Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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brecan

  • verb
Dictionary links
Wright's OE grammar
§54; §80; §106; §292; §309; §505;
In line 5 after méce add helm, dele II. 2 and III. and add
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  • Brǽcan

    friabant,

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 38, 2
      • .

  • Brecan

    proteri,

    • 118, 12
      • .
trans.
to separate into parts,
to break a solid body into pieces
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  • Brec ðǽm hyngriendum ðínne hláf,

    • Past. 315, 13
      • :
    • Bl. H. 37, 20
      • .
with idea of destruction,
to shatter, demolish
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  • Hé sum deófolgild bræc and fylde,

    • Bl. H. 223, 15, 4, 18
      • .

  • Mid þǽm palistas hié weallas brǽcon,

    • Ors. 4, 6
      • ;
    • S. 174, 9
      • .
to break land, plough for the first time
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  • Brocen land

    novalis ager,

    • Wrt. Voc. i. 37, 53
      • .
to break a chain
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  • Racentan brecan,

    • Bt. 25
      • ;
    • F. 88, 13
      • .
to violate a law, agreement, &c.
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  • Be þám þe ǽwe brecað,

    • LI. Th. ii. 180, 12
      • .

  • Sé de hálignessa grið brece,

    • Wlfst. 68, 1.

  • Hé cwæð ꝥ hé ne cóme no þás bebodu tó brecanne ne tó forbeódanne

    (legem solvere, Mt. 5, 17),

    • Ll. Th. i. 56, 1.
to fail to perform:
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  • Banan grimme ongildað, ðæs hié gilp brecað,

    • Sal. 132
      • .
to subdue, tame
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  • Urne willan tó brecanne,

    • Past. 307, 9
      • .
to force a way into a place, break into a house, storm a town
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  • Gif man þeóf geméte and hé hús brece

    si effrin-gens vir domum fuerit inventus,

    • Ex. 22, 2
      • :
    • Ll. Th. i. 50, 18
      • .

  • Gyf man hús brece,

    • ii. 140, 34
      • .

  • Hié þæt fæsteti brecan woldon,

    • Ors. 4, 11
      • ;
    • S. 206, 13.

  • Hwænne se ðeóf cóme his hús tó brecenne,

    • Hml. A. 50, 11
      • .
reflex, to exert one's self violently (cf. II. 3)
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  • Gif man hine brece ofer gemet to spíwanne,

    • Lch. ii. 268, 29
      • .

  • Hé ongan hine brecan tó spíwenne,

    • Chr. 1003
      • ;
    • P. 135, 13
      • .
intrans.
to force a way out of confinement
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  • Up brecon

    erumperant (fontes aquarum),

    • Kent. Gl. 264
      • .

  • Hí nǽfre siððan út

    (out of hell)

    brecan ne magon,

    • Hml. Th. i. 174, 3.
to force a way through obstructions, move impetuously
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  • On bricþ

    ingruerit (quasi tempestas),

    • Kent. Gl. 13
      • .

  • Se Wendelsǽ brycð swíðor on ðone suðdǽl þonne hé dó on þone norðdǽl

    (in meridiem magis vergens),

    • Ors. 1, 1
      • :
    • S. 24, 26
      • .

  • Ofer bæþweg brecan

    to force a way across the waves,

    • An. 223
      • :
    • 513
      • :
    • El. 244
      • .
to exert one's self violently, to struggle, strive (cf. I. 5)
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  • Se leg ongan sleán and brecan ongeán þone wind, and efne swá se wind swíþor slóg on þone lég swá bræc hé swíþor ongeán þǽm winde, efne þǽm gelícost swylce ðá gesceafta twá him betweónan gefeohtan sceoldan,

    • Bl. H. 221, 12-15
      • .

  • Hé ágynþ tó brecanne þanne tó spíwanne,

    • Lch. iii. 140, 2
      • .
Similar entries
v. lah-brecende.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “brecan.” 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/40838.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • brecan, v.

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