Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

Dictionary online

æ
þ

ǽ-swíca

(n.)
Grammar
ǽ-swíca, an; m: a-swícend, es; m.

An offender of the law ⬩ a deceiver ⬩ hypocrite ⬩ apostate ⬩ hypocrita ⬩ apostata

Entry preview:

An offender of the law, a deceiver, hypocrite, apostate; hypocrita, apostata

Linked entries: é-swíca swica

bóc-cest

(n.)
Grammar
bóc-cest, -cist, e; -ciste, an; f.
Entry preview:

Apollonius his bócciste untýnde and ásmeáde þone rǽdels æfter údwitena wísdóme, Ap. Th. 5, 24. Bóccysta armaria, An. Ox. 27, 19. of books for sale Bóccest taberna (libraria ), Wrt. Voc. i. 22, 7

FLEÓT

(n.)
Grammar
FLEÓT, fliét, es; m: fleóte, an; f.

a place where vessels float ⬩ a bay ⬩ gulf ⬩ an arm of the sea ⬩ estuary ⬩ the mouth of a river ⬩ a river ⬩ stream ⬩ sĭnus ⬩ æstuārium ⬩ rīvus ⬩ a raft ⬩ ship ⬩ vessel ⬩ rătis ⬩ nāvis

Entry preview:

a place where vessels float, a bay, gulf, an arm of the sea, estuary, the mouth of a river, a river, stream; hence the names of places, as Northfleet, Soulhfleet, Kent; and in London, Fleetditch; sĭnus, æstuārium, rīvus Se Abbod Petrus wæs besenced on

Linked entries: mylen-fleót fleóte fliét fleóte

hléda

(n.)
Grammar
hléda, hléda, an: hléde, es; m.

A seat ⬩ bench

Entry preview:

Man sceal habban . . . hlýdan, sceamelas, Angl. ix. 264, 20. Substitute:

wiþo-bán

(n.)
Grammar
wiþo-bán, es: -báne
(
? cf. Icel. -beina
),
an; n.

collar-bone

Entry preview:

Hwílum ofer ealle ða sídan biþ ðæt sár, hwílum becymð on ða weoþobán, and eft ymb lytel ða gesculdru ðæt sár grét, 258, 5

Linked entries: weoðo-bán wido-báne

-ærn

(suffix)
Grammar
-ærn, -ern, es; n. [ærn a place] is generally used as a termination, and denotes a place; thus, Eorþ-ærn, es; a

An earth-place or house ⬩ the grave

Entry preview:

An earth-place or house, the grave Open wæs ðæt eorþ-ærn the grave was open, Exon. 120 a; Th. 460, 18; Hö. 19: 119b; Th. 459, 22; Hö. 3; Th. 460, 4; Hö. 12. Dóm-ern a judgment-place, judgment-hall, court of justice, Mt. Bos. 27, 27.

Dene-mearc

(n.)
Grammar
Dene-mearc, Dene-marc,e ; f: -marce, -mearce, -merce, an; f.

DENMARK ⬩ Dānia

Entry preview:

Weonoþland him wæs on steór-bord, and on bæc-bord him wæs Langa land, and Lǽland, and Falster, and Scon-ég; and ðás land eall hýraþ to Denemearcan Wulfstan said that he went from Haddeby.

Linked entry: Dena mearc

denu

(n.)
Grammar
denu, e; f : dene,an ; f : dene,es ; m.

A plain, vale, dale, valley ⬩ vallis, convallis

Entry preview:

Ðá becóme wit to ánre dene, seó wæs ormǽtlíce deóp and wíd, and forneán on lenge unge-endod we two then came to a valley, which was immensely deep and wide, and in length almost endless, Homl.

Linked entries: dænu dene dene dene

earh-faru

(n.)
Grammar
earh-faru, e; f. [earh an arrow; faru a going, journey, passage]

A flight of arrows ⬩ sagittārum vŏlātus

Entry preview:

Mid earhfare with a flight of arrows, Andr. Kmbl. 2097; An. 1050. Ða us gescildaþ wið sceððendra eglum [MS englum] earhfarum they shall shield us against the enemies' noxious flights of arrows, Exon. 19 a; Th. 47, 28; Cri. 762

Linked entry: earg-faru

feól

Grammar
feól, fiil, fél, e: feóle, an
Entry preview:

Fiil lima, An. Ox. 53, 34: Wrt. Voc. ii. 113, 7. Feól, 78, 28: 49, 75: i. 287, 2: An. Ox. 1769. Feole, Wrt. Voc. i. 86, 17. Byð fremedre feóle þwyrnysse erit aliene lima prauitatis, Scint. 150, 5. Sum heora mid feólan feólode ábútan, Hml.

friþ-gegilda

(n.)
Grammar
friþ-gegilda, friþ-gegylda, an; m. [friþ-gild a peace-guild]

A member of a peace-guild ⬩ congildo ⬩ sŏdālis ⬩ sŏcius

Entry preview:

A member of a peace-guild; congildo, sŏdālis, sŏcius Ðis is seó gerǽdnis ðe ða biscopas and ða geréfan ðe to Lundenbyrig hýraþ gecweden habbaþ on úrum friþgegyldum, ǽgðer ge eorlisce ge ceorlisce this is the ordinance that the bishops and reeves which

Linked entries: friþ-gild fryþ-gegylda

C

Grammar
C, In Gothic and Icelandic C is entirely wanting, being always represented by k. It is remarkable that the Anglo-Saxons have seldom made use of k; but, following the Latin, have preferred the use of c.
Entry preview:

the letter c is found as an initial, medial, and final. — As an initial letter it corresponds to the Gothic amd Icelandic k; as, — A. Sax. corn corn, Goth. karn, Icel. korn; A. Sax. ceósan to choose, Goth. kiusan, Icel. kjósa.

ambiht-smiþ

(n.)
Grammar
ambiht-smiþ, es; m. [ambeht an office, smiþ a smith]

An official smith or carpenter ⬩ præfectus fabrorum

Entry preview:

An official smith or carpenter; præfectus fabrorum Cyninges ambihtsmiþ the king's official carpenter, L. Ethb. 7; Th. i. 4, 8

Linked entries: ambeht-smiþ smiþ

medu-wæge

(n.)
Grammar
medu-wæge, an: -wæg, e; f.

The Medway

Entry preview:

The Medway Sint dæs londes gemǽra: an westhealfæ Scipfliót, an norþhalfe Meodowæge, Cod. Dip. Kmbl. ii. 71, 25. Miodowæge, iii. 400, 26. Partem fluminis Meduwaeian, i. 135, 34. Andlang Medwæge, 283, 4. Andlang Medwægan, Chr. 999; Erl. 134, 24.

þíxl

(n.)
Grammar
þíxl, þisl, e; þísle, an; f.

a beam or pole of a waggon ⬩ temo ⬩ constellation, the Bear ⬩ a pole

Entry preview:

Án ðara tungla woruldmen hátaþ wǽnes þísla, Met. 28, 10. Þíxlum, díxlum, díslum temonibus, Txts. 101, 2007. a pole (?) Of ðære ác in ða heortsole; of ðære sole in ða þísle; of ðære þísle eft in ða mýðan, Cod. Dip. Kmbl. iii. 380, 6

Linked entry: þísl

FOLM

(n.)
Grammar
FOLM, gen. dat. folme; acc. folm, folme; pl. nom. acc. folme, folma; f: folme, an; f.

The palm of the hand ⬩ the hand ⬩ palma ⬩ mănus

Entry preview:

Ic ðé wreó and scylile folmum mínum I will cover and shield thee with my hands, Cd. 99; Th. 131, 4; Gen. 2171: Exon. 28b; Th. 87, 9; Cri. 1422: Beo. Th. 1449; B. 722: Judth. 10; Thw. 23, 1; Jud. 99: Andr. Kmbl. 1044; An. 522: Elen.

Linked entry: folme

eár-læppa

(n.)
Grammar
eár-læppa, an; m. [eáre an ear, læppa a lap]

An ear-lap ⬩ pinnŭla

Entry preview:

An ear-lap; pinnŭla Eár-læppa vel ufweard [MS. ufwaard] eáre pinnŭla: flǽran vel eár-læppan pinnŭlæ, Ælfc. Gl. 71; Som. 70, 83, 84; Wrt. Voc. 43, 15, 16

Linked entry: flǽre

B

Grammar
B, THE sound of b is produced by the lips; hence it is called a labial consonant, and has the same sound in Anglo-Saxon as in English. In all languages, and especially in the dialects of cognate languages, the letters employing the same organs of utterance are continually interchanged. In Anglo-Saxon, therefore, we find that b interchanges with the other labials, f and
Entry preview:

p Ic hæbbe I have, he hæfþ he hath. When words are transferred into modern English, b is sometimes represented by f or v :-- Beber or befor a beaver; Ober, ofer, over. In comparing the Anglo-Saxon aspirated labial f with the corresponding letter in Old

curmealle

(n.)
Grammar
curmealle, curmelle, curmille,an; f. Centaury; centaurēurn = κενταύρειον

the greater centaury ⬩ chlora perfoliata, Lin ⬩ the lesser centaury ⬩ erythræa centaurium, Lin

Entry preview:

The centaury may be spoken of as, the greater centaury ; chlora perfoliata, Lin Genim ðás wyrte ðe Grécas cenlauria major and Angle curmelle seó máre nemnaþ take this herb which the Greeks name centaurea majorand the English the greater centaury, Herb

Linked entry: culmille

Angles ég

(n.)
Grammar
Angles ég, e; f. [íg an island]

ANGLESEY

Entry preview:

ANGLESEY, so called after it was conquered by the English: it was anciently called Mona Hugo eorl wearþ ofslagen innan Angles ége earl Hugo was slain in Anglesey, Chr. 1098; Ing. 317, 31

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.