Spówan

Old English Dictionary Entry

Spówan

Old English Dictionary Entry

Part of speech: Related words: ge-, mis-spówan. spowan

Definitions

1 spówan

p. speów To succeed. I. used personally with instrumental of that in which the person succeeds, to be successful :-- Hú mæg hé ǽnige gewinne wið mé spówan how can he succeed in any struggle with me? Nar. 16, 20. Ne mót ic ǽnige rihte spówan, Elen. Kmbl. 1830; El. 917: Andr. Kmbl. 3087; An. 1546: Cd. Th. 127, 23; Gen. 2115: Exon. 35, 27; Cri. 564. Spówende spéd, 117, 16; Gú. 225: 139, 14: Gú. 593: Cd. Th. 246, 14; Dan. 479. II. used impersonally, it succeeds with a person (dat.) (1) absolute :-- Him spéwþ ðe bet, Btwk. 222, 9. Ðá hié ongeáton, ðæt him ne speów, L. Alf. 49; Th. i. 56, 8. Him wiht ne speów, Judth. Thw. 25, 23; Jud. 274: Beo. Th. 5701; B. 2854. Gesæh Pilatus ðæt him náuwiht speóu (spéua, Lind.) videns Pilatus quia nihil proficeret, Mt. Kmbl. Rush. 27, 24. Him speów hwónlíce. Homl. Skt. i. 7, 94. Hú swýþe him speówe quantum profecerit, Bd. 2, 4; S. 505, 27. (2) with gen. of that in which a person succeeds :-- Ðá ðá him ðæs (the attempt to raise the dead) ne speów, Homl. Th. ii. 474, 11. Ðé speów ðæs ðú wið freónd oððe feónd fremman ongunne, Cd. Th. 170, 9; Gen. 2810. (3) the object of success governed by a preposition :-- Ða ðe on eorðlícum weorcum hwónlíce speówþ, Homl. Th. i. 526, 16. Hú him speów ǽgðer ge mid wíge ge mid wísdóme, Past. pref.; Swt. 3, 8. Hú him æt ǽte speów, Beo. Th. 6045; B. 3026. [O. H. Ger. spuon, spuoan (wk.).]

Runic Inscription

ᛋᛈᚩᚹᚪᚾ

Possible runic inscription in Anglo-Saxon futhorc

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