Earfoþe

According to the Old English Dictionary:

earfoþe

adj. Dele 'Bt. proœm: Fox viii. 7,' and add: I. difficult:--Earfoðe difficilis, earfoðre difficilior, ealra earfoðust (-ost, ) difficillimus, Ælfc. Gr. Z. 16, 6. Hé nǽre ná ælmihtig, gyf him ǽnig gefadung earfoðe wǽre, Lch. iii. 278, 15. Drihten, nis ðé nán ðing earfoðe, Hml. Th. i. 62, 11. Se gewuna gedéþ eáþe þæt ðe ǽr earfoðe þúhte, R. Ben. 5, 19. Tó earfoðe þyncan, Wlfst. 284, 10. For ðǽm ðe hit swá earfoðe is ǽnegum menn tó witanne hwonne hé geclǽnsod sié quia valde difficile est purgatum se quemlibet posse cognoscere, Past. 51, 5. Hú hefig and hú earfoþe (gearfoþe, v. l.) þis is tó gereccanne, Bt. 39, 4; F. 216, 33. Hit is earfoð tó witane, Chr. 1050; P. 170, 25. Þæt gástlice angyt is earfoþe tó understandende, R. Ben. 66, 19. Ðú mé áhsast micles and earfoþes tó ongitanne, Bt. 42; F. 256, 11. Ðis fers is swíðe deóplic eów tó understandenne . . . Seó Godcundnys gefylde þysne earfoðan cwyde ðurh ðá ánnysse Crístes hádes, Hml. Th. ii.386, 20. Earfoðu difficilia, Kent. Gl. 1093. Wæter and eorþe sint swíþe earfoþe tó geseónne on fýre, Bt. 33, 4; F. 130, 27: 34, 11; F. 150, 24. Manige óðre þe earfoðe sindon tó áteallene. Chr. 1086; P. 222, 18. Earfeþe, P. 218, 21. On þá earfoþestan sprǽce tó gereccenne, Bt. 39, 4; F. 216, 15. II. laborious, toilsome:--Hit bið swíðe geswincful ðæt mon ǽlcne mon scyle onsundrum lǽran, hit is ðeáh earfoðre ealle ætsomne tó lǽranne valde laboriosum est unumquemque . . . instruere; longe tamen laboriosius est auditores innumeros uno eodemque tempore instruere, Past. 453, 11: 455, 6. Earfeðran difficiliore, i. graviore, Wrt. Voc. ii. 140, 19. Uton niman þone earfoðran weg, þæt wé hér sume hwíle swincon, tó ðý þæt wé écelíce beón bútan geswince, Hml. Th. i. 164, 12. III. grievous:--Micel éhtnys wæs þá þá hí wǽron gemartyrode, ac git cymð earfoðre éhtnys on Anticrístes tó-cyme, Hml. S. 35, 347. [v. N. E. D. arveth. Icel. erfiðr.] earfoðe,earfoþe

Related words: l.