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Anglo-Saxon

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heán

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Wright's OE grammar
§426; §530;
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of persons.
of low degree, of humble condition, low, poor, as opposed to ríce, welig, wlanc
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  • Se hálga

    (Noah)

    cwæð þæt hé

    (Ham)

    wesan sceolde heán . . . hleómága þeów

    (servus servorum erit fratribus suis,

    • Gen. 9, 25
      • ),
    • Gen. 1595
      • .

  • Ic mé ceóse þæt ic heán gange on hús Godes

    elegi abjectus esse in domo Dei mei,

    • Ps. Th. 83, 11
      • .

  • Heán sceal gehnígan,

    • Gn. Ex. 118
      • .

  • Doem þǽm freóndleásan and ðǽm heánan

    (humili),

    • Ps. Srt. 9, 39
      • .

  • Heánne and ðearfan,

    • 81, 3
      • .

  • Ic eom se ilca God þe þone weligan and þone heánan geworhte,

    • Wlfst. 259, 8
      • .

  • Deáð þone rícan gelíce and þone heánan ofswelgþ and swá geemnet þá rícan and þá heánan mors

    involvit humile pariter et celsum caput, aequatque summis infima,

    • Bt. 19
      • ;
    • F. 68, 33
      • .

  • Ealle gelíce on woruld cumað, wlance and heáne,

    • Met. 17, 6
      • .

  • Ne mæg ǽnig . . . rícra ne heánra,

    • Gú. 968
      • .

  • Wloncum and heánum.

    • Wal. 43.
of human as opposed to celestial beings:
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  • Ðú

    (Christ)

    dugeðum cwóme heánum tó hróðre,

    • Cri. 414
      • :
    • 632
      • .
of inferior rank:
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  • Heánra cempa

    miles ordinarius,

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 59, 14
      • .
of little worth, mean, ignoble, base
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  • Heán waes lange, swá hyne Geáta bearn gódne ne tealdon, ne hyne micles wyrðne Drihten gedón wolde, swýðe wéndon þæt hé sleac wǽre, æðeling unfrom,

    • B. 2183
      • .

  • Ðú scealt andettan yfeldǽda má, heán helle gǽst.

    • Jul. 457
      • :
    • 615
      • .

  • Helm sceal cénum and á þæs heánan hyge hord unginnost,

    • Gn. Ex. 206
      • .

  • Áhrede mé hearmcwidum heánra manna,

    • Ps. Th. 118, 134.
applied to a thing personified:
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  • Hió

    (day)

    sceal wreccan láste hámleás hweorfan, nó þý heánre bið,

    • Rä. 40, 9
      • .
reduced to a low position or condition, brought low, rendered abject, humbled
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  • Ic sceal heán and earm wadan wræclástas wuldre benémed, duguðum bedéled,

    • Sat. 120
      • :
    • Cri. 265
      • .

  • Ǽr þon ic gehéned heán gewurðe

    priusquam humiliarer,

    • Ps. Th. 118, 67
      • .

  • Gé magon geþencan hú heán hé wearþ his geblóta and his diófolgilda

    (how low he was brought through his sacrifices and idolatries ?),

    þá þá gé hiene gebundenne hæfdon and hiene átugon swá swá gé woldon,

    • Ors. 6, 37
      • ;
    • S. 296, 22
      • .

  • Þé

    (Satan)

    se Ælmihtiga heánne gehnǽgde,

    • An. 1193
      • .

  • Wræcstówe wérige gástas . . . heáne gefóran,

    • Gen. 91
      • :
    • Ps. Th. 87, 5
      • .

  • Sé þe hine sylfne áhefeð heáhmódne, sé sceal heán wesan,

    • Mód. 54
      • .
depressed, dejected, cast down, miserable
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  • For hwon wást þú weán, gesyhst sorge, sagast lífceare heán, hygegeómor,

    • Gen. 879
      • :
    • 866
      • .

  • Feasceaft hæleð . . . heán, hygegeómor, heófende spræc,

    • An. 1559
      • :
    • 1089
      • .

  • Hé sceal heán þonan, geómor hweorfan, þám bið gomenes wana,

    • Gú. 1327
      • (cf.
    • 1353
      • ):
    • An. 893
      • :
    • Ph. 554
      • :
    • B. 2099
      • :
    • 2408
      • .

  • Hé heán gewát, dreáme bedǽled,

    • 1274.

  • Beornas wépað wánende, heáne, hygegeómre, hreówum gedreahte,

    • Cri. 994
      • :
    • El. 1216
      • .
low in fortune, wretched, in evil plight
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  • Wend þé from wynne, þú scealt mid weres egsan hearde genearwod heán þrowian þínra dǽda gedwild,

    • Gen. 921
      • .
  • Ic fleáh weán, wana wilna gehwilces, heán of wícum,
    • 2273.

  • Þú hreósan sceoldes heán in helle helpendra leás,

    • Cri. 1414
      • .

  • Þú scealt wérigmód, heán, hróðra leás hearm þrowigan,

    • An. 1369
      • .

  • Ic eów hálsie þæt gé mé of þyssum earfeðum úp forlǽten heánne,

    • El. 701
      • .

  • Heáne, hróðra bidǽled, hyhta leáse helle sóhton.

    • Jul. 681.
of things.
of little importance
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  • Dryhten ðá heánan gelócað

    Dominus humilia respicit,

    • Ps. Srt. 112, 6
      • .
of actions,
mean, base, low
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  • Ne þǽr ówiht inne ne belífe on heortscræfe heánra gylta

    nec laleat guidquam culparum cordis in antro,

    • Dóm. L. 39
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “heán.” 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/52039.

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