Íras
The Irish
Entry preview:
So in Alfred's Orosius it is said Igbernia ðæt wé Scotland hátaþ, 1, 1; Swt. 24, 16
swán
Entry preview:
Hé (Alfred) on sumes swánes (the swán is called vaccarius in the Latin Vita S. Neoti, but in other forms of the story, e.g. Matthew of Westminster's, he is subulcus and drives 'porcos ad solita pascua') húse his hléw gernde . . .
ǽstel
A tablet ⬩ a table for notes ⬩ a waxed tablet ⬩ indicatorium ⬩ astula ⬩ pugillaris
Entry preview:
It is most probable then that Alfred's ǽstel consisted of two waxed tablets, joined together by a hinge, and framed or covered with gold to the value of fifty mancuses.
a-wendan
To turn away or off ⬩ avert ⬩ remove ⬩ to turn upside down ⬩ turn ⬩ change ⬩ translate ⬩ pervert ⬩ avertere ⬩ vertere ⬩ mutare ⬩ transferre ⬩ subvertere ⬩ To turn or direct oneself to turn from ⬩ go ⬩ depart ⬩ se vertere ⬩ ire
Entry preview:
'Historia Anglorum' ða ðe Ælfréd cyning of Lédene on Englisc awende [Bede's] Historia Anglorum, which king Alfred translated from Latin into English, Homl. Th. ii. 116, 30-118, 1.
Linked entries: a-wændan a-wend a-went eowendende wendan
triumpha
Entry preview:
The following explanation of the term was inserted by Alfred in his translation of Orosius Ðæt hié triumphan héton, ðæt wæs ðonne hié hwelc folc mid gefeohte ofercumen hæfdon, ðonne wæs heora þeáw ðæt sceoldon ealle hiera senátus cuman ongeán heora consulas
mancus
A mancus ⬩ the eighth of a pound ⬩ the sum of thirty pence
Entry preview:
Ágyfe man mínra (king Alfred ) ealdormanna ǽlcum án hund mangcusa . . . and Æðeréde ealdormenn án sweord on hundteóntigum mancusum, 489, 29-33. Ic geann ǽlcum bisceope v. mancessa goldes, 544, 8. Án hund mancosa, 596, 9. Mancussa, 530, 13.
BORH
a security, pledge, loan, bail ⬩ fœnus ⬩ a person who gives security, a surety, bondsman, debtor ⬩ fidejussor, debitor
Entry preview:
It is generally thought, that the borh originated with king Alfred, but the first time we find it clearly expressed, is in the Laws of Ine, v. Turner's Hist. of A. S. Bk. vi.
ÆSC
an ash-tree ⬩ fraxinus excelsior ⬩ the Anglo-Saxon Rune ᚨ ⬩ an ash-spear ⬩ a spear ⬩ lance ⬩ hasta fraxinea ⬩ hasta ⬩ a small ship ⬩ a skiff ⬩ a light vessel to sail or row in ⬩ navis ⬩ navigium ⬩ dromo
Entry preview:
Kmbl. 2195; An. 1099. because boats were made of ash, — a small ship, a skiff, a light vessel to sail or row in; navis, navigium, dromo Hét Ælfréd cyng timbrian langscipu ongén ða æscas king Alfred commanded to build long ships against those ships, Chr
BYSGU
Entry preview:
For ðǽm manigfealdum bísgum, ðe hine oft ǽgðer ge on móde ge on líchoman bísgodon [bisgodan MS.] on account of the manifold occupations, which often busied him [Alfred] both in mind and in body, Bt. proœm; Fox viii. 5.
lutian
lurk ⬩ skulk
Entry preview:
Férde ðá lutigende geond heges and weges geond wudes and feldes swá ðæt hé [ king Alfred] gesund becom tó Æþelingége, Shrn. 16, 11. Dígelne leahter on menniscre heortan lutigende secret sin lurking in the human heart, Homl. Th. i. 496, 18.
HÁTAN
to bid, order, command ⬩ to promise, vow ⬩ to call, name, give a name to ⬩ to name, call, bid, command ⬩ to call, name, promise, vow ⬩ nominare, appellare, jubere, præcipere
Entry preview:
Ic Elfréd dux hátu wrítan and cýðan an ðissum gewrite Elfréde regi I alderman Alfred order to be written and made known in this writing to king Alfred, Chart. Th. 480, 13. Ðonne háteþ Sanctus Micahel bláwan ða feówer béman then St.
Linked entry: ge-hátan
Beormas
The Biarmians
Entry preview:
Alfred calls them Beormas. They were called Biarmians by Icelandic historians, and Permiaki by the Russians, and now Permians.
wé
We. ⬩ used of more than one person, ⬩ dual ⬩ plural ⬩ used by a king in reference to himself and his counsellors ⬩ used of one person, ⬩ by a writer or speaker ⬩ by a prince
Entry preview:
Wé (Alfred) lǽraþ, L. Alf. pol. 1; Th. i. 60, 2. Wé (Athelstan) cwǽdon, L. Ath. i. 2 ; Th. i. 200, 5. Wé (Cnut) willaþ, L. C. E. 6; Th. i. 364, 5. used of one person, by a writer or speaker Nú hæbbe wé scortlíce gesǽd (cf.
Linked entry: ús
hræfn
A raven
Entry preview:
Ðǽr wæs se gúðfana genumen ðé hí ræfen héton there was the banner taken which they [the Danes] called the Raven [see Asser's life of Alfred under the year 878 for an account of this banner; and see further references in Cl. and Vig. Icel.
Boétius
Anicius Manlius Severīnus Boëthius, born in Rome between A. D. 470-475, was Consul in 510. He was so eminent for his integrity and talents that he attracted the attention and obtained the patronage of Theodoric the Great, king of the East or Ostrogoths. He was afterwards accused of treason, and cast into prison, where he wrote his celebrated work De Consolatione Philosophiæ, which king Alfred translated into Anglo-Saxon about A. D. 888. Being condemned to death, without a hearing, he was beheaded in prison about A. D. 524
Entry preview:
He was afterwards accused of treason, and cast into prison, where he wrote his celebrated work De Consolatione Philosophiæ, which king Alfred translated into Anglo-Saxon about A. D. 888.
þegnung-mann
Entry preview:
., 62. as a technical English term Míne ( Alfred's ) ealdormenn and míne þénigmenn, Chart. Th. 490, 22. On cinges þéningmanna gemóte, Cod. Dip. Kmbl. vi. 80, 20. See Kemble's Saxons in England, ii. 47; Stubbs' Const. Hist. i. 186
timbran
to build (lit. or fig.) ⬩ construct ⬩ to instruct, ⬩ edify ⬩ to cut timber
Entry preview:
Ðá hét Alfréd cyng timbran langscipu ongén ða æscas, Chr. 897; Erl. 95, 7-11. Æfter ðæm hryre ðære upáhæfennesse hé ongan timbran eáðmósnesme, Past. 58; Swt. 443, 30.
Linked entries: tymbran timber-geweorc timbrian
swift
Entry preview:
Ða ( Alfred's ships ) wǽron ǽgðer ge swiftran ge unwealtran ge eác hiéran ðonne ða óðru, Chr. 897; Erl. 95, 13. Wind byþ on lyfte swiftust, Menol. Fox 464; Gn. C. 3. Gecunnian hwylc heora swiftost hors hæfde, Bd. 5, 6; S. 619, 1.
Linked entry: swyft
folc-land
the land of the folk or people
Entry preview:
Alfred, a nobleman of the highest rank, possessed of great estates in book-land, beseeches King Alfred, in his will, to continue his folk-land to his son, Æthelwald; and if that favour cannot be obtained, he bequeaths, in lieu of it, to his son, who appears
Etna
Etna, the volcano of Sicily
Entry preview:
Though Alfred has given the impression of his age, respecting volcanoes, Orosius only speaks thus of Etna, — Ætna ipsa, quæ tunc cum excĭdio urbium atque agrōrum crebris eruptiōnibus æstuābat, nunc tantum innoxia spĕcie ad prætĕrĭtōrum fidem fūmat, Hav