This is page 1218 of An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary by Bosworth and Toller (1898)

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1218 WÍFA -- WÍFIAN.

(-æ, MS.) wífa (-e, MS.) wæ-acute;fels regillum vel peplum vel palla, Wrt. Voc. i. 40, 32. Seó æ-acute;rest wífa (feminarum) ís sæ-acute;d in Norþanhymbra mæ-acute;gþe ðæt heó munucháde onfénge, Bd. 4, 23 ; S. 593, 22. II. a being in the form of a woman :-- Wíf unhýre (Grendel's mother), Beo. Th. 4247; B. 2120. Ðæ-acute;r ða mihtigan wíf hyra mægen beræ-acute;ddon, and hý gyllende gáras sæ-acute;ndan. Lchdm. iii. 52, 21. III. a married woman, a wife: -- His wíf sua uxor, Ælfc. Gr. 15; Zup. 104, 2. Cáseres wíf imperatrix vel Augusta, 42, 10. Abram and Nachor wífudun; Abrames wíf hátte Sarai, and Nachores wíf Melcha, Gen. 11, 29: 16, 1: Cd. Th. 167, 30; Gen. 2773. Gúð sceal in eorle geweaxan, and wíf geþeón leóf (lof, MS.) mid hyre leódum, leóhtmód wesan, rúne healdan, rúmheort beón, Exon. Th. 338, 28; Gn. Ex. 85. Se man geþeót hine tó his wífe (uxori), Gen. 2, 24: Mt. Kmbl. 19, 5. Se cyning mid his wífe and twám sunum. Homl. Th. i. 468, 1. Æt his méder ðe wæ-acute;re tó æ-acute;wum wífe forgifen his fæder, L. Alf. pol. 42 ; Th. i. 90, 29. Ðe wíf hæfð uxoratus, Wrt. Voc. i. 50, 44. Ceorl ðe wíf hæfð maritus, 73, 13. Ðanon ic mé áféde, and mín wíf and mínne sunu, Coll. Monast. Th. 27, 23. Ðá ðá hé mann wolde beón, hé ne geceás ná him wíf tó méder, ac geceás clæ-acute;ne mæ-acute;den, Homl. Th. ii. 6, 34. Sume tiliaþ mid micelre geornfulnesse wífa, for ðam ðæt hí þurh ðæt mæge mæ-acute;st bearna begitan, Bt. 24, 3 ; Fox 82, 26. Wóhhæ-acute;med mid óþerra ceorla wífum, Blickl. Homl. 61, 15. His wífum twæ-acute;m sægde Lameh, Cd. Th. 66, 26 ; Gen. 1090. Hí him wíf curon, 76, 1; Gen. 1250. Hié hæfdon wíf and cyfesa, Blickl. Homl. 99, 20. ¶ the following passages will illustrate some points connected with the position of women in relation to marriage :-- Be ðon ðe mon wíf bycgge, L. In. 31; Th. i. 122, 3. Wé læ-acute;raþ ðæt æ-acute;nig cristen mann . . . ne gewífie . . . on ðæs wífes nédmágan ðe hé sylf æ-acute;r hæfde . . . hé ná má wífa ðonne án hæbbe, and dæt beó his beweddode wíf, L. C. E. 7; Th. i. 364, 21-28. Wer mót his wífe on fulwihte onfón, and ðæt wíf ðam were, L. Ecg. C. 18, tit.; Th. ii. 128, 31. Gif ceorl búton wífes wísdóm deóflum gelde . . . Gif bútwú deóflum geldaþ, sión hió healsfange scyldigo, L. Win. 12 ; Th. i. 40, 4. Gif hwá stalie swá his wíf nyte and his bearn, geselle . lx. Sci&l-bar;&l-bar;. tó wíte. Gif hé stalie on gewitnesse ealles his hírédes, gongen hié ealle on þeówot, L. In. 7 ; Th. i. 106, 15. Gif ceorl ceáp forstelð . . . ðonne bið se his dæ-acute;l synnig, bútan ðam wífe, forðon heó sceal hire ealdore hiéran, 57; Th. i. 137, 17. Ðæt ða (criminals) ealle beón gearwe mid him silfum and mid wífe and mid ærfe tó farenne þider ic wille, L. Ath. iv. proem, ; Th. i. 220, 6. Gif be cwicum ceorle wíf hig be óðrum were forlicge, and hit open weorðe . . . heó þolige nase and eárena . . . , L. C. S. 54; Th. i. 406, 6. Mon mót feohtan orwíge, gif hé geméteþ óðerne æt his æ-acute;wum wífe, L. Alf. pol. 42 ; Th. i. 90, 26. Gif frí man wið fríes mannes wíf geligeþ . . . ððer wíf (hé) his ágenum scætte begete and ðæm óðrum gebrenge, L. Ethb. 31; Th. i. 10, 7. Gif ceorl ácwyle be libbendum wífe and bearne, riht is ðæt ðæt bearn médder folgige, L. H. E. 6; Th. i. 30, 3 : L. In. 38; Th. i. 126, 3. Gif hwá cwydeleás of ðyssum lífe gewíte . . . beó be ðæs hláfordes dihte seó æ-acute;ht gescyft swýðe rihte wífe and cildan and néhmágon, L. C. S. 71; Th. i. 414, 1. Ðæ-acute;r se bónda sæt uncwyd and unbecrafod, sitte ðæt wíf and ða cild on ðam ylcan unbesacen, 73 ; Th. i. 44, 23. IIIa. a. a woman who has been married and lost her husband (by death or divorce) :-- Láf vel forlæ-acute;ten wíf derelicta, Wrt. Voc. i. 50, 46. Wífian on nánre wuduwan, ne on forlæ-acute;tenum wífe, L. Ælf. P. 39; Th. ii. 380, 16. Æ-acute;lc man ðe his wíf forlæ-acute;t. . . se ðe ðæt forlæ-acute;tene wíf nimð, se unrihthæ-acute;mð, Lk. Skt. 16, 18. Gif man mæ-acute;dan oþþe wíf (cf. the old Latin version: virginem vel viduam) weddian wille, L. Edm. B. 1; Th. i. 254, 2. Ne nýde man náðer ne wíf ne mæ-acute;den tó ðam ðe hyre sylfre mislícige (cf. passages from the Laws under widuwe, and L. H. I. 1. 3; Si, mortuo marito, uxor ejus remanserit, . . . eam non dabo marito, nisi secundum velle sunm, Th. i. 499, 15), L. C. S. 75 ; Th. i. 416, 20. IV. a female, v. wer, V :-- Æ-acute;lcne mon, ge wíf ge wæ-acute;pned, Ors. 3, 6; Swt. 108, 27. Ða forman twá, fæder and móder, wíf and wæ-acute;pned, Cd. Th. 12, 33; Gen. 195. IV a. as a grammatical term, feminine, v. wer, V a. [O. Sax. O. Frs. wíf: O. H. Ger. wíp : Icel. víf (poet.).] v. aglæ-acute;c-, gesíþ-, hæ-acute;med-, mere-, riht-, sige-, síþ-, unriht&dash-uncertain;wíf, and next word.

wífa (?), an; m. A woman :-- Gif ríce wíf and earm ácennaþ tógædere, gangon hí áweig, nást ðú hwæðer bið ðæs rícan wífan (-es ?) cild, hwæðer ðæs earman, Homl. Th. i. 256, 14.

wíf-cild, es; n. A female child :-- For wæ-acute;pnedbearne sceolde cennende wíf hí áhabban fram Godes húse ingange ðreó and ðrittig daga, and for wífcilde (femina) syx and syxtig daga, Bd. 1. 27 ; S. 493, 16.

wíf-cyn[n], es; n. I. woman-kind, women :-- Ðæt hí of ðam wífcynne him cyning curan ut de feminea regum prosapia regem sibi eligerent, Bd. 1, 1; S. 474, 22. Ðú eart gebletsod betuh ealle wífcyn (in mulieribus, Lk. 1, 28), Blickl. Homl. 143, 18. [Wiðuten wifkin and childre besides women and children, Gen. and Ex. 656.] II. female sex :-- Óþer ðara is wæ-acute;pnedcynnes, sunnan trió, óþer wífkynnes, ðæt mónan trió quarum lignum virile est solis, alterum est femineum lune, Nar. 25, 18. Hwylce wihta beóð óðre tíd wífcynnes, óðre tíd wæ-acute;pned&dash-uncertain;cynnes? Salm. Kmbl. p. 202, 12 : Lchdm. iii. 10, 12.

wíf-cyþ[þ], e; f. A visit to a woman, familiarity with a woman :-- Ðá geáscode hé ðone cyning on wífcyþþe (-cyððan. v. l.), Chr. 755 ; Erl. 48, 29.

wifel, es; m. A weevil, a beetle :-- Wibl panpila, Txts. 85, 1498. Wifel papila, Wrt. Voc. ii. 67, 59. Wibil, uuibil cantarus, Txts. 49, 398. Wifel, Wrt. Voc. ii. 13, 47. Wifel cantarus (animal), 128, 11: scarebius, i. 281, 43. Is ðæs gores sunu gonge hrædra, ðone wé wifel nemnaþ, Exon. Th. 426, 13; Rä 41, 73. Æfter ðam wifele. Lchdm. ii. 320, 2. Weorp ofer bæc ðone wifel (tordwifel, l. 15) on wege; beheald ðæt dú ne lócige æfter, 318, 19. ¶ the word seems to occur in several local names, v. Cod. Dip. Kmbl. vi. 352. [Wevyl, wyvyl or malte boode (bowde) gurgulio, Prompt. Parv. 523 and 531. O. L. Ger. gold-uuivil cicendela: O. H. Ger. wibil scarabaeus, cantarus: Ger. wiebel; Icel. tord-yfill.] v. scearn-, tord-wifel.

wifel, wifer an arrow, dart, javelin :-- Gafeluca &l-bar; wibere jaculo, sagitta, gáre &l-bar; wifele spiculo, Hpt. Gl. 432, 45, 53. Gára jaculorum, gaflucas catapultas, sagittas, wifera sagittarum, gáras spicula, 405, 52-55. [Wyfle, wepene bipennis. Prompt. Parv. 526, and see note.]

wí-férend, -wífestre. v. weg-férend, wæ-acute;pen-wífestre.

wíf-fæst; adj. Married :-- Gif wíffæst wer (uxoratus) hine forlicge be his ágenre wylne, L. C. S. 55 ; Th. i. 406, 14. Cf. wíf-leás.

wíf-feax, es; n. A woman's hair :-- Wíffex cesaries, Wrt. Voc. i. 282, 43: ii. 16, 46.

Wíf-gál; adj. Incontinent, licentious :-- Swá læ-acute;ren hí ða wífgálan gesinscipe, swá hí ða forhæbbendan ne gebrengen on unryhthæ-acute;mde sic incontinentibus laudetur conjugium, ut tamen jam continentes non revocentur ad luxum. Past. 60; Swt. 453, 30.

wíf-gehrine, es; m. Contact with woman :-- Gif ðíne geféran beóð clæ-acute;ne from wifgehrine (femineo contactu), Nar. 27, 8.

wíf-gemæ-acute;dla, an; m. A woman's fury :-- Wiþ wífgemæ-acute;dlan; geberge on neaht radices moran, ðý dæge ne mæg ðe se gemæ-acute;dla sceþþan, Lchdm. ii. 342, 10. v. ge-mæ-acute;dan.

wif-gemána, an ; m. Mulieris consortium :-- Wífgemánan to áwec&dash-uncertain;canne . . . ðæt áwecceþ wífgemánan lust, Lchdm. i. 336, 15 -- 17.

wíf-geornness, e; f. Incontinence :-- Uífgiornis adulteria, Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 15, 19.

wíf-gifta; pl. f. Nuptials, marriage :-- Waes se weliga ðæra (-e, MS. ) wífgifta georn on móde, ðæt him mon fæ-acute;mnan gegyrede brýd tó bolde, Exon. Th. 245, 2 ; Jul. 38.

wíf-hád, es; m. 1. womanhood :-- Wé sprecaþ be ðære heofonlícan cwéne æfter wífháde we speak of the heavenly queen as woman, Homl. Th. i. 546, 14. II. female sex : -- Wíf had femininum sexus, Wrt. Voc. ii. 148, 19. Wífhádes man femina, i. 70, 18 : Homl. Th. ii. 10, 12: 94, 30. Se ðe handlaþ wífhádes mannes líc, Basil admn. 7; Norm. 50, 11. God ána wát hú his gecynde biþ, wífhádes oððe weres, Exon. Th. 223, 9; Ph. 357. Se ðreát ðæra Godes ðeówa in wífháde ancillarum Dei caterva, Bd. 4, 7; S. 574, 34. [O. H. Ger. wíp-heit sexus.] See other instances under wer-hád.

wíf-hand, a; f. The female side, female line :-- Mín yldra fæder hæfde gecweden his land on ða sperehealfe, næs on ða spinlhealfe; ðonne gif ic gesealde æ-acute;nigre wífhanda ðæt hé gestrýnde, ðonne forgyldan míne mágas . . . for ðon ic cweðe ðæt hí hit gyldan, for ðon hý fóð tó mínum ðe ic syllan mót swá wífhanda swá wæ-acute;pnedhanda swáðer ic wylle, Cod. Dip. Kmbl. ii. 116, 16-24. v. next word.

wíf-healf, e; f. The female side, female line :-- On ða gerád ðæt hí gecuron heora kynecinn ða on iía wífhealfa, Chr. Erl. 3, 16. (Cf. wíf-cynn, I. ) v. preceding word.

wíf-hearpe (?), an; f. A woman's harp :-- On glígbeáme (owif&dash-uncertain;hearpan = on wifhearpan? MS. C. ) in tympano, Ps. Spl. 150, 4.

wíflan; p. ode To take a wife, to marry, (1) without an object :-- Nán wer ne wífaþ, ne wíf ne ceorlaþ, Homl. Th. i. 238, 1. Is geset swíðe micel dæ-acute;dbðt swylcum mannum tó dónne, ðe eft wífiaþ; and eác is æ-acute;lcum preóste forboden, ðæt hí beón ne móton on ða wísan ðe hí æ-acute;r wæ-acute;ron æt ðám brýdlácum, ðæ-acute;r man óðre síðe wífaþ. Be ðam man mæg witan, ðæt hit riht nis, ðæt wer wífige oððe wíf ceorlige oftur ðonne æ-acute;ne, Wulfst. 304, 28-305, 3. Ne wífiaþ hig, ne hig ne ceorliaþ neque nubent, neque nubentur, Mt. Kmbl. 22, 30. Ne wífiaþ hí, ne ne gyftigeaþ, Mk. Skt. 12, 25. Ðysse worulde beam wífiaþ and beóð tó giftum gesealde, Lk. Skt. 20, 34. Hí ne wífiaþ, ne hí beóð hámbróhte, Hpt. Gl. 436, 40. Ðæt se cniht heólde hine sylfne clæ-acute;ne óð ðæt hé wífode, Homl. Ass. 20, 149. Abraham and Nachor wífudun (duxerunt uxores), Gen. 11. 29. Wifodon, Lk. Skt. 17, 27. Wífian nubere, Hpt. Gl. 485, 72 : Homl. Skt. i. 4, 6. Mé is gesæ-acute;d ðæt eówer ancor sægð, ðæt hit sý álýfed ðæt mæssepreóstas wel móton wífian, Homl. Ass. 13, 6. Ne fremaþ nánum menn tó wífienne (wífigæ. Lind.) non expedit nubere, Mt. Kmbl. 19, 10. Wífigende and gyfta syllende nubentes et nubtum tradentes, 24, 38. (2) with an object governed by on :-- Be ðam men ðe wífaþ on twám ge&dash-uncertain;swystrenum de homine qui duas sorores in matrimonium ducit, L. Ecg. P. ii. 11, tit. ; Th. ii. 180, 18. Be ðam men ðe on his mágan wífaþ de homine qui inter cognatas suas uxorem ducit, 18, tit. ; Th. ii. 180, 30. Se ðe wífaþ on ðam forlæ-acute;tenum wífe. Homl. Th. ii. 322, 34. Tó his áðumum ðe woldon wífian on his dohtron (qui accepturi erant filias ejus),