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wita

  • noun [ masculine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
wita, an; m.
Wright's OE grammar
§102; §225; §256; §401; §562;
one who knows, a person of understanding or learning, a wise man
Show examples

  • Wita (-e,

      MS.
    )

    sophista,

      Wrt. Voc. i. 47, 41.

  • Fród wita, snottor ár, beorn bóca gleáw,

    • Exon. Th. 313, 16
      • ;
    • Mód. 1.

  • Se ðe wita (sapiens ) is, mid feáum wordum geswytelaþ,

      R. Ben. 30, 15.

  • Wita sceal geþyldig, ne sceal nó tó hátheort, ne tó hrædwyrde,

    • Exon. Th. 290, 15
      • ;
    • Wand. 65.

  • Ðissere worulde hǽt is ðæt heó witan hæbbe, and swá má witena beóð, swá hit bet færð. Ne bið se ná wita ðe unwíslíce leofaþ, ac bið open sott,

      Homl. Skt. i. 13, 131.

  • Mé com swíðe oft on gemynd, hwelce wiotan (wutan,

      Cott. MSS.
    ) iú wǽron giond Angelcynn, ǽgðer ge godcundra háda ge woruldcundra,

    • Past. pref.
      • ;
    • Swt. 3, 3.

  • Wín gedéð, ðæt furdon witan (sapientes ) oft misfóð,

      R. Ben. 65, 4.

  • Filistina witan,

    the wise men of the Philistines,

    • Salm. Kmbl. 861
      • ;
    • Sal. 430.

  • Ða ǽláruwas ł aldo uuto

    Pharisaei,

      Lk. Skt. Lind. 5, 17.

  • Witena

    peritorum,

      Wrt. Voc. ii. 67, 37.

  • Ofer witena dóm,

    • Exon. Th. 248, 19
      • ;
    • Jul. 98.

  • Hit witena nán þider ne séceþ,

      Met. 19, 7: 20, 3:
    • Runic pm. Kmbl. 340, 8
      • ;
    • Rún. 4.

  • Hé (Nero) wæs ǽlcum witum láþ and unweorþ,

    • Bt. 28
      • ;
    • Fox 100, 28
      • .

  • Ðæt Godes hús wíslíce fram witum (sapientibus) sig gefadod,

      R. Ben. 84, 24.
Grammar
wita, with special reference to taking part in deliberations
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  • Ðis witena gemót

    haec sinodus,

    • Ælfc. Gr. 8
      • ;
    • Zup. 30, 8
      • .

  • Bǽdon ðæt eft óþer seonaþ wǽre, and hí ðonne woldan mid má heora witena gesécean,

    • Bd. 2, 2
      • ;
    • S. 502, 37
      • .

  • Wurdon monega seonoðas háligra biscepa and eác óðerra geþungenra witena,

    • L. Alf. 49
      • ;
    • Th. i. 58, 5
      • .
one able to give counsel, a counsellor
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  • Se wæs wita and geþeahtere ðæs Pápan

    consiliarius erat Papae,

    • Bd. 5, 19
      • ;
    • S. 638, 14.
one able to give counsel in affairs of state, one who takes part in the councils of a nation, a leading man
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  • Sum in mæðle mæg módsnottera folcrǽdenne forð gehycgan, ðǽr witena biþ worn ætsomne,

    • Exon. Th. 295, 34
      • ;
    • Crä. 43.
Grammar
wita, in reference to other than Teutonic people
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  • Se ríca Rómána wita Brutus,

      Met. 10, 44.

  • Hié sendon .x. hiera ieldstena wietena (decem principes),

    • Ors. 4, 7
      • ;
    • Swt. 182, 11.

  • Witena,

    • 4, 10
      • ;
    • Swt. 196, 29.

  • Hí hæfdon ǽlce dæge heora witena gemót (-met.

      Thw.
    ), and wǽron gesette synderlíce tó ðam ða senatores, ðæt synd þeódwitan,

      Jud. Thw. p. 161, 31.

  • Wiþ ðám Rómániscum witum,

    • Bt. 1
      • ;
    • Fox 2, 15
      • .

  • Hé ofslóg ealle ða witan (in Thrace),

    • Ors. 3, 7
      • ;
    • Swt. 114, 20
      • .

  • Créca witan,

      Met. 1, 66.

  • Ða rícostan Rómána witan,

      9, 25.
Grammar
wita, in reference to England.
Similar entries
See also gemót
Show examples

  • Ðyssum wordum óðer ðæs cyninges wita and ealdormann (alius optimatum regis) geþafunge sealde,

    • Bd. 2, 13
      • ;
    • S. 516, 12.

  • Gif hwá on ealdormannes húse gefeohte, oþþe on óðres geþungenes witan,

    • L. In. 6
      • ;
    • Th. i. 106, 6
      • .

  • Ðis is seó gerǽdnes ðe Engla cyng and ǽgðer ge gehádode ge lǽwede witan gecuran (

      cf. de Engla rǽdgifan gecuran,
    • vi. 1
      • ;
    • Th. i. 314, 3
    ),

    • L. Eth. v.tit.
      • ;
    • Th. i. 304, 4.

  • Miercna cyning and his weotan,

    • Chr. 868
      • ;
    • Erl. 72, 23
      • .

  • Eádweard cyng and his witan,

    • 911
      • ;
    • Erl. 100, 18
      • .

  • Se cyng ond his biscopas ond his aldormenn ond alle ða wioton ðisse ðióde ðǽr gesomnade wǽron,

      Chart. Th. 70, 15.

  • Cynewulf benam Sigebryht his ríces and West-Seaxna wiotan,

    • Chr. 755
      • ;
    • Erl. 48, 19
      • .

  • Bútan ðæs cyninges leáfe and his witena,

    • 901
      • ;
    • Erl. 96, 28.

  • Eádmund cyning cýþ . . . ðæt ic smeáde mid mínra witena geþeahte ge hádedra ge lǽwedra,

    • L. Edm. S. proem.
      • ;
    • Th. i. 246, 19
      • .

  • Ic Ælfréd West-Seaxna cyning eallum mínum witum ðás geeówde, and hié ðá cwǽdon, ðæt him ðæt lícode eallum tó healdenne,

    • L. Alf. 49
      • ;
    • Th. i. 58, 28
      • .

  • Ic Íne . . . mid eallum mínum ealdormonnum and ðǽm ieldstan witum mínre þeóde and eác micelre gesomnunge Godes þeówa wæs smeágende be ðære hǽlo úrra sáwla and be ðam staðole úres ríces,

    • L. In. proem.
      • ;
    • Th. i. 102, 6.

  • Æðelréd wæs mid mycelum gefeán Angelcynnes witon gehálgod tó cyninge,

    • Chr. 979
      • ;
    • Erl. 129, 30
      • .

  • Weotum,

      Chart. Th. 480, 16.
Grammar
wita, in reference to other Teutonic people
Show examples

  • Witan Scyldinga,

    • Beo. Th. 1561
      • ;
    • B. 778
      • .

  • Hé ða weáláfe weotena dóme árum heólde,

    • 2201
      • ;
    • B. 1098.
an elder, a chief person, senior
Similar entries
(cf. fród for double sense of wise and old)
Show examples

  • Beón gesette án oðþe twégen ealde witan (unus aut duo seniores ),

      R. Ben. 74, 14.

  • Ældo ł uuto ðæs folces

    seniores populi,

      Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 21, 23.

  • On gemóte heora witena

    in conventu seniorum,

    • Bd. 3, 5
      • ;
    • S. 527, 23.

  • Wutuna (uutuna ł ældra, Lind.)

    patrum,

      Lk. Skt. Rush. 1, 17.

  • Cwæð se Hǽlend tó ðám witum (ad seniores),

      Lk. Skt. 22, 52.

  • Hé ge fram ðám witum ge fram his efenealdum (a senioribus et coaetaneis suis ) mid rihtre lufan lufad wæs,

    • Bd. 5, 19
      • ;
    • S. 637, 18.

  • Hé geseah ealle witon on þeáwum and dǽdum scínende,

      Homl. Skt. ii. 23 b, 85.
one who has knowledge, a witness
Show examples

  • Eall mín mǽgð mé is tó witan,

      Homl. Skt. i. 8, 42.

  • Leáse uuta

    falsi testes,

      Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 26, 60.

  • Mid sægene unrím geleáffulra witena (testium) ða ðe ða ðing wiston,

    • Bd. pref.
      • ;
    • S. 472, 25.

  • Gif hé hit næbbe beforan gódum weotum (witum, v. l.) geceápod,

    • L. In, 25
      • ;
    • Th. i. 118, 14
      • .
a wise man, one professing supernatural knowledge
Show examples

  • Hé sende tó Egipta wísustan witan

    misit cd omnes conjectores Egypti cunctosque sapientes,

      Gen. 41, 8.
[
Witene imot,
    Laym. 11545.
Beon weote and witnesse þerof,
    A. R. 204, 24.
Þe wite (Helyas þe prophete,
    8628
),
    Orm. 8673.
O. Frs. wita a witness
:
O. H. Ger. wizzo gnarus, sapiens; divinus.
Cf. Goth. un-wita foolish; ignorant.
]
Similar entries
v. ǽ-, burh-, folc-, fyrn-, ge-, láh-, lár-, leód-, rǽd-, rún-, scír-, stíg-, un-, úþ-, þeód-, weorold-wita.
Linked entries
v.  weota wieta wiota.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “wita.” 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/36090.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • wita, n.

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