Á-bycgan

According to the Old English Dictionary:

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á-bycgan

Substitute: To abye. I. to buy off, redeem a person :-- Drihten ús mid his blóde ábohte of helle hæftnéde, Bl. H. 91, 12. II, to pay for, atone for wrong-doing :-- Gif frí man wið fríes mannes wíf geligeð, his wergelde ábicge, Ll. Th. i. 10, 7. [Mid here micele fals ꝥ hi ealle abohton, Chr. 1125; P. 255, 16. Þu me smite . . . ah sare þu it salt abuggen. Lay. 8158, Bute ȝif he abugge þe sunne þet he wrouhte, A. R. 306.] III. to perform what was necessary for the discharge of a legal obligation :-- Cliroc feówra sum hine clǽnsie, and áne his hand on wiófode; óðre ætstanden áð ábycgan, i. e. the principal, with one hand on the altar, made oath; the compurgators stood by and by their oaths redeemed him from the obligation under which, so long as his oath was unsupported, he lay (cf. Ll. Th. i. 180, 17-19), Ll. Th. i. 40, 18. [If byrgan (cf. borg) could be read for bycgan, the function of the compurgators would be made more evident.] Cf. á-ceápian. a-bycgan

Related words: N. E. D.