n. Inheritance, property :-- Gewriten yrfe legatum, Ælfc. Gl. 13; Som. 57, 96; Wrt. Voc. 20, 37. Ungewriten yrfe intestata hereditas, Som. 57, 101; Wrt. Voc. 20, 41. Yrfe drihtnes hereditas Domini, Ps. Spl. 126, 4. Yrfe sceal gedǽled deádes monnes a dead man's property must be divided, Exon. 90 a ; Th. 338, 18; Gen. Ex. 80. Ne wilna ðú ðínes néhstan ierfes mid unrihte covet thou not thy neighbour's goods, L. Alf. 9 ; Th. i. 44, 21. Þolige his wǽpna and his ierfes let him forfeit his weapons and his property, L. Alf. pol. 1; Th. i. 60, 14. Gif hwá gefeohte on cyninges húse síe hé scyldig ealles his ierfes, L. In. 6 ; Th. i. 106, 3. Ðonne is riht ðæt heó sý healfes yrfes wyrðe and ealles gif hý cild gemǽne hæbban then is it right that she be entitled to half the property, and to all if they have children together, L. Edm. B. 4 ; Th. i. 254, 15. Ðú ðínes yrfes æðele gyrde álýsdest liberasti virgam hæreditatis tuæ, Ps. Th. 73, 3. Malalehel wæs æfter iarede yrfes hyrde fæder on láste Mahalaleel was after Irad the guardian of the heritage, in succession to his father, Cd. 52; Th. 65, 17; Gen. 1067. Nelle ic from mínum hláforde ne from mínum wífe ne from mínum bearne ne from mínum ierfe I will not go from my lord, nor from my wife, nor from my child, nor from my goods, L. Alf. 11; Th. i. 46, 9. Ne sylle gé ðæt land on éce yrfe terra non vendetur in perpetuum, Lehæreditatem suam sprevit, Ps. Th. 77, 62. Gif hé wite hwá ðæs deádan ierfe hæbbe tiéme ðonne tó ðam ierfe and bidde ða hond ðe ðæt ierfe hafaþ ðæt hé him gedó ðone ceáp unbeceásne oððe gecýde ðæt se deáda nǽfre ðæt ierfe áhte if he know who has the property of the dead, let him then vouch the property to warranty, and demand of the hand which has that property, that he make the chattel uncontestable to him; or prove that the dead man never owned that property, L. In. 53; Th. i. 136, 4-8. Him on láste heóld land and yrfe malalehel, Cd. 58; Th. 71, 8 ; Gen. 1167. [Under the single form yrfe two words seem to be comprised ; the one just given, also written ærfe, erfe, and another, which would correspond with a Gothic aurbi, connected with orf, with the meaning cattle. With the former may be compared Goth. arbi; n. heritage, inheritance : O. Sax. erbi ; n : 0. L. Ger. ervi ; n. hæreditas : O. Frs. erve ; n : O. H. Ger. arbi, erbi, arpi ; n. possessio : Ger. erbe ; n : Icel. arfr ; m. inheritance; erfð; f. inheritance. See yrfe, orf].