Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

Dictionary online

æ
þ

hwæþer

  • conjunction
Dictionary links
Grammar
hwæþer, conj.
Wright's OE grammar
§41; §218; §325; §470; §560;
Add: generally with subjunctive. For instances of indicative see
    Mt. 20, 15: Solil. H. 3, 9. Cri. 1307.
in direct questions, whether ... [or (whither)]
Show examples

  • Hwæðer wæs Jóannes fulluht þe of heofonum þe of mannum? baptismus Johannis unde erat? e caelo an ex hominibis?, Mt. 21, 25: Hml. Th. i. 222, 20 (in Dict.). Ic þé bidde, cwyst þú hwæþer hit tó gelýfenne sý ... hwæþer þe ...? dic, quaero te, numquid nan credendendum est ... an ...?, Gr. D. 146, 1-6. I a. where the question is introduced by a pronominal hwæþer, cf. II. 1 b α :-- Hwæðer (quid, cf. hwæt, Mt. 9, 5) is éðre tó secgenne, 'þé synd ðíne synna forgyfene', hwæðer þe (an) cweþan, 'arís, nim ðín bed and gá'?. Mk. 2, 9: Lk. 5, 23. I b. where hwæþer occurs only in the second alternative :-- Wæs Jóhannes fulluht of heofone, hwæðer þe of mannum? baptismum Johannis de coelo erat, an ex hominibus?, Lk. 20, 4. I c. where the question asks for yes or no as an answer, the second alternative not being expressed. In later English the introductory whether is omitted: in O. E. the question is often introduced by cwist þú, cweþe gé, &c. :-- Cuiðestú ł hueðer (cwyst þú, W. S.) somnigas of ðornum wínbéger?

    numquid colligunt de spinis uvas?,

      Mt. L. 7, 16.

  • Cweðe wé hwæþer þá ealdras ongyton?

    numquid cognouerunt principes?, Jn. 7, 26 (cf. cweþe gé numquid, 31). Hwæðer (numquid )

    ǽnig man him mete bróhte?,
      4, 33.

  • Hueðer (cweðe gé,

      W. S.), Mt. L. 9, 15.

  • Hueoðer (cweþe wé,

      W. S.), 12, 23.

  • Hwæþer Rómáne hit witen tó secganne hwæt hiera folces forwurde?,

      Ors. 5, 2; S. 220, 9.

  • Eálá! hwæðer heó hider cumende syó, and mé ne gýme?,

      Hml. S. 23 b, 667.

  • Hwæþer (

    si

    ) seó nǽddre þurh hyre ágen andgit sprǽce?,
      Angl. vii. 24, 238.
with dependent clauses.
where both the alternatives implied in hwæþer are given,
whether ... or.
hwæþer ... þe ... þe
Show examples

  • Hí ne scrifon hwæðer hit wǽre ðe dæg ðe niht,

      Past. 427, 31.
hwæþer þe ... þe
Show examples

  • Andswarode mé sum ðing, ic nát hwæt, hweðer þe ic sylf þe óder þing (sive ego ipse, sive alias quis), Solil. H. 3, 8. (b α) where a pronominal hwæþer

    precedes the dependent clause,

    cf. I a :-- Gesege mé hwæþer þe betere ðince ... hwæþer þe þú hý forseó ... þe þú gebíde hwonne hí þé forlétan,
      Bt. 8; F. 26, 12.
hwæþer ... hwæþer þe
Show examples

  • Hé gecnǽwþ be þǽre láre, hwæþer (

    utrum) heó sí of Gode, hwæþer þe (an )

    ic be mé sylfum spece,
      Jn. 7, 17.
hwæþer ... þe
Show examples

  • Sié on cyninges dóme hwæþer hé líf áge þe náge,

      Ll. Th. i. 106, 3: 224, 18: 330, 24.

  • Sé þe ne giémeð hwæðer his gǽst sié earm þe eádig,

      Cri. 1553.
  • Geseón hwæðer him mon sóð þe lyge sagað, 1307.
  • Hwæðer him yfel þe gód under wunige, 1333: Bl. H. 119, 5.

  • Ic nát hwæðer hit wæs innan mé ðe útan (

    extrinsecus sive intrinsecus

    ),
      Solil. H. 3, 9.
hwæþer ... oþþe
Show examples

  • Deófol mót ǽlces mannes áfondian, hwæðer hé áht sý oððe náht; hwæðer hé God mid inweardlicre heortan lufige oððe hé mid híwunge fare,

      Hml. Th. i. 268, 11-14.

  • Hueðer ... oþþe (ł MS.)

    utrum ... an, Jn. L., R. 7, 17. (e α) where the alternatives are not mutually exclusive :-- Beseah Drihten hwæðer his mihta andgyt ǽnig ealra hæfde, oððe God wolde sécan (si est intelligens, aut requirens Deum ),

      Ps. Th. 52, 3.
in combination with swá
Show examples

  • Inseglige mon þá hand, and séce man ofér þæne þriddan dæg swǽ hwæðer swá heó beó fúl swá clǽne binnan þám insegle

    insigilletur manus, et inquiratur die tertia si inmunda sit uel munda intra sigillationem,

      Ll. Th. i. 226, 31.
where one alternative only is given. v. I c.
whether, if
Show examples

  • Ðæt ðú nyte hwæðer (hwiðer,

    v. l.

    ) ðú máran wilnige,
      Past. 331, 4.

  • Ne wæs mé cúð hwæðer ... egesa wǽre,

      Gen. 2710.

  • Geseón hwæþer (

    an

    ) Helias cume,
      Mt. 27, 49.

  • Hí gýmdon hwæþer (gif ł hueðer, L.

    si

    ) hé gehǽlde,
      Mk. 3, 2.

  • Hié wǽron orwéne hwæðer ǽfre Rómáne tó heora anwealde becómen,

      Ors. 4, 9; S. 192, 4.

  • Hé áxode hwæþer (gif ł huoeðer, L.

    si

    ) hé áht gesáwe,
      Mk. 8, 23: Lk. 23, 6.

  • Áfandað God ... hwæðer hé ánrǽde sý,

      Hml. Th. i. 268, 16: Gen. 1437.

  • Sorgian hwæðer ...,

      Met. 9, 34: Sat. 277.

  • Hyne fyrwet bræc hwæðer hé cwicne gemétte þeóden, B. 2785. (2 a)

    where the clause is in apposition to kit

    :-- Ys hiton þýnum anwealda hwæðer hí leng þár binnan beón mótan,
      Chr. 995; P. 130, 11.

  • His scrift hit gecýðe þám biscope, hweðer hé tó þǽre bóte cirran wolde,

      Ll. Th. i. 212, 24.
Similar entries
v. á-hwæþer, ná-hwæþer.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “hwæþer.” 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/53473.

Checked: 0
Full form

Word-wheel

  • hwæþer, con.

Copyright

All the data provided here are free for any purpose. If you use the data for academic purposes, we ask that you kindly cite us as your source. In case you need a large portion of the dictionary data or you need it in a specific format, let us know through the contact form, we are happy to do custom database dumps for researchers.

How to cite

You can cite the entries of the online version of the dictionary, or you can cite the scanned pages of the original paper editions.

  • To cite the online version of the dictionary, click the icon right under the entry.
  • To cite the scanned paper version of the dictionary, click the "show/hide this scanned page" link under the entry, check the scan and use the citation information right above it.