Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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hwæt

  • adverb
  • interjection
Dictionary links
Grammar
hwæt, adv. or interjection.
Wright's OE grammar
§20; §54; §211; §298; §425; §469;
Add:
in direct questions,
why
Show examples

  • Hwæt ofermódgað ðiós eorðe and ðis dúsð?

    quid superbit terra et cinis?,

      Past. 299, 22: 211, 12: Mt. 19, 17: Nic. 14, 14.

  • Ac hwæt ofermódige gé þonne, oþþe hwý áhebbe gé eów?,

      Bt. 42; F. 258, 15: Hml. Th. ii. 164, 28.

  • Hwæt seofast þú wið mé?

    quid igitur ingemiscis? (cf. hwí (quid )

    murcnast þú wið mín?, 3),
      Bt. 7, 3; F. 20, 14.

  • Hwæt (cf. tó hwí, W. S., for hwon, L., R. quid, Mt. 27, 46: hwí, W. S., tó hwon, L., R.

    quid,

      Mk. 15, 34) forlǽtest þú mé?, An. 1415.

  • Hwæt standaþ gé hér and úp on þysne heofon lóccaþ? quid statis aspicientes in coelum? (Acts 1, 11), Bl. H. 123, 21: Cri. 510: An. 1318: Jul. 505. (1 a)

    strengthened by

    ǽfre :-- Hwæt þú ǽfre wilt aldre lǽtan þæne þe hér leofað rihtum þeáwum,
      Gen. 2642.
as a particle of interrogation
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  • Hwæt lá nis hé fæder þín?

    numquid non ipse est pater tuus?,

      Cant. M. ad fil. 6.

  • Lá hwæt is ǽnig óðer on eallum þám gelimpum bútan Godes yrre swytol?,

      Wlfst. 163, 13.
in indirect questions
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  • Ic ðé mæg eówian ðæs bisna þá ðe magon getrymian tó þám ꝥ þú nást hwæt þú læng siofige,

      Bt. 36, 1; F. 172, 28.
in clauses expressing astonishment,
how, what
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  • Eálá hwæt Drihten deófles costunga geþyldelíce ábær

    O how patiently our Lord bore the devil's tempting,

      Bl. H. 33, 28: Sat. 316.

  • Juliana, hwæt þú glǽm hafast,

      Jul. 167.

  • Hwæt hé frécnu gestreón funde,

      Met. 8, 58.
  • III a. preceding a question :-- Hwæt lá hwæt! sint þis nú þá gód?,
      Bt. 3, 4; F. 6, 18.
as an introductory particle of vague meaning,
why, well, so, indeed, certainly
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  • Gif þonne hwá ne récþ hwæþer hé hæbbe ... þe nabbe ..., hwæt ꝥ beóþ forlytla sǽlþa þæt mon swá eáþe forlǽtan mæg

    an vel si amiserit, negligendum putat? sic quoque perexile bonum est, quod aequo animo feratur amissum,

      Bt. 11, 2; F. 34, 30.

  • Sé þe gedyrstigað onwreón þá scandlicnesse his steópméder ... hwæt (

    profecto

    ) sé sóðlíce onwríhð his fæder scondlicnesse,
      Bd. 1, 27; Sch. 70, 4.

  • Hwæt seó gítsung gedéþ heore gítseras láþe

    siquidem avaritia semper odiosos facit,

      Bt. 13; F. 38, 15.

  • Hwæt hé is God mín

    etenim ipse est Deus meus,

      Ps. Th. 61, 2, 6.

  • Hwæt wé witan

    nouimus namque,

      Bd. 1, 27; Sch. 81, 21.

  • And hwæt þá se ylca God manna cynn ádwǽscan ne wolde

    quia itaque isdem Deus humanum genus exstinguere noluit,

      77, 12.

  • Hwæt hí dydon swá swá hé cwæð

    fecerunt, ut dixerat,

      2, 2; Sch. 117, 20: 1, 27; Sch. 78, 9: Hml. S. 22, 141: 24, 12: Angl. viii. 330, 23.

  • Hwæt ic þínra bysna ne mæg wuht oncnáwan,

      Gen. 533.
somewhat, any, at all. Cf. á-wiht
Show examples

  • Gif hit hwæt elles gesélde

    if it happened at all differently,

      Cht. Th. 166, 20.

  • Gif hit hwæt ælcor (elles, v. l.) bið

    sin alias,

      Bd. 4, 28; Sch. 519, 7.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “hwæt.” 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/53464.

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Full form

Word-wheel

  • hwæt, adv.; int.

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