Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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BÍTAN

  • verb [ strong ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
BÍTAN, part. bítende; ic bíte, ðú bítest, bítst, he bíteþ, bítt, bít, pl. bítaþ; p. ic, he bát, ðú bite, pl. biton; pp. biten.
Wright's OE grammar
§96; §101; §126; §133; §161; §164; §226; §234; §288; §292; §298; §305; §490;
to BITE with the teeth; mordere
Show examples

  • Ic bíte

    mordeo,

    • Ælfc. Gr. 26, 6
      • ;
    • Som. 29, 10
      • .

  • Monnan ic ne bíte nymþe he me bíte

    I bite no man unless he bite me,

    • Exon. 125 a
      • ;
    • Th. 482, 9, 10
      • ;
    • Rä. 66, 5
      • .

  • Ǽghwá bíteþ mec on bær líc

    every one bites me on the bare body,

    • 125 a
      • ;
    • Th. 482, 7
      • ;
    • Rä. 66, 4
      • .

  • Monige mec bítaþ

    many bite me,

    • 125 a
      • ;
    • Th. 482, 12
      • ;
    • Rä. 66, 6
      • .

  • Ðæt mǽden bát and totær ǽlcne ðe heó gerǽcan mihte

    the maiden bit and tore every one whom she could reach,

    • Homl. Th. i. 458, 14
      • :
    • Beo. Th. 1488
      • ;
    • B. 742
      • .

  • Biton [MS. byton] hine lýs

    lice bit him,

    • Hexam. 17
      • ;
    • Norm. 24, 30
      • .

  • Nim ðis ofæt, bít hit and byrge

    take this fruit, bite it and taste,

    • Cd. 25
      • ;
    • Th. 33, 12
      • ;
    • Gen. 519
      • .
used metaphorically of the biting or wounding by a sword,- to cut, wound; cædere, vulnerare
Show examples

  • Se gist onfand ðæt se beadoleóma bítan nolde

    the guest found that the war-beam [the sword] would not wound,

    • Beo. Th. 3051
      • ;
    • B. 1523
      • :
    • 2913
      • ;
    • B. 1454
      • .

  • Sió ecg gewác, bát unswíðor

    the edge [of the sword] failed, cut less sharply,

    • 5150
      • ;
    • B. 2578
      • .

  • Ðeáh mec heard bite stíðecg stýle

    though the stiff-edge steel wounded me greatly,

    • Exon. 130 a
      • ;
    • Th. 499, 10
      • ;
    • Rä. 88, 13
      • .
Etymology
[
Chauc. Wyc. bite
:
R. Glouc. byten
:
Laym. biten
:
Orm. bítenn
:
Northumb. bíta discerpere
:
Plat. biten
:
O. Sax. bítan
:
O. Frs. bita
:
Dut. bijten
:
Ger. beiszen
:
M. H. Ger. bízen
:
O. H. Ger. bízan
:
Goth. beitan
:
Dan. bide
:
Swed. bita
:
Icel. bíta
:
Sansk. bhid findere, perforare.
]
Derived forms
a-bítan, on-
Linked entries
v.  a-bítan bát.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “BÍTAN.” 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/4510.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • BÍTAN, v.

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