This glossary is meant to be used with the four specific exerts assigned for this course (found here: The Peterborough Chronicle). It was partially adapted from Jonathan Evans’ Introduction to Old English (2021) and partially developed specifically for this course using a combination of dictionaries and AI tools. If you notice any missing terms or errors in the entries, please contact me at jocelyn.mcknight@uleth.ca.
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A Æ B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T Þ/Ð U W Y
A
- abiddan ‘to ask, entreat, pray’ (inf. str.vb.5)
- Ac ‘but’ (conj.)
- afylde ‘defeated’ (3 sg.pret. wk. vb. afyllan ‘to defeat, fell’)
- afyllan ‘to defeat, fell’ (inf. wk. vb.)
- and ‘and’ (conj.)
- Angla (Angle) ‘the Angles’ (nom. pl. masc. n.)
- Angle ‘the Angels’ (dat. pl. n.)
- Anglum ‘the Angles’ (dat. pl. masc. n.)
- Anno ‘year’ (Lat. loan, used in annalistic style)
- Ald Seaxum ‘the Old Saxons’ (dat. pl. masc. n. phrase Ald Seaxe)
- Armoricano ‘western Gaul’ (dat./acc. sg. fem. n.)
- awoc ‘awoke’ (3 sg. pret. str.vb. awacan ‘to awaken’)
Æ
- ænigne ‘any’ (acc. sg. masc. indef.pron. ænig)
- ærost ‘(at) first, earliest’ (superl. adv. < adj. er ‘early’)
- ætgædere ‘together’ (adv.)
B
- Basingum ‘Basing’ (dat. pl. masc. n. place name)
- bædon ‘asked’ (3 pl. pret. str. vb. biddan ‘to ask, entreat’)
- be ‘near, by, in the direction (of)’ (prep./adv.); her be easton ‘eastward near here
- betwix ‘between’ (prep.)
- binnan ‘during’ (prep.)
- biscopsetl ‘bishop’s seat, see, bishopric’ (acc. sg. neut. n.)
- Bōc-Leden (boclæden) ‘book language,’ i.e., ‘Latin’ (nom. sg. neut. n.)
- brad ‘broad, wide’ (nom. sg. neut. str. adj.)
- Brittene (Bryttene) ‘of Britain’ (gen. sg. fem. n. Bryten ‘Britain’)
- Brittes (Bryttas) ‘the Britons’ (nom. pl. masc.n.)
- Brittisc ‘British’ (language; adj.)
- Bryttene ‘Britain’ (acc. sg. fem. n. Bryten or gen. sg. fem. n. Bryten ‘Britain’)
- Brytwalana (Brytwalena) ‘ofthe Britons’ (gen. pl. masc. n. Brytwale)
- bugend ‘inhabitants’ (nom. pl. masc. n.)
- butu ‘both’ (nom. pl. masc./neut. pron.)
C
- Cantwara (Cantware) ‘the Kentish people’ (nom. pl. fem. n.)
- ceolum ‘(on) ships’ (dat. pl. masc. n. ćéol ‘ship’)
- coman/comon ‘came’ (3 pl. pret. str.vb. cuman ‘to come’)
- cwedon (cwædon)‘said’ (3 pl. pret. str. vb. cweðan ‘to say, declare’)
- Cwichelme ‘(from) Cwichelm’ (dat. sg. masc. n. Cwichelm)
- cyn (cynn) ‘people, race, nation’ (nom. sg. neut. n.)
- cynecynn ‘royal line, royal house’ (nom. sg. neut. n.)
- cysta (cyste) ‘virtue’ (acc. sg. fem. n. cyst)
D
- dagum ‘days’ (dat. pl. masc. n. dæg ‘day’)
- dohter (dohtor) ‘daughter’ (nom./acc. sg. fem.n.)
- dūgoðe ‘men, retinue’ (dat. sg. masc./fem. n. dūguþ)
E
- ēac ‘also’ (adv.)
- Eadwine ‘Edwin’ (acc. sg. masc. n.)
- Eald Seaxum ‘the Old Saxons’ (dat. pl. masc. n. phrase Eald Seaxe); of Eald Seaxum ‘from the Old Saxons’
- ealle ‘all’ (nom. pl. masc. str. adj.eall)
- ealond ‘island’ (nom. sg. neut. n.)
- Eanfled ‘Eanfled’ (nom. sg. fem. n.)
- eardian ‘to dwell, live, occupy’ (inf. wk. vb.)
- Eastrum ‘(on, during) Easter’ (dat. pl. fem. п.)
- East Seaxa (East Seaxe) ‘the East Saxons,’ ‘the people of Essex’ (nom. pl. masc. n. phrase)
- ēaston (ēastan) ‘from the east’ (adv.)
- ēgland (igland) ‘island’ (acc. sg. neut. n.)
- Englafelda ‘Englefield’ (dat. sg. masc. n. place name)
- Englisc ‘English’ (language;adj.)
- ehta (eahte) ‘eight’ (card. num.)
- Eoferwic ‘York’ (uninflected dat. sg. neut. n.)
- Eomer ‘Eomer’ (nom. sg. masc. n.)
- eorlas ‘earls, noblemen’ (acc. pl. masc. n.)
- eow ‘to you’ (acc./dat. 2 pl. pron. ‘you’)
- ērest (ærost) ‘(at) first, earliest’ (superl. adv./adj.)
- Estran ‘Easter’ (nom. pl. fem. n.)
F
- fea(l)a ‘many’ (indecl. adj./pron.)
- feohton (feohtan) ‘fight’ (inf. str.vb.3 ‘to fight’)
- feonde ‘enemy’ (dat. sg. masc. n. feond)
- fif ‘five’(card. num.)
- fleot ‘river’ (nom. sg. masc. n.)
- folces ‘of the people’ (gen. sg. neut. n.folc)
- forðan ‘because’ (conj.)
- Forðhere ‘Forthhere’ (acc. sg, masc.n.)
- fuhton ‘fought’ (3 pl. pret. str. vb.3 feohtan ‘to fight’)
- fultumian ‘to help, assist’)
- fultume ‘(as) help, aid, assistance’ (dat. sg. masc. n.fultum)
- fultumiað ‘will help’ (1 pl. pres. wk.vb.”
- fultum ‘help, aid, assistance’ (acc. sg. masc. n.)
- fyrde ‘army’ (dat. sg. fem. n. fierd)
G
- ge ‘you’ (nom. 2 pl. pron.)
- ġebroðra ‘brothers’ (gen. pl. masc. n. broðor ‘brother’)
- gedon ‘done’ (p.p. anom. vb. gedōn ‘to do’)
- ġef (ġeaf) ‘gave’ (3 sg. pret. str.vb.s ġiefan ‘to give’)
- gefeaht ‘fought’ (3 sg. pret. str. vb. feohtan ‘to fight’)
- geflȳmde ‘put to flight’ (pret. wk. vb. geflȳman ‘to put to flight’)
- ġegangan ‘to invade, overrun, conquer’ (inf. anom. vb.ġegān/ġeeodon)
- gehet ‘vowed’ (3 sg. pret. str.vb. ġehātan ‘to vow, promise’)
- ġelæron (ġelæran) ‘to advise, teach, show’ (inf. wk. vb.)
- ġelamp ‘happened, came about’ (3 sg. pret. str. vb.3
- ġelaðode ‘invited’ (3 sg. pret. wk.vb. ġelaðian ‘to invite, lead’)
- geleddon ‘led’ (3 pl. pret. wk. vb. gelǣdan ‘to lead’)
- ġelimpan ‘to happen, come about’)
- ġesætan (ġesæton) ‘settled’ (3 pl. pret. str.vb. ġesittan ‘to settle’)
- ġesyllan (ġesellan) ‘to give, commit’ (inf. wk. vb.)
- Germanie ‘Germany’ (dat. sg. n. Germania); of…Germanie ‘from… Germany’
- ġetimbrian ‘to build’ (inf. wk. vb.)
- ġeþēode ‘languages’ (acc. pl. neut. n. ‘language’)
- gewundode ‘wounded’ (3 sg. pret. wk. vb.” gewundian ‘to wound’)
- gewunian ‘to remain, stay, dwell’ (inf. wk. vb.)
- Gode ‘to God’ (dat. sg. masc. n. God)
- godra ‘good’ (gen. pl. masc. adj. gōd)
- gif ‘if’ (conj.); ‘yet, still’ (adv.)
H
- Hæhmund ‘Heahmund’ (nom. sg. masc. n., proper name)
- hæt (het) ‘calls’ (3 sg. pres. str. vb.7 hatan ‘to call, name’)
- Hengest ‘Hengest’ (masc. n.; brother of
- heom (him) ‘to them’ (dat. 3 pl. masc./fem./neut. pron.)
- heofdon (hæfdon) ‘had’ (3 pl. pret. wk. vb.I” habban ‘to have’)
- Heopwines ‘Heopwine’s’ (gen. sg. masc. n. Hëopwine, a ghost-name; possibly an error for Heopwelles); Heopwines flēot Ebbsfleet, ‘Ebba’s Creek’
- her ‘here’ (adv.)
- heregas ‘armies, hosts’ (nom./acc. pl. masc. n. here ‘army’)
- hēton ‘ordered’ (3 pl. pret. str. vb. hātan ‘to command’)
- hi ‘they’(nom./acc. 3 pl. masc./fem./neut. pron.)
- hider ‘hither, (to) here’ (adv.)
- hit ‘it’ (nom./acc. 3 sg. neut. pron.)
- Horsa, a legendary Saxon war leader) Horsa ‘Horsa’ (masc. n.; brother of Hengest, a legendary Saxon war leader)
- hund ‘hundred’ (card. num.)
- hwa ‘(any) one’ (nom. sg. masc. indef./interr. pron.)
- hwer ‘where’ (adv.); swā hwer swa ‘wheresoever, wherever’
- hy (hie) ‘they’ (nom. 3 pl. masc./fem./neut. pron.)
I
- igland ‘island’ (nom. sg. neut. n.)
- iglande ‘island’ (dat. sg. neut. n. igland)
- Iotum ‘the Jutes’ (dat. pl. n.lõte); of lõtum ‘from the Jutes’
- Iutna ‘(of) the Jutes’ (gen. pl. n. Iõte); Iutna cynn ‘(the tribe of) the Jutes’
- is ‘is’ (3 sg. pres. anom. vb. beon ‘to be’)
L
- landes ‘(of this) land’ (gen. sg. neut. n. land ‘land’)
- lang ‘long’ (nom. sg. neut. str. adj.); lange ‘long’ (adv. of lang ‘long’)
- langum ‘long’ (dat. pl. neut. str. adj. lang)
- lic ‘body, corpse’ (nom./acc. sg. neut. n.)
- Lillan ‘Lilla’ (dat./acc. sg. masc. n. Lilla)
- lið ‘lies’ (3 sg. pres. str. vb. licgan ‘to lie’)
- lyfan ‘to allow, grant’ (inf. wk. vb.)
M
- magan ‘to be able, have permission’)
- magon ‘may, might’ (1, 2, 3 pl. pres. pret.-pres. vb. magan ‘to be able, have permission’)
- manegum ‘many’ (dat.pl. neut. str. adj. manig)
- manna ‘of men’ (gen. pl. masc. n. mann)
- māra (māre) ‘more’ (acc. sg. masc./neut. str. adj. mā)
- māran ‘greater, larger’ (acc. pl. fem. comp. adj.)
- māre ‘more, larger’ (acc. sg. masc./neut. str. adj. mã)
- Martianus ‘Marcian’ (nom. sg. masc. n.; Flavius Marcianus Augustus, c. 392- 457; Eastern Roman emperor, 450-57)
- Mæredune ‘Merton’ (dat. sg. masc. n. place name)
- Mearca (Mierce) ‘the Mercians’ (nom. pl. masc. n.)
- megð (mægð) ‘tribe, kin group, nation’ (nom. sg. fem. n.)
- megðum (mæġðum) ‘kin, family, tribe’ (dat. pl. fem. n. magð)
- mid ‘with’ (prep.)
- mihton ‘may, might’ (3 pl. pret. pret.-pres. vb.
- mila ‘miles’ (gen. pl. fem. n. mil ‘mile’)
- monað (monþa) ‘(of) months’ (gen. pl. fem. n. monað ‘month’)
- moste ‘might’ (3 sg. pret.pret.-pres. vb. môtan ‘to be allowed’)
- moston ‘might’ (3 pl. pret. pret.-pres. vb.
- motan ‘to be able, be allowed (to)’)
- mycle ‘great, much’ (acc. sg. neut. adj. micel)
- mynster ‘minster, monastery, church’ (nom./acc. sg. neut. n.)
N
- na ‘not’ (adv.) ne ‘not’ (neg. pcl.)
- nāhtsċipe ‘worthlessness’ (acc. sg. masc. n.)
- niht ‘night’ (nom./acc. sg. fem. n.)
- noldan (noldon) ‘would not’ (3 pl. pret. anom. vb. nillan (ne + willan) ‘to wish not’)
- norþ ‘north’(acc. sg. masc. str. adj.)
- Norþhymbra (Norphymbre) ‘the Northumbrians’ (nom. pl. n.)
- nū ‘now’ (adv.)
O
- of ‘from’ (prep.)
- ofslagenra ‘of the slain’ (gen. pl. masc. p.p. of ofslēan ‘to slay’)
- ofstang ‘stabbed (to death)’ (3 sg. pret. str.vb.3 ofstingan ‘to stab’)
- ofstingan ‘to stab’ (inf. str.vb.)
- on ‘on, into’ (prep.)
- onfeohtende ‘fighting, still fighting’ (p.prt. str. vb. onfeohtan ‘to fight against’)
- oþer another’ (acc. sg. neut. str. adj. õper)
P
- Pauline ‘Paulinus’ (dat. sg. masc. n. Paulinus)
- Paulinus ‘Paulinus’ (masc. n.)
- Penda Penda’ (nom. sg. masc. n.; king of Mercia, 632-54)
- Pentecosten ‘Pentecost’ (dat. sg. masc. п.)
- Petres ‘of Peter’ (gen. sg. masc. n. Peter)
- Pyhtas ‘Picts’ (nom. pl. masc. n.)
- Pyhtisc ‘Pictish’ (language; adj.)
R
- ræd ‘counsel, advice’ (acc. sg. masc. n. ræd)
- rad ‘rode’ (3 sg. pret. str. vb. rīdan ‘to ride’)
- Readingum ‘Reading’ (dat. pl. masc. n. place name)
- ridon ‘rode’ (3 pl. pret. str. vb. rīdan ‘to ride’)
- rixade ‘ruled, reigned’ (3 sg. pret. wk. vb. rīcsian ‘to rule’)
S
- sancte ‘saint’ (dat. sg, masc. n. sanct)
- scaðan (sceaða) ‘enemy, assassin’ (acc. sg. masc. n.scaðа)
- sceoldon ‘should, must’ (3 pl. pret. pret.-pres. vb. sculan ‘to be obliged, to have to, must, should’)
- scipum ‘ships’ (dat. pl. neut. n. sćip ‘ship’)
- Scithian ‘Scandinavia’ (acc. sg. masc. n. Scithia)
- Scottas ‘Scots (Irish)’ (nom./acc. pl. n.)
- Scyttisc ‘Scottish’ (language; adj.)
- sind (sindon) ‘are’ (3 pl. pres. anom. vb. béon ‘to be’)
- sealde ‘gave’ (3 sg. pret. wk.vb. sellan ‘to give, commit, entrust’)
- Seaxum ‘the Saxons’ (dat. pl. masc. n. Seaxe)
- secgan ‘to tell’ (inf. wk. vb.II ‘to say, declare, tell of, make known’)
- seo ‘the’ (nom. sg. fem. def. art.); seo ‘who, which’ (nom. sg. fem. def. art. / rel.pron. séo ‘the’/‘who, which’)
- sige ‘victory’(acc. sg. masc. п.)
- sona ‘soon, immediately’ (adv.)
- stāne ‘stone’ (dat. sg. masc. n. stān)
- stede ‘place, location, site’ (dat. sg. masc. n.)
- stōd ‘remained’ (3 sg. pret. str.vb. standan ‘to be, stand, remain’)
- sumerlida ‘summer-army, fleet of raiders’ (nom. sg. masc. n.)
- suþan ‘from the south’ (adv.)
- sūðanēastan ‘in the southeast’ (adv.)
- Suðanhymbra ‘ofthe Southumbrians’ (gen. pl. n. Süðanhymbre)
- suðewearde ‘southward, to the south’ (adv.)
- Suð Sexa (Suð Seaxe) ‘the South Saxons, ‘the people of Sussex’ (nom. pl. masc. n. phrase)
T
- timbrian ‘to build’ (inf. wk. vb.”)
- treowe ‘wood’ (dat. sg. neut. n. treow)
- twa ‘two’ (nom. sg. fem. card. num.)
- twegen ‘two’ (nom. pl. masc. card. num.)
- twelfa ‘twelve’ (gen. pl. card. num. twelf)
Þ/Ð
- þa ‘who’ (nom. pl. masc. def.art. / rel. pron.sê, séo, þæt /‘who, which’)
- þa ‘then’ (adv.)
- þa ‘they’ (nom./acc. pl. neut. pron.)
- þær ‘there’ (adv.)
- þæt (þætte) ‘so that’ (conj.)
- þeahhwæðere ‘however’ (adv.)
- ðegn ‘servant’ (acc. sg. masc. n.)
- þeora (heora, hira) ‘their’ (gen. 3 pl. masc./fem./neut. pron.)
- þer (þær) ‘there’ ‘where’ (adv.)
- þes (þæs) ‘of the’ (gen. sg. masc./neut. def. art.)
- þet ‘that’ (conj.)
- þider ‘there’ (adv.)
- þis ‘this’ (nom. sg. neut. dem. pron.); þis ‘this’ (dat. sg. neut. dem. pron. for late spelling after some inflectional decay)
- þises (þisses) ‘of this’ (gen. sg. neut. dem. pron.bis)
- ðissum (þissum) ‘(in) this’ (dat. sg. masc. dem. pron.þes)
- þonne ‘when’ (adv./conj.)
- þohte ‘(and) thought, thinking’ (3 sg. pret. wk. vb. þencan ‘to think’)
- þrim ‘three’ (dat. pl. masc. of card. num. / adj.brī)
- þusenda ‘thousands’ (gen. pl. neut. n. þūsend)
U
- Ualentinus ‘Valentinus’ (nom. sg. masc. n.; Flavius Placidius Valentinianus Augustus, 419–55; Western Roman emperor, 425-55)
- up ‘up’ (adv.)
- ure ‘our’ (gen. 1 pl. pron. we ‘we’)
W
- wælsliht ‘slaughter, battle-slaughter’ (nom./acc. sg. neut. n.)
- we ‘we’ (nom. 1 pl. pron.)
- wearð ‘became, was’ (3 sg. pret. anom. vb. weorðan ‘to become, happen’)
- Wecta ‘Wecta’ (n.; father of Witta, son of Woden)
- weron (wæron) ‘were’ (3 pl. pret. anom.vb. wesan ‘to be’)
- wēstiġ ‘waste, empty, deserted’ (adv.)
- West Sexa (West Seaxe) ‘the West Saxons’ (nom. pl. masc. n. phrase)
- West Seaxna ‘of Wessex, of the West Saxons’ (gen. pl. masc. n. phrase West Seaxe)
- West Sexum (West Seaxum) ‘(in) Wessex’ (dat. pl. masc. n. phrase)
- weored (werod) ‘troops, force’ (acc. sg. neut. n.)
- Wiht ‘(in) (the Isle of) Wight’ (dat. sg. n.) Wihtgils ‘Wihtgils’ (n.;father of Hengest and Horsa; son of Witta)
- Wihtgilses ‘ofWihtgils’ (gen. sg. n. Wihtgils) Wihtwara ‘the inhabitants ofWiht’ (nom. pl. fem. n.)
- willað ‘will’ (3 pl. pres.anom.vb. willan ‘to wish, will, desire’)
- Wilsc ‘Welsh’ (language; adj.)
- Winburnan ‘Wimborne’ (dat. sg. fem. n. place name)
- witan (witon) ‘know’ (1 pl. pres. pret.-pres. vb. witan ‘to know’)
- Witta ‘Witta’ (n.; father of Wihtgils, son ofWitta)
- wið ‘in return (for)’ (adv.); wiððan þe ‘provided that’
- wiðstent ‘should resist’ (3 sg. pres. subjunc. str. vb.“
- wiðstandan ‘to stand against, resist’)
- wunian ‘dwell’ (inf. wk. vb ‘to remain, stay, dwell’)
- Witting son of Witta (n.)
- Wodne ‘Woden’ (dat. sg. n. Woden); fram þan Wodne ‘from this Woden’
- Wodning ‘son of Woden’ (nom. sg. n.)
- Wyrtgeorn ‘Vortigern’ ((L.) nom. sg. n. Wortigernus; a British leader after the Roman withdrawal)
Y
- Ybernian (Hibernian) ‘Ireland’ (dat. sg. neut. Hibernia)