Earnian

According to the Old English Dictionary:

earnian

Add: I. to labour for, strive after (with gen., or prep, or clause):--Eádig eorl écan dreámes, heofona hámes earnað on elne, oð þæt ende cymeð dógorrímes, Ph. 484. Ǽlc hæfð be þám andefnum þe hé hǽr æfter æarnað, Solil. H. 65, 27. Gé earnigaþ (-iaþ, ) þæs and forseóþ þá cræftas eówres ingeþonces, Bt. 18, 4; F. 66, 23. Þá þe ræfnaþ hér wordum and weorcum wuldorcyninges láre, earniaþ on eorþan écan lífes, Gú. 767. Hwæs þú earnodest oððe hwæt þú habban woldest quid scire vis?, Solil. H. 14, 13. Ꝥte ǽlces monnes ingeþanc wilnaþ tó þǽre sóþan gesǽlþe tó cumenne, ðeáh hé ungelíce hiora earnige (-ien, v. l.) intentionem omnem voluntatis humanae, quae diversis studiis agitur, ad beatitudinem festinare, Bt. 36, 3; F. 176, 21. Þæt wé geornlíce earnian þæt wé Godes miltse habban móton, Wlfst. 180, 20. II. to deserve as the reward of labour:--[Ear]naþ merebitur, An. Ox. 1338. Sumum monnum God selleþ ǽgþer ge gód ge yfel gemenged, for þǽm hí ǽgþres earniaþ aliis mista quaedam, pro animorum qualitate, distribuit, Bt. 39, 11; F. 228, 21. Ic lyt earnode árna, Hy. 4, 48. Earna þé ára, Gen. 2281. Gyf wé ǽnige bóte gebídan sculan, þonne móte wé þæs tó Gode earnian bet þonne wé ǽr ðison dydon, Wlfst. 157, 3. Wiþ þám þe hé mé healde swá ic earnian wille, Ll. Th. i. 178, 8. III. to obtain as the reward of labour, to earn wages (with acc. or clause):--Ðú miht ongitan be þám þe nánne mon ne lyst þæs þinges þe hine lyst, ne þæs þe hé déþ, ac þæs þe hé mid þám earnaþ . . . Hú ne wást ðú ꝥ nán mon for þý ne rít ðe hine rídan lyste, ac rít for þý þe hé mid þǽre ráde earnaþ sume earnunga. Sume mid þǽre ráde earniaþ ꝥ hié sién ðý hálran; sume earniaþ ꝥ hié sién þý cáfran si salutis causa quispiam velit equitare, non tam equitandi motum desiderat, quam salutis effectum, Bt. 34, 7; F. 144, 1-8. Ne suá wére losad ꝥte ǽrest earnade ut nec sic perderet quod prius meruerat, Mk. p. 2, 1. Oxan hyrde mót earnian mid ðám scós and glófa him sylfum, Ll. Th. i. 438, 15. earnian

Related words: l.