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Anglo-Saxon

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wel

  • adverb
  • interjection
Dictionary links
Wright's OE grammar
§80; §145; §556;
Grammar
wel, adv.
Well
with verbs
marking the success or excellence of the action of the verb
Show examples

  • Ðæt hié heora fulwihthádas wel gehealdan

    • Blickl. Homl. 109, 26.

  • Wel hearpan stirgan

    • Exon. Th. 42, 6
      • ;
    • Cri. 668.

  • Swíþe wel ðú mín hæfst geholpen

    • Bt. 41, 4
      • ;
    • Fox 250, 18.
well, prosperously
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  • Se man wæs wel dónde on eallum þingum

    erat vir in cunctis prospere agens

    • Gen. 39, 2.
marking the rightness, fitness, etc. of an action
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  • His nama wæs gereht 'Godes strengo.' Wel ðæt wæs gecweden, for ðon ðe se hæfde mægen ofer ealle gesceafta

    • Blickl. Homl. 9, 14.

  • Wel ðú sprecst

    bona res est, quam vis facere

    • Deut. 1. 14.

  • Wel ðú cwǽde

    bene dixisti

    • Lk. Skt. 20, 39.

  • Há him wel (woel, Lind.) andswarode

    • Mk. Skt. 12, 28.

  • Hí nalæs wel dydan

    non observaverunt pactum

    • Ps. Th. 77, 57: 118, 126.

  • Welan áh in wuldre se nú wel þenceþ

    • Exon. Th. 452, 12
      • ;
    • Dóm. 119.

  • Suíðe wel Dryhten ðreáde Iudéas

    • Past. 21
      • ;
    • Swt. 151, 19.
marking kindness or goodness
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  • Gyf gé wel dóð ðam ðe eów wel dóð

    • Lk. Skt. 6, 33.

  • Tó Gode ðe mé wel dyde

    ad Dominum qui benefecit mihi

    • Ps. Th. 56, 2.

  • Gié magon him woel dóe (wel dóa, Rush.)

    potestis illis bene facere

    • Mk. Skt. Lind. 14, 7.

  • Wese ðín mildheortnis well ofer ús

    • Ps. Ben. 32, 18.
marking degree
well, much, thoroughly, freely:
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  • Gecnua wel

    • Lchdm. ii. 322, 26.

  • Lǽt gestandan wel

    let it stand a good while

    • Lchdm. ii. 326, 19.

  • Syle him ðás ylcan wyrte wel drincan on wætere

    • Lchdm. i. 148, 19.

  • Se cyng him eác wel feoh sealde.

    • Chr. 894 ;
    • Erl. 91, 32.

  • Dó wel sealtes on

    • Lchdm. ii. 322, 17.

  • Ðé ðissa woruldsǽlða tó wel ne lyste,

    • Bt. 7, 3 ;
    • Fox 22, 24.

  • Ungemetes wel randwigan restan lyste

    • Beo. Th. 3589
      • ;
    • B. 1792.

  • Ðæt hié welena tó wel ne trúwodon

    • Blickl. Homl. 185, 14.

  • Eal swá wel behófaþ ðæt heáfod ðæra óðera lima, swá swá ða lima behófiaþ ðæs heáfdes

    • Homl. Th. i. 274, 7.
marking favourable condition, absence of hindrance
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  • Hé his wel geweald áhte on ðæm scræfe

    • Past. 3
      • ;
    • Swt. 37, 5.

  • Eálá gif hé wolde, ðæt hé wel meahte ðæt unriht him eáðe forbiódan,

    • Met. 9, 53.

  • Hié wel meahton libban on ðam lande, gif hié wolden láre Godes fremman,

    • Cd. Th. 49, 3
      • ;
    • Gen. 786.
marking fitness of circumstance,
well, properly
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  • Hý mihton wel habban wíf on ðam dagum

    • L. Ælfc. C. 7
      • ;
    • Th. ii. 346, 7.
with verbs that denote fitness :
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  • Wel ðæt gerás, ðæt heó wǽre eádmód . . . Wel ðæt eác gedafenaþ, ðæt hé tó eorþan ástige

    • Blickl. Homl. 13, 16-19.

  • Hine man byrigde, swá him wel gebyrede, ful wurðlíce

    • Chr. 1036
      • ;
    • Erl. 165, 34.
marking happy, pleasant, agreeable condition
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  • Líf ádreógan wel

    to pass life pleasantly

    • Coll. Monast. Th. 28, 31.

  • Ðæt mé wel sig for ðé

    ut bene mihi sit propter te

    • Gen. 12, 13: Num. 11, 18 : Exon. Th. 66, 32
      • ;
    • Cri. 1080.

  • Ne bið ðǽr ǽngum gódum gnorn ætýwed, ne nǽngum yflum wel

    • 96, 20
      • ;
    • Cri. 1577.

  • Ðám bið well, ðe ðara blissa brúcan móton

    • Andr. Kmbl. 1770
      • ;
    • An. 887.

  • Is ðæt lá well

    euge, euge

    • Ps. Th. 39. 18.

  • Wel lá wel is úrum módum

    euge, euge animae nostrae

    • Ps. Th. 34, 33.

  • Ðé wel weorðeþ on wynburgum

    bene tibi erit

    • Ps. Th. 127, 2.
exclamatory, without a verb expressed
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  • Wel hym ðæs geweorkes

    • Hy. 2, 11.

  • Wel ðám, ðe ðonne ne áwácaþ

    • Wulfst. 89, 19 : 124, 8.

  • Wel ðære heorde, ðe gefolgaþ ðam hyrde

    • L. C. S. 85
      • ;
    • Th. i. 424, 12.
with adjectives,
well, very, quite, thoroughly
Show examples

  • Strange cyningas and wel cristene

    • Bd. 4, 2
      • ;
    • S. 565, 31 : Wulfst. 29, 6 : 39, 15 : 127, 2.

  • Glæsfæt wel micel

    • Lchdm. ii. 252, 8.

  • On wíne wel scearpum

    • 180, 16: Ps. Th. 67, 15, 16 : 104, 37
      • .

  • Dagas wel manige

    • Blickl. Homl. 217, 15 : 225, 10.

  • Wyrta swíþe wel clǽne

    • Lchdm. ii. 336, 5.
with numerals
Show examples

  • Hé ðær þurhwunode wel twá geár

    he stopped there quite two years

    • Homl. Skt. i. 15, 37.

  • Ic gesett hæbbe wel feówertig lárspella

    • Ælfc. T. Grn. 13, 45:
with adverbs
very, quite
Show examples

  • Wæs be eástan ðære ceastre wel néh

    erat prope ipsam civitatem ad orientem ecclesia

    • Bd. I. 26
      • ;
    • S. 487, 42.

  • Wé wel neáh stódan ðám bearwum

    • Nar. 28, 31 : Guthl. 12
      • ;
    • Gdwin. 58, 19.

  • Wel wíde

    passim, ubique

      Hpt. Gl. 512, 18.
interjection
well, ah
Show examples

  • Wel lá

    heu

    • Germ. 388, 11.

  • Hé cwæð mid wópe; wel lá, Basilius, gif ðú sylf noldest, nǽre ðú git forðfaran.

    • Homl. Skt. i. 3, 627.

  • Wel lá, mín Drihten, hwæt ic hér nú hreówlíce hæbbe gefaren

    • 23, 575.

  • Wel lá (cf. eálá, Bt. 4; Fox 8, 10), ðú éca sceppend ára monna cynne

    O! jam respice teras,

    • Met. 4, 29.

  • Wel lá, monna bearn

    • 21, 1.

  • Wel lá, men, wel

    • Bt. 34, 8
      • ;
    • Fox 144, 23.

  • Wel gá

    heia

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 110, 30.

  • Weol gá, weol gá

    euge, euge

    • Ps. Surt. 69, 4.
Etymology
[
Goth. waila
O. Sax. O. Frs. wel
O. H. Ger. wela, wola
Icel. vel
]
Similar entries
v. for-wel, and compounds with wel as first component.
Linked entries
v.  BET.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “wel.” 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/34988.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • wel, adv.; int.

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