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Anglo-Saxon

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lytel

  • noun [ feminine ]
  • adjective
Dictionary links
Grammar
lytel, adj., and neut. of adj. Add:: , lýtel (?). A. adj.
Wright's OE grammar
§132; §255; §276; §431; §445; §607; §639;
as the opposite of great.
of material objects, portions of space, &c.,
small in size, not large
Show examples

  • Ne bið nǽnig tó þæs lytel lið on lime áweaxen,

      Seel. 96.

  • Swilce án lytel (lytlu,

    v. l.

    ) pricu,
      Bt. 18, 1 ; F. 62, 4.

  • Lyttel scipp

    naviculam,

      Mt. L. 13, 2.

  • Sé ðe lytelo bý (domicilium) hæfde in byrgennum, Mk. L. 5, 3. .II. lytle bollan fulle, Lch. ii. 214, 11. ¶ If of a person's stature :-- Hé wæs lytel (lyttel pussillus, L.) on wæstmum, Lk. 19, 3. (1 a) used to designate species or varieties which are distinguished by their srnallness from others belonging to the same genus or bearing the same name :-- Brúne wyrt, háre wyrt lytelu, Lch, ii. 132, 8. (1 b) with superlative force in

    little

    finger, toe :-- Gif se lytla bið of áslegen,
      Ll. Th. i. 96, 7.
  • Sió lytle tá, 23.

  • On ðǽm lytlan . . . ánum fingre (cf. on ðám lǽstan fingre,

      Bt. 33, 4; F. 132, 1), Met. 20, 179.
used of young children
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  • Lytel cnæht ðes

    parvolus iste,

      Mt. L. 18, 4.

  • Syle þicgean on wine geongum men fif cuceleras fulle, and gingrum and untrumum and wífum þrý cuculeras, litlum cildum ánne,

      Lch. i. 122, 24.

  • Lytlo cild

    parvulos,

      Mk. 10, 13.
of collective unities, having few members, inhabitants, &c. ;
small in number
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  • Hér is an lytele

    (parva) burg swíðe neáh . . . Hió is án lytel (modica ),

      Past. 399, 23.

  • Is hiora here . . . tó lytel swelcra láriówa,

      Met. 10, 55.

  • Lytlo édo

    pusillo gregi,

      Lk. p. 7, 15.

  • Lytle werede,

      Gen. 2093.
  • Ic wát hér áne neáh lytle ceastre, 2578.

  • Lytle worado

    pauci,

      Lk. L. 13, 23.
of immaterial things, considered in respect of their quantity, length in series, &c.
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  • Gé eów ondrǽdaþ ꝥ gé onfón tó lytlum leánum,

      Bl. H. 41, 21.

  • Lytlum sticcum leóðworda dǽl reccan,

      An. 1490.
of distance or period of time. Cf. B. II. 3
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  • Ðá geswigode se wísdóm áne lytle hwíle,

      Bt. 7, 1 ; F. 16, 5.

  • Lytle hwíle,

      B. 2030.

  • Þone lytlan fyrst,

      Cri. 1323.
of qualities, conditions, &c. , small in extent or
degree
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  • Mé þúhte þæt sár swíðe lytel oððe ealles náwiht,

      Solil. H. 41, 4.

  • Mé ne þincþ náuht lytel gód þisses andweardan lífes gesǽlþa, ne eác náuht lytel yfel his ungesǽlþa

    in hac ipsa fortuna populari nonnihil boni malive inesse perpendo,

      Bt. 39, 2 ; F. 212, 14.

  • Nales fore lytlum . . . ac fore þám mǽstan mægenearfeðum,

      Cri. 963.
not of importance,
of things,
trifling, trivial
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  • Þonne ongit hé hú lytel se hlísa bið and hú lǽne and hú tédre and hú bedǽled ǽlces gódes

    fama quam sit exilis et totius vacua ponderis,

      Bt. 18, 1; F. 60, 29.

  • Hé biþ for swíþe lytlium þingum gedréfed, 1. 11; F. 32, 18, Énne of bebodum ðissum lytlum (

    minimus

    ),
      Mt. L. 5, 19.

  • For ðám ðe þú wǽre getrýwe ofer lytle þing, ic gesette þé ofer mycle,

      Mt. 25, 21.
of persons, inferior in rank or
condition, not distinguished
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  • Lytel hé bið genemned in ríc heafna . . . ðes micil bið geceigd,

      Mt. L. 5, 19.

  • Lytel þáhte ic leóda bearnum, læg on heardum stáne,

      Cri. 1425.

  • Swá hwylc swá sylð ánne drinc ánum þyssa lytylra manna,

      Mt. 10, 42.

  • Ánum of ðisum bróðrum mínum lytlum, Mt. L. 25, 40. (b

    a) of a town :-- Ðú, Bethlem, unðærfe ðing lyttel arð (nequa*-*quam minima es ),

      Mt. L. 2, 6.
mean, vile,
of things
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  • Tó þám þæt ðú hwylce þénunga mínon lytlan líchaman tó gehýðnysse gegearwige,

      Hml. S. 23 b, 252.
of persons
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  • Ic eom se lytla for þé and se lýðra man, se hér syngigeswíðe genehhe. . . þearle scyldig,

      Hy. 3, 41.
as opposite of much.
not much, only a slight amount or
degree of, barely any
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  • Sceáwige mon georne hwilc se útgang sié, þe micel. þe lytel, þe þǽr nán ne sié,

      Lch. ii. 218, 11.

  • Hwæt is heora nú tó láfe bútan se lytla hlísa and se nama mid feáum stafum áwriten

    signat super*-*stes fama tenuis pauculis inane women litteris.

      Bt. 19; F. 70, 10.

  • Gýt lǽssan mynstres þǽr lytel þeówdóm sý,

      Ll. Th. i. 360, 22.

  • Byþ lytel frécne fram fýre,

      Lch. i. 330, 2.

  • Tó lytel hit biþ, beó hit á lǽsse,

      Ll. Th. i. 432, 24 : B. 1748.

  • Lytles geleáfes,

      Mt. L. 6, 30 : 14, 31.

  • Wé habbaþ litellne gearowitan búton tweón,

      Bt. 41, 5 ; F. 254, 10.

  • Ic him lífwraðe lytle meahte ætgifan, B. 2877. (1 a) forming with its sb. a kind of privative combination, with the sense absence or scarcity of what the sb. denotes :-- Gemune hwæt sí mín lytle spéd

    memorare quae mea substantia,

      Ps. Th. 83, 40.
a small quantity of, some, though not much
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  • Nú gýt ys lytel (lyttil, L. , lyttel, R. ) leóht on eów

    athuc modicum lumen in uobis est,

      Jn. 12, 35. .II. lytle bollan fulle mid lytle hunige gemengde, Lch. ii. 214, 11.

  • Þǽr dydon Rómáne lytla triéwþa þæt him þá wǽron unweorþe þe hiera hláford beswican

    in hoc solo Romanis circa eum fortiter agentibus quod percussores ejus indignos judicarent,

      Ors. 5, 2 ; S. 218, 17.
with pl.,
few
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  • Wræccum lytlum (feáwum, W. S. )

    plagis paucis,

      Lk. R. L. 12, 48.
  • Hý sculan nyttian lytlum andforhtlicum metum. Lch. ii. 30, 30.

  • Þá nolde hé him geceósan welige yldran, ac þá þe hæfdon lytle worldspéda

    (few worldly goods),

      Bl. H. 23, 25 B. absolute and substantive.
absolute.
that are little,
cf. A. I. 2
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  • Ðára lvttelra

    parvulorum,

      Mt. p. l. 6.
cf. A. I. 8b
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  • Drihten gehealdeð þá lytlan,

      Ps. Th. 114, 6.
few. Cf. A. II. 3
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  • Woeg lytelra

    uia paucorum,

      Lk. p. 8, 7.

  • Ofer lytla

    super pauca,

      Mt. L. 25, 21 : 23.
not much, only a small amount or
quantity
Show examples

  • Betere ys þám rihtwísan lytel

    (modicum)

    þonne þám synfullan mycel wela,
      Ps. Th. 36, 14.

  • Ðǽm lyttel bið forgefen,

      Lk. L. 7, 47.

  • On lytlum (lytelum,

      L. ) getrýwe . . . on lytlum unrihtwís. Lk. 16, 10: 19, 17.

  • Hé sceal of swíðe lytlum hyt onginnan,

      Solil. H. 45, 16.

  • Þonne wát ic swíðe lytel óðer nánwiht,

      66, 17.

  • Ðý lǽs hié fela sellen ðám ðe hié lytel sceoldon, oððe lytel ðǽm ðe hié micel sceoldon,

      Past. 321, 17.
  • Lytel ágan. Bl. H. 49, 20.

  • Gé sáwað micel sǽd and rípað litel

    (modicum)

    ,
      Deut. 28, 38. ¶• with adverb :-- Wundrum lytel mæg gedón . . . , Bt. 11, 1; F. 32, 21.

  • Þá þurfon swíþe lytles,

      14, 2 ; F. 44, 13.

  • Ꝥ man crístene menn for ealles tó lytlum tó deáðe ne fordéme,

      Ll. Th. i. 304, 19. (3a) with gen. :-- Ic
    hys mæg swíðe litel ongytan oððe náwiht, Solil. H. 25, 15.

  • Hyre þá gýt tó lytel þúhte þæs anwaldes ðe se cyningc ǽr gewunnen hæfde

    non contenta terminis mulier quos a viro suo acquisitos,

      Ors. l, 2 ; S. 30, 17.

  • Wé witon swíþe lytel þæs þe ár ús wæs búton be gemynde, Bt. 42 ; F. 256, 25. (3 b) in the genitive depending upon an indefinite pronoun :-- Gif þé ǽnies willan wana biþ, ðeáh hit lytles hwæt sié

    si absit aliquid tuae beatitudini

    ,
      Bt. 11. 1 ; F. 30, 22: 32, 20.

  • Nánwuht ne lytles ne miceles,

      30, 25 : Met. 22, 47. (3c) qualified by a demonstrative :--
    Þine seofunga for þám lytlan þe þú forlure. Bt. 11, 1; F. 30, 21.
unimportant condition, inferior position
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  • Oft hé of lytlan árǽrde tó miclan þá þe him hýrdan,

      Ll. Th. i. 334, 6:14.
as substantive.
a small quantity, piece, portion, a small thing, a trifle, Lch. ii. 336, 4 [in Dict. ] (1 a) with gen.
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  • Án lytel febbres,

      Past. 229, 3.
  • Wudugáte geallan and lytel wínes. Lch. i. 348, 18.
  • Lytel eles, ii. 76, 13.

  • Diles sǽd lytelne,

      228, 21.

  • Glædenan rinde lytelra gedó þreó pund on glæsfæt,

      252, 7.
of persons,
cf. A. I. 2
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  • Sua huá ne onfóas ríc Godes swelc lyttel

    (paruulus),

      Mk. L. 10, 15.

  • Búta gié geworðe suǽ lytlo (cnehtas, R., lytlingas, W. S.

    parvoli

    ),
      Mt. L. 18, 3.

  • Of múðe ðára lytla (cildra. R. , cilda, W. S.

    infantium

    ),
      21, 16.

  • Búta wífum and lytlum ł cildum (cnehtum, R.)

    exceptis mulieribus et parvulis,

      14, 21: 15, 38.

  • Forlétas ðá lytlo (þá cild,

      R. ), 19, 14.

  • Bróhton tó him lytle (lytlo cild,

      L. ), Mk. R. 10, 13.
cf. A. I. 8 b
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  • Énne of lytlum ðisum

    unum de pusillis istis

    ,
      Mt. L. 18, 6.

  • Of lytlum ðassum

    ex minimis istis,

      10, 42 : 25, 45.
a short time
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  • Æfter lytle huíle ł ymb lytle (ymbe lytel, W. S. )

    post pussillum

    ,
      Mk. L. 14, 70.

  • Embe lytel (æfter lytlum ł ymb lytle huíle,

      L. , æfter lytlum hwíle, R. ), Lk. 22, 58.
  • C. adverbial use of various cases.
to only a small extent, but slightly, not much.
acc.
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  • Lytel fremað þeáh crísten nama bútan crístenum dǽdum,

      Wlfst. 65, 21.

  • Lyttel lufad

    minus diligit,

      Lk. L. 7, 47.
with inst.
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  • Sam hé hine miclum lufige, sam hé hine lytlum lufige,

      Solil. H. 58, 14.

  • Þú hine gedést lytle lǽssan

    (paulo minus)

    þonne englas,
      Ps. Th. 8, 6 : 118, 87.

  • Ful lytle ðe gearor,

      Solil. H. 26, 15.
lytlum
a little at a time
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  • Geót þriwa lytlum on háte þá ahsan,

      Lch. ii. 32, 13 : 176, 22 : 230, 21.
lytlum and lytlum
little by little, gradually
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  • Hé sceal lytlum and lytlum stígan neár and near stæpmǽlum swilce hé on sume hlǽdre stíge,

      Solil. H. 45, 16
a little.
of distance
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  • Gefoerde lytel ðona

    progressus pusillum,

      Mt. L. 26, 39.
of time,
with acc. ,
for a little time
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  • Ðá-gét lyttel (lytel, R.

    modicum

    ) mið iúh ic am,
      Jn. L. 13, 33.
with inst.,
a little (before)
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  • Swá swá þú mé nú lytle ǽr gehéte,

      Bt. 22, 1 ; F. 76, 22 : Met. 12, 13. v. for-, un-, ungemet*-*lytel; lytle, an ; f.: lǽs, lǽssa.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “lytel.” 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/54891.

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Word-wheel

  • lytel, n.; adj.

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