Glossary of Grammar Terms

Glossary for The Death of Edgar This small glossary should help you identify which words in the Old English correspond to which meanings in the translation of the poem. Where I felt it might be helpful, I included some grammatical information, although this information is not complete. Old English has a system of grammatical cases which survives today only in pronouns: I me my me Nominative Accusative (in He sees me) Genitive Dative (in He gives me the book) I have included these terms below, but I give other information which should make their usage clear. Format The basic format the word, as it appears in the poem, followed by the dictionary form of the word in boldface, and then a translation. Grammatical or other comments follow the translation. All cases of ð have been regularised to þ. A adræfed, adræfan: to drive away. Past participle. ær, ær: before. ætywed, ætywan: to appear, show, reveal, manifest. Past participle. afylled, afyllan: to fell, strike, lay low, overturn. Past participle. and, and: and. B bæþ, bæþ: bath. be, be: by. beahgyfa, beah-gyfa: ring-giver. bearn, bearn: child, son. beorna, beorn: warrior, man, hero. bereafod, bereofan: to deprive. Past participle. bisceop, biscop: bishop. blisse, bliss: bliss. brego, brego: leader, governor, prince, king, lord. breostum, breost: breast. Object of implied preposition “in”. Brytene, Bryten: Britain. byrnende, byrnan: burn. Present participle. C ceas,ceosan: to choose. Past tense (singular). cild, cild: child. cometa, cometa: comet. cræft, cræft: power, skill, cunning, ability. cræftgleawe, cræftgleaw: wise-minded. cynerice, cynerice: kingdom. Cyneweard, Cyneweard: Cyneweard. cyning, cyning: king. D dæg, dæg: day. deormod, deormod: bold of mind, brave. dreamas, dream: joy. Plural. E eac, eac: also. Eadgar, Eadgar: Edgar. Eadweard, Eadweard: Edward. eahteþan, eahteþa: eighth. ealdor, ealdor: prince, lord, leader; life. earde, eard: dwelling, land, home. eft, eft: afterwards, again. egbuendra, egbuend: island-dweller. Genitive plural form = ‘of the island-dwellers’. engla, angel or engel: angel or English. eorla, eorl: warrior. eorþan, eorþ: earth. eþel, eþel: native land, home. eþeltyrf, eþelturf: native turf, homeland. F fela, fela: many. feng, fon: to seize, grasp. The expression fon to cynerice= ‘to come to the throne’. foldan, folda: earth. forlet, forlætan: to leave, let go. Past tense (singular). forsewen, forseon: to despise, scorn. Past participle. fruma, fruma: maker, chief. G gamolfeax, gamolfeax: grey-haired. ganotes, ganot: gannot (sea-bird). Genitive (possessive) singular. geaf, giefan: to give. Past tense (singular). gebette, gebetan: to better, improve. gecyndne, gecynde: natural. geendode, geendan: to end. Past tense (singular). gefræge, gefræge: hearing, knowledge. gefrege, gefræge: renowned, famous, known. gehwæm, gehwa: each. Dative form = ‘to each’. gehwær, gehwær: everywhere, at every time. geond, geond: across, throughout. geonga, geong: young. geþring, geþring: press, throng, tumult. getogene, geteon: to instruct. Past participle. gewat, gewitan: to depart. Past tense (singular). gewealc, gewealc: rolling. gleawra, gleaw: wise. Genitive plural form = ‘of the wise’. gnornung, gnornung: sorrow, grief. goda, god: good. godes, God: God. H hæleþ, hæleþ: hero, warrior. In line 31 it is plural. hama, ham: home. Genitive plural form = ‘of homes’. hataþ, hatian: call. Present tense (plural). heofona, heofon: heaven. Genitive plural form = ‘of the heavens’. her, her: here, at this place, in this time. higegleawe, hygegleawe: wise of mind, clear-sighted. him, him: him, it, himself. Sometimes there is an implied ‘to’ or ‘for’. his, his: his, its. hrusan, hruse: earth, ground. hungor, hungor: hunger. hwæles, hwæl: whale. Genitive (possessive) singular. I in, in: in. Iulius, Iulius: July. L læne, læne: transitory, unstable. leoda, leod: man, people, nation. leoht, leoht: light. lif, lif: life. life, lif: life. lof, lof: glory, fame. lufan, lufu: love. M mærþa, mærþu: renown, glory, glorious deed. Genitive plural = ‘of glorious deeds’. man, man: one, someone. Line 23 is literally ‘when one broke His law’. May be translated as a passive: ‘when his law was broken’. men, mann: man. metodes, metod: ‘measurer’, God. micel, micel: great, large. mine, min: my. Dative singular form has an implied preposition ‘in’ or ‘to’. mode, mod: spirit, heart. moldan, molda: earth. monaþ, monaþ: month. monoþ, monaþ: month. Myrceon, Myrce: Mercia. N nama, nama: name. naman, nama: name. nemnaþ, nemnan: name. Present tense (plural). nihtum, niht: night. The form is plural. O of, of: of, from. ofer, ofer: over. on, on: on(to), in(to). Oslac, Oslac: Oslac. oþer, oþer: another. R rædend, rædend: adviser, councillor. riht, riht: law. rihte, rihte: rightly. rimcræfte, rimcræft: art of reckoning. rodera, rodor: sky, heaven. Genitive plural = ‘of the heavens’. roderum, rodor: sky, heaven. The form is plural. S se, se: the. sigora, sigor: victory. staþole, staþol: heavens. steorra, steorra: star. stiþferhþe, stiþferhþ: of strong mind. swiþe, swiþe: much, very, very much. syþþan, syþþan: since, thereupon, afterwards, when. T tirfæst, tirfæst: glorious, famous. to, to: to, too. tobræc, tobrecan: to break. todræfed, todrifan: to drive apart, separate. tyn, tyn: ten. Þ þa, þa: then, when, the. In line 6 in means ‘those’. þæne, se. the. Accusative form of se, used for a direct object. þær: þær: there, where. þæt, þæt: that, it. þam, þam: to whom, those. þe, þe: who, which. þeowa, þeow: servant. Genitive plural form = ‘of the servants’. þisse, þis: this. þone, se: the. Accusative form of se, used for a direct object. In line 30, where it refers to the comet, it means ‘which’. þurh, þurh: through. U unweaxen, unweaxen: not grown up, young. uppe, uppe: above. W wace, wac: weak. wæg, wegan: to carry. Past tense (singular). wæran, beon: to be. The form is past tense (plural), normally wæron. wæs, beon: to be. Past tense (singular). wætera, wæter: water. Genitive plural form = ‘of the waters’. waldend, wealdend: ruler, lord, God. waldendes, wealdend: ruler, lord, God. Genitive (possessive) singular form. weard, weard: guardian. wearþ, weorþan: to turn, to become, to be. Past tense (singular). welhwær, welhwær: everywhere, generally, commonly. werþeode, werþeod: people, nation. westm, wæstm: growth, fruits. wide, wid: broad, wide. The form wide is often an adverb ‘widely’. wis(e), wis: wise. wlitig, wlitig: beautiful, fair. wordsnotor, wordsnotor: eloquent, wise of word. woþboran, woþbora: good speaker, poet, prophet, philosopher. The form is plural. wracu, wracu: revenge, punishment. wynsum, wynsum: joyful, fair, pleasant. Y yþa, yþ: wave. Genitive plural form = ‘of the waves’.