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Author: Peter
Date: 2005-08-15 15:44:23
Subject: Re: can any body help me with this Old English words?
>
> I am not sure about the meaning of heries and hehra, both seem to be genitive case and mean something like "bright", is there any body that could give me the nominative singular. I would really appreciate that thank you
> Carmen
No, it is 'scir' that means "bright" in this line of the Æcerbot (Charm for Unfruitful Land). According to the discussion at the link below (which I found by just googling for HEHRA and SCEAFTA), both of the words you mention are editorial amendations which have been proposed for seemingly meaningless sequence of letters.
http://tha-engliscan-gesithas.org.uk/gegaderung/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2592&FORUM_ID=14&CAT_ID=1&Forum_Title=Englisc Gewosa&Topic_Title=Line in Charm for Unfruitful/Hexed Land&whichpage=1
'hehra' would be the genitive plural of 'heh' (long 'e'), the Anglian (that's northern Old English) form corresponding to West Saxon 'heah' "high, tall". Genetive because this is the case used with the verb 'unnan' for the thing that is granted. 'heries' looks like one of various possible spellings of the genitive singular of the noun 'here' "an army, host of raiders".
P