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Old English Dictionary Entry

Swencan

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Definitions

Definitions

1 definitions

1 swencan

p. te; pp. swenced, swenct (cf. swinkt = wearied, Comus To cause a person to labour, to cause trouble to a person (a) where no good is implied, to harass, vex, afflict, distress:--Ic swencu hió adfligam illos. Ps. Surt. 17, 39. Hwí swencst ðú ðis folc . . . Pharaon swencþ ðín folc cur afflixisti populum istum?. . . Pharao afflixit populum tuum, Ex. 5, 22-23. Ǽlc deáþlíc man swencþ hine selfne mid manig-fealdum ymbhogum omnis mortalium cura, quam multiplicium studiorum labor exercet, Bt. 24, 1.; Fox 80, 6. Eów nǽnig wiht ne deraþ ne ne swenceþ, Blickl. Homl. 239, 12. Suenceth defatiget, Wrt. Voc. ii. 106, 3. Defatiget, lassat, swenceþ, flagellat, 138, 16. Ða ðe mé swencaþ qui tribulant me, Ps. Th. 12, 5. Hwí swenctest ðú (afflixisti) ðínne þeów? Num. 11, 11. Man swencte ðæt earme folc ðe on ðám scipon lágon, Cl. r. 999; Erl. 135, 32. Hine wundra fela swe[n]cte on sunde, Beo. Th. 3024;, B. 1510. Ða werigan gástas ðe mé swenctan and drycton qui me premebant spiritus maligni, Bd. 3, 11; S. 536, 37. On ðínre hátheortnesse ne swenc mé ne in furore tuo corripias me, Ps. Th. 6, 1. Beorge hé ðæt hé áwóh ne befó, ðý læs ðe hine mon swence swá hé óðerne man þohte, L. Eth. ii. 9; Th. i. 290, 8. Þeáh hine se wind woruldearfoþa swíðe swence, Met. 7, 50. Ðý læs ðe mon unmihtigne man tó feor and tó lange for his ágenan swencte lest a man of small means should be made to toil too far and too long for his own, L. Eth. ii. 9; Th. i. 290, 4. Ne sceal nán mon siócne monnan gesárgodne swencan, ac hine mon sceolde lǽdan tó ðam lǽce, Bt. 38, 7; Fox 210, 20. Hé (William I) lét castelas wyrcean and earme men swíðe swencean, Chr. 1086; Erl. 222, 21. Ðú ðec sylfne ne þearft swíþor swencan you need not trouble yourself any more, Exon. Th. 245, 19; Jul. 47. Wítebendum swencan, Andr. Kmbl. 218; An. 109. Perseus wæs ealne ðone geár Rómáne swíþe swencende, Ors. 4, 11; Swt. 208, 13. Forhwon sindun gé swæncende (molesti) ðam wífe? Mt. Kmbl. Rush. 26, 10. Fram unclǽnum gáste swenced beón ab immundo spiritu vexari, Bd. 3, 11; S. 536, 11. Mid ða ádle swenced affectus incommodo, 4, 31; S. 610, 21. Swá gewinnfullícum fyrdum swencte beón tam laboriosis expeditionibus fatigari, l, 12; S. 481, 4: 2, 18; S. 520, 36. (b) where a good result is intended, to mortify, chasten:--Ða sylfan, ðe hí mid ðám wítum ðreágeaþ and swenceaþ (adfligunt), lufiaþ eác, Bd. 1, 27; S. 490, 18. Hí firenlustas forberaþ . . . swencaþ hí sylfe, sáwle frætwaþ, Exon. Th. 150, 13; Gú. 778. Ða láreówas sceolan heora ágenne líchoman swencean on forhæfdnesse, Blickl. Homl. 81, 6. [O. E. Homl. A. R. Laym. swenchen: Orm. swennkenn, swennchenn: O. H. Ger. swenchen verberare].
Similar Words

Similar Words

Runic Inscription

Runic Inscription

ᛋᚹᛖᚾᚳᚪᚾ

Possible runic inscription in Anglo-Saxon futhorc

Abbreviations Used

Abbreviations Used

Common Abbreviations

Ger.
German
L.
Latin
O. H. Ger.
Old High German

Works & Authors

An.
Andreas (OE poem)
Andr.
Andreas (OE poem)
Bd.
Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica (OE translation)
Beo.
Beowulf
Bt.
Boethius, De Consolatione Philosophiæ (OE translation by Alfred)
Chr.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Erl.
Earle, J. (editor)
Exon.
Exeter Book
Fox
Fox, Samuel (Modern English translator of Boethius)
Gú.
Guthlac (OE poem)
Jul.
Juliana (OE poem by Cynewulf)
Met.
Metres of Boethius (OE poem)
Mt.
Gospel of St. Matthew (OE translation)
Orm.
Ormulum (ME text by Orm)
Ors.
Orosius, Historiarum (OE translation by Alfred)
Ps.
Psalms (OE)
R.
Riddles (Exeter Book)
S.
Sievers, E. (editor/scholar)
Swt.
Sweet's Anglo-Saxon Reader
Th.
Thorpe, Benjamin (editor)
Voc.
Vocabulary
Wrt.
Wright, T. & Wülcker, R. P., Anglo-Saxon and Old English Vocabularies
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