Sweart

Old English Dictionary Entry

Sweart

Old English Dictionary Entry

Part of speech: Related words: fýr-, swefel-sweart. sweart

Definitions

1 sweart

adj. I. of colour, swart, swarthy, black, dark :-- Sweart ater, teter; ceruleus, Wrt. Voc. i. 46, 32, 53 (in a list of colours): furvus, ii. 34, 39, 40: fuscus, 38, 27: luridus, 53, 15: pullus, 57, 10: nigir. Ælfc. Gr. 8 ; Zup. 27, 9 : caeruleus, Hpt. Gl. 516, 14. Wuduréc sweart, Beo. Th. 6281; B. 3145. Hræfn sweart and sealobrún, Fins. Th. 70; Fin. 35. On ðæm clife hangodan manige swearte sáula . . . and ðæt wæter wæs sweart under ðæm clife neoðan, Blickl. Homl. 209, 34-211, 1. Ðonne sweartan wolcnu (nubes atrae) him beforan gáþ, Bt. 6; Fox 14, 22. Engla and deófla, hwítra and sweartra, Exon. Th. 56, 9 ; Cri. 898. Mænigeo sweartra gásta spirituum deformium UNCERTAIN multitudo, Bd. 5, 12 ; S. 628, 4. On sweartum stafum and atollícum áwritene tetricis descripta litteris, 5, 13; S. 633, 8. Sweartran furviores, Wrt. Voc. ii. 37, 51. Hí ásettan ofer hyre ða sweartestan fyðra, L. E. I. prm.; Th. ii. 398, 27. II. of absence of light or brightness, dark, black, gloomy :-- Óðer (beám) wæs swá wynlíc, wlitig and scéne . . . wæs se óðer eallenga sweart, dim and þýstre. Cd. Th. 30, 35 ; Gen. 477. Eów is hám sceapen sweart sinnehte, Exon. Th. 142, 26; Gú. 650. Da þeóstre ðære sweartan nihte. Bt. 4; Fox 6, 34. Ðære sweartan helle grund. Cd. Th. 22, 24; Gen. 345. Se ðe on þýstre færeþ, on sweartre niht. Exon. Th. 54, 23 ; Crj. UNCERTAIN 873. Deorc gesweorc sinnihte sweart. Cd. Th. 7, 21; Gen. 109. Tó helle on ðone sweartan síð, 45, 27 ; Gen. 733. On díglum l on sweartum dymnyssum latibulis, Hpt. Gl. 480, 28. Landa sweartost hell. Cd. Th. 31, 19; Gen. 487. III. of absence of good, black (crime), dark, dismal :-- Gástas twegen, óðer biþ golde glædra, óðer biþ grundum sweartra, Salm. Kmbl. 976 ; Sal. 488. Sweartes hǽðendómes tetrae gentilitatis, Hpt. Gl. 523, 41. Micel yfelnyss wæs on Iudéiscum mannum, ðá ðá hí syrwdon mid sweartum geþance (with dark design), hú hí Crist ácwealdon, Homl. Skt. i. II, 318. Swá lange swá hé hylt ðone sweartan níð on his heortan, Homl. Th. i. 54, 13. Mánfulra heáp sweartne the devils, Salm. Kmbl. 299 ; Sal. 149. Ic fela gefremede sweartra synna, Exon. Th. 261, 10; Jul 313 : 270, 20 ; Jul. 468. Gé hellfirena sweartra geswícaþ, 366, 4 ; Reb. 7. In ða sweartestan and ða wyrrestan wítebrógan, Elen. Kmbl. 1859; El. 931. [Goth. swarts: O. Sax. O. Frs. swart : O. H. Ger. swarz : Icel. svartr.]

Runic Inscription

ᛋᚹᛠᚱᛏ

Possible runic inscription in Anglo-Saxon futhorc

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