This is page 1153 of An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary by Bosworth and Toller (1898)

This online edition was created by the Germanic Lexicon Project. Click here to go to the main page about Bosworth/Toller. (You can download the entire dictionary from that page.) Click here to volunteer to correct a page of this dictionary. Click here to search the dictionary. This page was generated on 30 Mar 2019. The individual pages are regenerated once a week to reflect the previous week's worth of corrections, which are performed and uploaded by volunteers. The copyright on this dictionary is expired. You are welcome to copy the data below, post it on other web sites, create derived works, or use the data in any other way you please. As a courtesy, please credit the Germanic Lexicon Project.

WÆ-acute;LAN -- WÆL-HLEM[M]. 1153

abyssus, Wrt. Voc. i. 54, 34: 80, 65. Sume weriaþ on gewitlocan wísdómes streám, ðæt hé on unnyt út ne tóflóweþ, ac se wæ-acute;l wunaþ on weres breóstum dióp and stille. Past. 65; Swt. 469, 4. Hic gurges ðis (ðis with e over i, MS. F.: ðes, MSS. D.O.) wæ-acute;l, ðæt is, deóp wæter, Ælfc. Gr. 9, 26; Zup. 52, 9. Wæ-acute;les stæð alvei (the Nile) marginem, Hpt. Gl. 492, 70. Scymriendes wæ-acute;les cerulei gurgitis, Germ. 401, 10. Wé æthrynon mid úrum árum ða ýðan ðas deópan wæ-acute;lis, wé gesáwon eác ða muntas ymbe ðære sæ-acute; strande, Anglia viii. 299, 38. Þweálu clæ-acute;nes wæ-acute;les (gurgitis), Hymn. Surt. 52, 13. On wæ-acute;le fúlum þweán, sume wróhte getácnaþ. Lchdm. iii. 206, 10. Fugel uppe sceal lácan on lyfte, leax sceal on wæ-acute;le mid sceóte scríðan, Menol. Fox 538; Gn. C. 39. Of wæ-acute;le getogen gurgite ductus, Hymn. Surt. 70, 27: 25, 6. Áðuah in ðær uéle (natatoria), Jn. Skt. Lind. 9, 7. In ðæt uoel &l-bar; in ðæt fiscpól in piscinam, 5, 4. On wæ-acute;lum ádrenctum profundis pelagi flustris suffocato (Ald. 12), Hpt. Gl. 426, 22. Weálu (rubicundi oceani) gurgites, 409, 64. Ðú gedréfest deópe wæ-acute;las conturbas profundum maris, Ps. Th. 64, 7. [With weel of þi liking torrente voluntatis tuae, Ps. 35, 9. Þai sink in þat wele (v.l. pitt), þar neuer man sank þat was o sele, C.M. 2903. Wel (rimes with sel). Misc. 149, 89. v. Jamieson's Dict. s.v. wele. O.L. Ger. wál abyssus.]

wæ-acute;lan; p. de To vex, torment, afflict :-- Ðæt hý his líchoman leng ne móstan wítum wæ-acute;lan. Exon. Th. 127, 34; Gú. 396. Dogter mín is yfle from deófle wæ-acute;led filia mea male a daemonio vexatur. Mt. Kmbl. Rush. 15, 22. Hé is yfle wæ-acute;lid male torquetur, 8, 6. [Cf. Icel. veill diseased, ailing; veilindi disease.] v. á-, be-, ge-wæ-acute;lan.

Wæ-acute;l-bed[d], es; n. The bed of the slain :-- Ic hine heardan clammum on wælbedde wríþan þóhte I had thought to bind him on the couch of the slain (i.e. to till him), Beo. Th. 1932; B. 964. Hwæt befealdest ðú folmum ðínum on wælbedd bróðor ðínne? Cd. Th. 62, 8; Gen. 1011, v. wæl-rest.

wæ-acute;l-ben[n], e; f. A wound inflicted by the sea, v. wæ-acute;l :-- Gársecg wédde ... egesan stódon, weóllon wæ-acute;lbenna (wæl- ?) (the reference is to the death of the Egyptians in the Red Sea), Cd. Th. 208, 30; Exod. 491.

wæl-bend, e; f. A deadly, mortal band :-- Wæ-acute;lbende handgewriþene deathband hand-twisted (i.e. death at a person's hauds), Beo. Th. 3876; B. 1936. v. wæl-clamm.

wæl-bleát; adj. Causing mortal weakness, deadly, mortal :-- Benne, wunde wælbleáte, Beo. Th. 5443; B. 2725.

wæl-ceald; adj. Deadly cold :-- Hé him helle gescóp, wælcealde wíc (cf. Ðæ-acute;r (in hell) cymð forst fyrnum cald, Cd. Th. 20, 28; Gen 316), wintre beðeahte, Salm. Kmbl. 937; Sal. 468.

wæl-ceásiga, an; m. A chooser of the slain, a raven :-- Wonn wæl-ceásega, Cd. Th. 188, 6; Exod. 164. v. wæl-cyrige.

wæl-clam[m], es; m. A fatal bond :-- Forgif mé mennen ðe ðú áhreddest wera wælclommum (captivity in which they might have been slain ?), Cd. Th. 128, 17; Gen. 2128. v. wæl-bend.

wæl-cræft, es; m. A deadly power, power which causes death :-- Ðonne mín hláford wile láfe þicgan ðara ðe hé of lífe hét wælcræf[tum] áwrecan (of those whom he has ordered to be slain), Exon. Th. 498, 11; Rä. 87, 11.

wæl-cwealm, es; m. A death-pang, pain of violent death :-- Récas stígaþ ofer hrófum, hlin bið on eorþan, wælcwealm wera, Exon. Th. 381, 8; Rä. 2, 8.

wæl-cyrge, -cyrige, -cyrie, an; f. A chooser of the slain. According to the mythology, as seen in its Northern form, the Val-kyrjur were the goddesses who chose the slain that were to be conducted by them to Odin's hall -- Val-halla : 'Þær ríða jafnan at kjósa val.' Something of the old idea is still shewn in the following glosses, in which the word renders a Fury, a Gorgon, or the goddess of war :-- Uualcyrge Tisifone, Wrt. Voc. ii. 122, 34: Eurynis, 107, 43. Walcrigge Herinis, 110, 34. Wælcyrge, 43, 2: Bellona, 94, 15: 12, 12. Wælcyrige Allecto, 5, 72. Wælcyrie Tisiphona, i. 60, 21. Ða deór habbaþ wælkyrian eágan hae bestie oculos habent Gorgoneos, Nar. 34, 6. But elsewhere it is used apparently with the sense of witch or sorceress :-- Wyccan and wælcyrian and unlybwyrhtan, Wulfst. 298, 18. Wiccan and wælcerian, 165, 34. Wiccean and wælcyrian, Chart. Erl. 231, 10. [Clerkes out of Caldye ... wyche&yogh; & walkyries ... deuinores of demorlaykes ... sorsers & exorsismus, Allit. Pms. 85, 1577. Icel. val-kyrja.]

wæl-cyrging, es; m. One that belongs to the race of the wælcyrgan :-- Gorgoneus, ðæt is wælkyrging (-cyrginc, v.l.), Nar. 35, 6.

weol-deáþ, es; m. A violent death :-- Hié wældeáð (death at Grendel's hands) fornam, Beo. Th. 1395; B. 695.

wæl-dreór, es; m. The blood of the slain :-- Wæter wældreóre fág, Beo. Th. 3267; B. 1631. Eorðe wældreóre (the blood of Abel) swealh of handum ðínum (Cain's), Cd. Th. 62, 19; Gen. 1016. Ic fylde mid folmum ordbanan Abeles, eordan sealde wældreór weres, 67, 9; Gen. 1098.

wæl-fæ-acute;hþ, e; f. Deadly feud, hostility that leads to slaying :-- Hé wælfæ-acute;hða dæ-acute;l, sæcca gesette. Beo. Th. 4061; B. 2028.

wæl-fæðm, es; m. A deadly embrace :-- Brim wælfæðmum sweóp, fæ-acute;ge crungon (of the overwhelming of the Egyptians in the Red Sea), Cd. Th. 208, 9; Exod. 480.

wæl-fáh; adj. Deadly hostile (?) :-- Wælfágne winter (winter when the earth seems dead). Beo. Th. 2260; B. 1128.

wæl-feall, es; m. (?) The fall of the slain, destruction :-- Tó wælfealle and tó deáðcwalum Deniga leódum, Beo. Th. 3427; B. 1711. [Icel. val-fall; n; strages.] Cf. wæl-fill.

wæl-fel; adj. Cruel to the slain (?) or very cruel. Cf. wæl-hreów :-- Hræfen uppe gól, wan and wælfel, Elen. Kmbl. 105; El. 53.

wæl-feld, es; m. The field of the slain, the battle-field :-- Hí on wælfelda plegodan, Chr. 937 ; Erl. 114, 17.

wæl-fill, es; m. Slaughter, carnage :-- Wælfill cedes, Wrt. Voc. ii. 15, 67. Wælfyl statis (stragis, v. Ald. 173, 3), 93, 52. Hér micel wælfill wæs æt Wóddesbeorge (Wódnes-, MS. E.), Chr. 592; Erl. 18, 30. Blódgyte, wællfyll weres, morð mid mundum. Cd. Th. 92, 11; Gen. 1527. Heó underbæc beseah wið ðæs wælfylles (the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah). 154, 29; Gen. 2563.

wæl-fús; adj. Ready to be slain; referring to Beowulf before the fight in which he was mortally wounded :-- Him wæs geómor sefa, wæfre and wælfús, wyrd ungemete neáh, se sceolde sécean sáwle hord, sundur gedæ-acute;lan líf wið líce, Beo. Th. 4831; B. 2420.

wæl-fyll, e: -fyllu(-o); indecl. f. Abundance of slain :-- Grendel on reste genam þrítig þegna; ðanon eft gewát tó hám faran mid ðære wæl-fylle. Beo. Th. 250; B. 125.

wæl-fýr, es; n. I. a fire that, slays, deadly fire :-- Beorges weard (the fire-drake) wearp wælfýre, wíde sprungon hilde leóman, Beo. Th. 5157; B. 2582. II. a fire that burns the slain, a funeral pile :-- Hét Hildeburh hire selfre suna on bæ-acute;l dón ... wand tó wolcnum wælfýra mæ-acute;st, Beo. Th. 2243; B. 1119.

wæl-gæst (-gæ-acute;st?), es; m. A deadly guest (spirit?), a murderous guest :-- Wælgaest (Grendel), Beo. Th. 3994; B. 1995: (Grendel's mother), 2666; B. 1331.

wæl-gár, es; m. A deadly spear :-- Wælgár slíteþ, Exon. Th. 354, 46; Reim. 61. Ðæ-acute;r wæs heard plega, wælgára wrixl, wígcyrm micel, Cd. Th. 120, 5; Gen. 1990.

wæl-gífre; adj. I. eager to slay, (a) of persons :-- Ðá com hæleða þreát (those who wished to kill St. Andrew) wadan wælgífre, Andr. Kmbl. 2543; An. 1273. Deáð, wiga wælgífre, Exon. Th. 231, 8; Ph. 486: 162, 7; Gú. 972. (b) of things :-- Wæ-acute;pen wælgífru, Exon. Th. 292, 16; Wand. 100. II. eager to prey on the dead :-- Se græ-acute;ga mæ-acute;w wælgífre wand. Andr. Kmbl. 743; An. 372. Se wanna hrefn, wælgífre fugel, Judth. Thw. 24, 25; Jud. 207. Wulfum tó willan, and eác wælgíftum fuglum tó frófre, 25, 37; Jud. 296. v. wæl-græ-acute;dig.

wæl-gim[m], es; m. The word seems to be an epithet for the sheath of a sword, which is called in the riddle the sword's byrne :-- Byrne is mín (a sword's) bleófág, swylce beorht seomað (-d, MS.) wír ymb ðone wælgim, ðe mé waldend geaf, Exon. Th. 400, 20; Rä. 21, 4.

wæl-græ-acute;dig; adj. Greedy for the slain (an epithet of cannibals) :-- Hæfdon hié áwriten wælgræ-acute;dige wera endestæf, hwænne hié tó móse meteþearfendum weorðan sceoldon, Andr. Kmbl. 269; An. 135. v. wæl-gífre.

wæl-grim[m]; adj. Cruel, destructive :-- Wælgrim, unhére funestus, crudelis, perniciosus, Wrt. Voc. ii. 151, 63: violentus, Germ. 399, 467. (1) of living things, bloodthirsty, cruel :-- Hwæt standest ðú (the devil) wælgrim (the MS. breaks off here) ... ? quid adstas cruenda bestia ? Blickl. Homl. 227, 26. Wælgrim wiga, Exon. Th. 396, 21; Rä. 16, 8. Heó wæs æ-acute;ryst hæ-acute;ðen and wælgrim, Shrn. 139, 5. Ðone Iacóbum se wælgrimma hyrde (Herod) ácwealde mid sweorde, 108, 23. Hí wælgrimme wyrmas slítaþ, Wulfst. 139, 10: Dóm. L. 210. (2) of other than living things, cruel, dire, destructive :-- Hunger se hearda, wælgrim werum, Cd. Th. 109, 1; Gen. 1816. Níð wæs réðe, wællgrim werum, 83, 23; Gen. 1384. Hé geseah wíde fleógan wælgrimme réc (the smoke from the burning cities of the plain), 155, 26; Gen. 2578. Wælgrimme wyrd (the fall of man), 61, 12; Gen. 996. Ðé sind heardlícu, wundrum wælgrim (wel-, MS.) wítu geteohhad, Exon. Th. 258, 12; Jul. 264. Gefyistan of ðám wælgrimmum. tintregum, L.E.I. proem.; Th. ii. 396, 4. Þolian wælgrim wítu, Andr. Kmbl. 2829; An. 1417. Wæs ðis gefeoht waelgrimre and strengre eallum ðám æ-acute;rgedónum strages cunctis crudeliores prioribus, Bd. 1, 12; S. 481, 24. Cf. wæl-hreów.

wæl-grimlíce; adv. With the utmost bitterness :-- Hí wæ-acute;lgrimlíce gefuhton. Ðæ-acute;r wæs se mæ-acute;sta blódgyte on æ-acute;gðere healfe, Ors. 4, 2; Swt. 160, 31.

wæl-gryre, es; m. The terror that comes from danger of falling in battle :-- On fyrd hyra (the Israelites) fæ-acute;rspell (the tidings of the approach of the Egyptian army) becwom; egsan stódan. wælgryre weroda, Cd. Th. 186, 11; Exod. 137.

wæl-here, (ig)es; m. A slaughtering host :-- Fóron tósomne wráðe wælherigas, Cd. Th. 119, 21; Gen. 1983.

wæl-hlem[m], es; m. A deadly onslaught :-- Hyne Wulf wæ-acute;pne geræ-acute;hte, ðæt him for swenge swát æ-acute;drum sprong ...; næs hé forht