This is page 1207 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.

WERGILD-ÞEÓF--WERIAN. 1207

Ceorles wergild is on Myrcna lage .cc. sci&l-bar;&l-bar;. Ðegnes wergild is syx swá mycel, ðæt bið .xii. hund sci&l-bar;&l-bar;. Ðonne bið cynges ánfeald wergild .vi. þegna wer be Myrcna lage, ðæt is .xxx. þúsend sceatta, and ðæt bið ealles .cxx. punda. Swá mycel is ðæs wergildes on folces folcrihte be Myrcna lage, L. M. L.; Th. 1: 190, 2-7. Cyninges horswealh, se ðe him mæge geæ-acute;rendian, ðæs wergield bið .cc. sci&l-bar;&l-bar;., L. In. 33; Th. i. 122, 14. I. when a person was wrongfully slain the wergild of the slain man could be claimed from the slayer. Cf. wer, I:--Gif man leúd ofsleá an þeófðe, licge bútan wyrgelde, L. Wih. 25; Th. i. 42, 13. Se .vii. nihta móna is gód on tó fixianne, and æðeles monnes wergild an tó manianne, Lchdm. iii. 178, 14. I a. for those who were concerned in the receiving of the wergild see wer, I a, and the following:--Gif man his mæn freólse gefe, . . . freólsgefa áge his erfe ænde wergeld, L. Wih. 8; Th. i. 38, 16. (See also the cases quoted under IV.) I b. as to the form which the payment might take see wer, I c, and the following:--Mót hé gesellan monnan and byrnan and sweord on ðæt wergild, L. In. 54; Th. i. 138, 1. (Cf. for similar payment: Mid .lx. sci&l-bar;&l-bar;. gebéte . . . and ðæt sié on cwicæ-acute;htum, and mon næ-acute;nigne mon on ðæt ne selle, L. Alf. pol. 18; Th. i. 72, 12.) Tó ðam ðæt hió hyre bróðra wergild gecure on swylcum þingum swylce hyre and hire nýhstan freóndum sélost lícode. And hió ðá swá dyde ðæt hió ðæt wergeld geceás on ðam íglande ðe Teneð is nemned, ðæt is hundeahtatig hída landes ðe hió ðæ-acute;r æt ðæm cyninge onfeóng, Lchdm. iii. 426, 16-21. II. in case of certain crimes the criminal's wergild was exacted as a penalty, v. wer, III:--Gif frí man wið fríes mannes wíf geligeþ, his wergelde ábicge, L. Ethb. 31; Th. i. 10, 6. Forgielde hé hine selfa be his wergilde, L. Alf. pol. 7; Th. i. 66, 12. II a. the payment of the wergild is in some cases an alternative, v. wer, III b:--Sí þreóra án for his feore . . . wergild, éce þeówet, hengenwítnung, L. Eth. vii. 16; Th. i. 332, 18. Þolige hé lífes oþþe wæregildes (were-, v. l.), L. C. S. 62; Th. i. 408, 23. Wealde se cyning þreóra æ-acute;nes; oþþe hine man cwelle, oþþe ofer sæ-acute; selle, oþþe hine his wergelde áliése, L. Win. 26; Th. i. 42, 17. Hé hine be his wergilde áliése, oþþe be his were geswicne, L. In. 15; Th. i. 112, 2. Hé bið feorhscyldig, nimþe him se cyning álýfan wille ðæt man wergylde álýsan móte, L. Eth. vii. 15; Th. i. 332, 15. II b. of the uses to which wergild paid as a fine in religious matters (cf. L. E. G. 2; Th. i. 168, 1-3) could be applied see the following:--Gif for godbótan feohbót áríseþ, ðæt gebyreþ rihtlíce . . . tó godcundan neódan (these are enumerated in the section); hwílum be wíte, hwílum be wergilde (at times the feohbót is in the form of wergild), L. Eth. vi. 51; Th. i. 328, 4-10. III. the wergild served as a standard by which other matters might be regulated, v. wer, IV:--Se ðe on ðære fóre wæ-acute;re ðæ-acute;r mon monnan ofslóge, getriéwe hine ðæs sleges, and ða fóre gebéte be ðæs ofslegenan wergielde. Gif his wergield sié .cc. sci&l-bar;&l-bar;., gebéte mid .l. sci&l-bar;&l-bar;., and ða ilcan riht dó man be ðám deórborenum, L. In. 34; Th. i. 124, 1. Twelfhyndes mannes áð forstent .vi. ceorla áð, for ðam . . . his wergyld bið six ceorla wergyld, L. O. 13; Th. i. 182, 21. Gif hé hine selfne triówan wille, dó ðæt be cyninges wergelde, L. Alf. pol. 4; Th. i. 64, 2. Gif hé ládian wille, dó ðæt be ðæs cynges wergilde, oþþe mid þryfealdan ordále, L. Eth. v. 30; Th. i. 312, 7. Gylde ðam cyninge be his weregilde (wer-, v. l.), L. C. S. 67; Th. i. 410, 17. In the following case the wergild seems to have suggested the amount of a bequest to the church:--Hió (the testator's wife) gebrenge æt Sancte Petre mín twá wergild, gif ðet Godes wille seó ðæt heó ðæt færeld áge, Chart. Th. 481, 10. IV. instances of the payment of wergild are the following. The two young princes Æþelred and Æþelbriht were slain by Thunor, and to their sister eighty hides of land was given as wergild, Lchdm. iii. 424-6. In the war between Ecgfriþ and Æþelred the former's brother was slain. Theodore brought about peace between them 'ðæt næ-acute;niges mannes feorh tó lore wearþ, ne máre blódgyte wæs for ðam ofslægenan cyninges bréðer, ac hé mid feó wiþ hine geþingode, ðæt heora sib wæs' Bd. 4, 21; S. 590, 24. In 687 Mul, Ceadwalla's brother, was burnt in Kent: in 694 'Cantware geþingodon wiþ Íne, and him gesaldon xxx &m-tilde;., for ðon ðe híe æ-acute;r Mul forbærndon, Chr. 694; Erl. 42, 15. [O. Frs. wer-geld, -ield: O. H. Ger. wer-, weri-gelt fiscus, pretium. Cf. Icel. mann-gjöld; pl.] Cf. leód, leód-gild; and see Kemble's Saxons in England, vol. i. c. x, Grmm. R. A. 650.

wergild-þeóf, es; m. A thief whose wergild was paid as a punishmen for his crime [cf. Gif þeóf sié gefongen, swelte hé deáðe, oþþe his líf be his were man áliése, L. In. 12; Th. i. 110, 8]:--Be wergeldþeófes forefonge. Gif mon wergildþeóf geféhð, and hé losige ðý dæge ðám monnum ðe hine gefóð, þeáh hine mon gefó ymb niht, náh him mon máre æt ðonne ful wíte, L. In. 72; Th. i. 148, 5-8. At omni tributo publicalium rerum et ab expeditionalibus causis et a cunctis operibus uel regis uel principis sit terra in perpetuam libera, ita ut nec pontem nec arcem facere debeant, nec de furtis aliquam poenam soluere, nec etiam fures illo quos Saxonice uuergeldtheouas alicui foras reddant; sed si capiantur, in illorum dominio sunt habendi, Cod. Dip. Kmbl. i. 172, 7: 14. ¶ the word is also used to denote the right to receive the wergilds paid in case of theft; cf. the preceding passage:--Huic libertati concedo additamentum in qua, ut ab omnibus apertius et plenius intelligatur, nomina consuetudinum Anglice praecepi ponere: scilicet, mundbryche, . . . flýmena fyrmðe, wergeldþeóf, úðleáp (cf. wer, III a), . . . fyrdwíte . . ., aliasque omnes leges et consuetudines quae ad me pertinent, Chart. Th. 411, 26-34.

wergness, wergulu, wergum, Cd. Th. 267, 22; Sat. 42, wergþu, wergung. v. weargnes, wirgness, weargol, wearh; m. (?), wirgþu, wirgung.

wer-hád, es; m. The male sex:--Werhád oððe wífhad sexus, Ælfc. Gr. 11; Zup. 78, 16: Wrt. Voc. i. 50, 7: 70, 19. Werhádes man mas vel masculus, 70, 17. Æ-acute;lc werhádes man omne masculinum . . . se werhádes man masculus, Gen. 17, 12, 24. Ealle werhádes men omnes viri, 7, 27. Werhádes and wífhádes hé gesceóp hig masculum et feminam creavit eos, 1, 27. Werhádes men ongunnon ðone dreám, and wífhádes men him sungon ongeán, Homl. Th. ii. 548, 11. Ðæt hí heora clæ-acute;nnesse healdan be heora háde, swá werhádes swá wífhádes, swá hwæðer swá hit sý, L. Edm. E. 1; Th. i. 244, 11.

werh-bræ-acute;de, werhte, weria. v. wearg-bræ-acute;de, wærcan, wearg.

werian, wergan; p. ede. I. to hinder, check, restrain:--Stán sépte sacerdas sweotolum tácnum, witig werede, and worde cwæð, Andr. Kmbl. 1485; An. 744. Egesan stódon, weredon wælnet (deadly toils hampered(?)), Cd. Th. 190, 20; Exod. 202. Ic wylle ðæt æ-acute;lc man hæbbe symle ða men gearowe on his lande, ðe læ-acute;den ða men ðe heora ágen sécan willen, and hý for nánum médsceattum ne werian, L. Ed. 7; Th. i. 162, 25. I a. to dam water, v. wering:--Sume weriaþ on gewitlocan wísdómes streám, welerum gehæftaþ, ðæt hé on unnyt út ne óflóweþ, Past. 65; Swt. 469, 2. II. to keep off, drive away:--Wereth abiget, Wrt. Voc. ii. 98, 18. II a. to keep off something from a person (dat.), to keep a person (dat.) from something (acc.), v. warian, IV:--Ic mínum fótum fæ-acute;cne síðas werede ab omni mala via prohibui pedes meos, Ps. Th. 118, 101. Æ-acute;gðer óðrum trymede heofonríces hyht, helle wítu wordum werede (cf. gihét im he&b-bar;anríki endi helleógethwing werida mid wordun, Hél. 2082), Andr. Kmbl. 2107; An. 1055. III. to defend, resist attack upon:--God geseah his (St. Paul's) geðanc, ðæt hé éhte geleáffulra manna ðurh ware ðære ealdan æ-acute;, and hine gespræc:--'Saule . . . ic eom seó sóðfæstnys ðe ðú werast,' Homl. Th. i. 390, 8. Hé unheánlíce hine werede, Chr. 755; Erl. 48, 33. His ríce hé heardlíce werode ða hwíle ðe his tíma wæs, 1016; Erl. 155, 6. Hú his seó mycle hand on gewindæge werede and ferede qua die manus ejus liberavit eos de manu tribulantis, Ps. Th. 77, 42. Hé under segne sinc ealgode, wælreáf werede, Beo. Th. 2414; B. 1205. Wé on orlege hafelan weredon, 2658; B. 1327. Hí céne hí weredon, Byrht. Th. 140, 5; By. 283. Ðá hé (Peter) his Drihten werian wolde, L. Ælfc. P. 51; Th. ii. 386, 22. Gif hé hine werian wille, L. Ath. i. 1; Th. i. 198, 20: v. 12, 1; Th. i. 240, 29: 3; Th. i. 242, 10. Utan líf and land ealle werian, L. Eth. v. 35; Th. i. 312, 22: Chr. 1010; Erl. 144, 8. Burh werian, Blickl. Homl. 79, 16. Wígsteal wergan, Exon. Th. 315, 31; Mód. 39. Ealle ða ðe hié wergan noldon, Chr. 921; Erl. 107, 4. III a. to defend against, (1) with dat.:--Ðonne hand wereþ feorhhord feóndum, Wald. 99; Vald. 2, 21. Hí woldon burh wráðum werian, Cd. Th. 119, 7; Gen. 1976. Wergan éþelstól Ætlan leódum, Exon. Th. 325, 34; Víd. 121. (2) with prep. wið:--Ða hí fæstlíce wið ða fýnd weredon, Byrht. Th. 134, 11; By. 82. Wit unc wið hronfixas werian þóhton, Beo. Th. 1086; B. 541. Breóstnet wera wíð feónd folmum werigean, Cd. Th. 192, 26; Exod. 237. III b. to defend at law:--Se ðe on gemóte mid wiðertihtlan hine sylfne oþþe his man werige, L. C. S. 27; Th. i. 392, 6. Se Englisca hine werige mid orneste oþþe mid írene . . . Gif se Englisca nele hine werian mid orneste oþþe mid gewitnesse, hé ládige hine mid írene, L. W. ii. 2; Th. i. 489, 13-19. Werige hine se Fræncisca mid unforedan áþe, 3; Th. i. 489, 24. Se ðe can mid leásungan wæwerdlíce werian, and mid unsóðe sóð oferswíðan, Wulfst. 169, 1. III c. in the phrase werian land the word refers to the performance of services that might be demanded from the holders of land:--Werige (the Latin version has adquietet) se cotsetla his hláfordes inland, gif him man beóde, æt sæ-acute;wearde and æt cyniges deórhege and æt swilcan ðingan swilc his mæ-acute;ð sý, L. R. S. 3; Th. i. 432, 27. v. Kemble's Saxons in England, i. 323. ¶ the phrase commonly occurs where an assessment is made for a smaller number of hides than those actually held, and is retained in Domesday Book in the Latin defendere pro (a certain number of hides):--Hé geúðe ðæt man ðæt land on eallum þingon for áne híde werode, swá swá his yldran hit æ-acute;r gesetton and gefreódon, wæ-acute;re ðæ-acute;r máre landes, wæ-acute;re ðæ-acute;r læsse . . . Ealles ðæs landes is án hund hída: ac ða gódan cynegas . . . æ-acute;lc æfter óðran, ðæt ylce land swá gefreódon Gode tó lofe and his þeówan tó bryce intó fóstorlande, ðæt hit man æ-acute;fre on ende for áne híde werian sceolde, Cod. Dip. Kmbl. iii. 112, 5-24. Nú wille ic ðæt hit man on eallum þingon for áne híde werige . . . sý ðér máre landes, sý ðér lesse (there were 578 hides), 203, 16. Hé werige for twá hída, iv. 262, 15. Ic wylle ðæt Æ-acute;ðelnóð arcebisceop werige his landáre nú, ealswá hé dyde æ-acute;r Ægelríc wæ-acute;re geréfa, vi. 187, 19. Ðæt mon ælles ðises freólses áre æ-acute;fre for áne híde werian scolde; for ðam ðe Godes ár æ-acute;fre freogre beón sceal ðonne æ-acute;nig woruldár, v. 113, 33. IV. to protect, guard from wrong or injury, (1) of persons:--God, se ðás fyrd wereþ, Cd. Th. 195, 10; Exod. 274. Gif man ofsleá óþerne for neóde ðæ-acute;r hé his hláfordes ceáp werige si quis alium occiderit ex necessitate,