðe worda and dǽda,

    • Exon. Th. 96, 32
      • ;
    • Cri. 1583.

  • Deófol gedéð, ðæt unsǽlig man wísdómes ne gýmeþ, and gyt gedéð, ðæt hé talaþ hine sylfne wærne and wísne,

    • Wulfst. 52, 29.

  • Beó gé swá ware suá suá nædran

    estote prudentes sicut serpentes,

    • Past. 35
      • ;
    • Swt. 237, 20.

  • Hig sint wære and cunnon þénunga, and hig cennaþ ǽr ðam ðe wyt cumon tó him

    ipsae obstetricandi habent scientiam, et priusquam veniamus ad eas pariunt,

    • Ex. i. 19.

  • Se wísdóm gedéþ his lufiendas wíse and wære,

    • Bt. 27, 2
      • ;
    • Fox 98, 1.

  • Werra bið

    astutior fiet,

    • Kent. Gl. 509.

  • Gielpaþ hié suelce hí sién micle wærran and wísran ðonne hié

    quasi praestantius ceteris prudentes se esse gloriantur,

    • Past. 35
      • ;
    • Swt. 243, 25.

  • Ðæt se bið on geþance wærast and wísast, se ðe óðerne can raðost ásmeágean,

    • Wulfst. 55, 21.

  • Se þincð nú wærrest and geápest ðe óðerne mæig beswícan,

    • Shrn. 17, 23.
Etymology
[
Goth. wars wisan to be ware
:
O. Sax. war wesan wiðar
:
O. H. Ger. gi-war providus, solers, gnarus, intentus, adtentus, vigilans
:
Icel. varr
.]
Similar entries
v. ge-, un-wær.
Linked entries
v.  wacor wær-geápnis wærþu.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “wær.” 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/34410.

Checked: 2
Full form

Word-wheel

  • wær, adj.

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