Sécan

According to the Old English Dictionary:

sécean;

sécan

p. sóhte; pp. sóht To seek. I. (1) to try to find, to look for, make search for:--Ic séce míne gebróðru fratres meos quaero, Gen. 37, 16. Hwæne sécst ðú? Jn. Skt. 20, 15. Se ðe sécþ, hé hyt fint, Mt. Kmbl. 7, 8. Hwæðer gé willen on wuda sécan gold ðæt reáde? . . . Hit witena nán ðider né séceþ (cf. gé hit ðǽr ne sécaþ, ne finde gé hit nó, Bt. 32, 3; Fox 118, 9), Met. 19, 8. Ðonne gé Drihten sécaþ, ðonne geméte gé hine, gif gé hine mid inweardre heortan séceaþ, Deut. 4, 29. Gé séceaþ (soecas, Lind.) ðone Hǽlynd, Mt. Kmbl. 28, 5. Hé áxode hine, hwæt hé sóhte, Gen. 37, 15. Ðín fæder and ic sárigende ðé sóhton, Lk. Skt. 2, 48. Hí sóhton hyne, Mt. Kmbl. 21, 46: Blickl. Homl. 241, 12. Mannes sunu com sécean (tó soecanne, Lind.) and hál dón ðæt forwearð, Lk. Skt. 19, 10. Sécende God requirens Deum, Ps. Spl. 13, 3. (2) to try to get (the source from which a thing is sought marked by tó):--Ic monnes feorh tó slagan séce (MS. seðe) I will require man's life of the slayer, Cd. Th. 92, 7; Gen. 1525. Ic tó Drihtne séce ðæt ic gód æt him begitan móte quaesivi bona tibi, Ps. Th. 121, 9. Gif ðú ðé tó swá mildum mundbyrd sécest, Exon. Th. 252, 29; Jul. 170. Heó úrne fultum séhþ, Homl. Th. ii. 112, 18. Gumena gehwylcum ðara ðe geóce tó him séceþ, Andr. Kmbl. 2307; An. 1155. Ðǽr is help gearu manna gehwylcum ðam ðe séceþ tó him, 1818; An. 911. Gé hí sécaþ tó fremdum gesceaftum, Bt. 14, 2; Fox 44, 17, 29. Súþ-Seaxna mǽgþ him biscopþéninge séceaþ tó West-Seaxna biscope, Bd. 5, 23; S. 646, 24. Ðæt se án ne ætburste ðe hé sóhte, Homl. Th. i. 82, 13. Hwílum man ceás ða men ðe noldan swician . . . and syððan hit man sóhte be ðám ðe nearwlícast cúðan swician at one time the men were chosen that would not deceive . . . and since they have been looked for among those that could most oppressively deceive, L. I. P. 12; Th. ii. 320, 24. Ús is nédþearf ðæt wé sécan ðone lǽcedóm úre sáuwle, Blickl. Homl. 97, 31. Biddon wé Drihten ðæs leóhtes ðe nǽfre ne geendaþ . . . ðæt leóht wé sceolan sécan, ðæt wé mótan habban mid englum gemǽne, 21, 14. Bearn Godes brýda ongunnon on Caines cynne sécan, Cd. Th. 75, 33; Gen. 1249. Woldon tó dúnscræfum drohtoþ sécan, Andr. Kmbl. 3077; An. 1541. Uton sibbe tó him sécan, Exon. Th. 365, 11; Wal. 87. Seócan, Ps. C. 109. Hwæt elles is tó sécanne wið ðam hungre nymbe andlyfen, Bd. 1, 27; S. 494, 16. Hé gǽþ sécende reste, Mt. Kmbl. 12, 43. Sió ǽ sceal beón sóht on ðæs sacerdes múþe, Past. 15; Swt. 91, 17. (3) to try to attain an end, strive to effect a purpose, aim at, strive after, make something the object of endeavour:--Ic ne séce mínne willan ac ðæs ðe mé sende, Jn. Skt. 5, 30: 8, 50. Hwæt sécst ðú? 4, 27. León hwelpas sécaþ, ðæt him ǽt God gedéme, Ps. Th. 103, 20. Gif hé ðone dóm ofer hine sóhte if the other tried to get judgment upon him, L. Alf. 49; Th. i. 56, 33. Ðá hálgan ðe on ðyssum lífe náht ne sóhton ne ne gyrndon tó hæbbene, Blickl. Homl. 53, 25. Hí sóhton hine him tó hláforde and tó mundboran they tried to get him to be their lord and protector, Chr. 921; Erl. 107, 29: 922; Erl. 108, 20, 28. Gif ðæt riht tó hefig sý, séce siþþan ða líhtinge tó ðam cynge, L. Edg. ii. 2; Th. i. 266, 11. (4) to try to find out by investigation or examination:--Hwylc séceþ ðæt ðe sóðfæst byþ veritatem quis requiret? Ps. Th. 60, 6. Sóhte synnum fáh, hú hé sárlícast meahte feorhcwale findan . . . Feónd hine gelǽrde, Exon. Th. 276, 24; Jul. 571. Georne smeádon, sóhton searoþancum, hwæt sió syn wǽre, Elen. Kmbl. 827; El. 414. Ongan on sefan sécean sóðfæstnesse weg tó wuldre, 2295; El. 1149. Ic ðíne gewitnesse wylle sécan testimonia tua exquisivi, Ps. Th. 118, 22. Lǽcedóm sǽcan medicamentum explorare, Bd. 1, 27; S. 494, 18. Hwílum beóþ ða wǽtan on ðære wambe filmenum, ðonne sceal mon ðæt wíslíce sécean, Lchdm. ii. 222, 24. (5) to try to learn by asking, to ask:--Ða mé cunnon andsware cýðan tácna gehwylces ðe ic him tó séce, Elen. Kmbl. 638; El. 319. Ðá cwæð Maria tó ðæm engle: Hwæt is ðín nama? Ðá cwæð se engel tó hire: Hwæt sécestú mínne naman? Blickl. Homl. 137, 29. Hé ðá Drihtnes willan sóhte he tried to learn what was the will of the Lord, 225, 30. Wíslíce gé dyde, ðætte mannum bedígled wæs on eorþan, ðæt gé ðæt on heofenas tó Gode sóhtan, 201, 2. Tó sécenne, 205, 27. Ic wát ðæt hió wile sécan (ask. Cf. Ðá seó cwén ongan fricggan, 1116; El. 560) be ðam sigebeáme, Elen. Kmbl. 840; El. 420. II. to go or come to:--Oft sécende frequentantem, Wrt. Voc. ii. 34, 18. (1) to seek a person, to visit (cf. Ger. be-suchen):--Ðǽr beóþ gegearwoda Godes mildheortnessa ðǽm mannum ðe ða líchoman séceaþ þurh heora gebedo, Blickl. Homl. 193, 21. Ða ðe æfter deáþe Dryhten sécaþ, Andr. Kmbl. 1200; An. 600. Ðá hé ðone cyningc sóhte when he visited the king, Ors. 1, 1; Swt. 18, 10. Sárge gé ne sóhton ye did not visit the afflicted, Exon. Th. 92, 19; Cri. 1511. Hig ðæs wyrðe wǽron ðæt Godes englas hig sóhton, L. E. I. 25; Th. ii. 422, 15. Séc nú ðínne þeów, Blickl. Homl. 87, 31. Hider ic wille ðæt wé sécan Sce Petre, Chr. 656; Erl. 31, 32. Satan ic sécan wille, Cd. Th. 47, 15; Gen. 761. Gewít ðú ðínne eft waldend sécan go back again to your master, 138, 17; Gen. 2293: Andr. Kmbl. 1886; An. 945. (1 a) to seek a person for protection, to take refuge with a person. VI. 2:--Gif hwilc þeóf oððe reáfere gesóhte ðone cing . . . hé hæbbe nigon nihta fyrst. And gif hé ealderman oððe abbud oððe þegen séce, hæbbe þreora nihta fyrst, L. Ath. iv. 4; Th. i. 222, 28. (2) to seek a place, to visit, resort to:--Hé (the phenix) sunbeorht gesetu séceþ, Exon. Th. 217, 11; Ph. 278. Ða men ðe ðyder cóman and ða hálgan stówe sóhton, Blickl. Homl. 125, 28: 201, 11. Hí syððan gewunelíce ðider sóhton they afterwards resorted thither, Homl. Th. i. 504, 6. Séce man hundred-gemót, L. Edg. ii. 5; Th. i. 268, 2. Ðæt ðeós onlícnes eorþan séce fall to earth, Andr. Kmbl. 1462; An. 731. Ðeáh heorot holtwudu séce, Beo. Th. 2743; B. 1369. Ðæt hí secggan ðæm folce ðæt hí sunnandagum Godes cyrican georne sécan, Blickl. Homl. 47, 28: L. C. E. 2; Th. i. 358, 14. Gif hié ǽnigne feld sécan wolden if they should attempt to come into the open country, Chr. 894; Erl. 90, 11. Gewitan him Norþmen Difelin sécan, 937; Erl. 115, 4. Ðonne sculon hié ðás helle sécan, Cd. Th. 26, 14; Gen. 406: 136, 30; Gen. 2266. Óðerne éðel sécan, Blickl. Homl. 23, 6. Mere sécan to go to sea, Exon. Th. 474, 5; Bo. 25. (3) to seek immaterial things, to go to war, resort to artifice, etc.:--Ic ne sóhte searoníþas, ne ne swór fela áþa on unriht, Beo. Th. 5469; B. 2738. Se wuldres dǽl sigorleán sóhte the soul has gone to its reward, Exon. Th. 184, 14; Gú. 1344. Se rinc sóhte óðer líf, Cd. Th. 98, 9; Gen. 1627. Hí clǽnsunge bæþes sóhton, Bd. 1, 27; S. 495, 16. Hié noldan leng heora hláforda ne heora wera ræstgemánan sécean, Blickl. Homl. 173, 16. Ðá ðú gehogodest sæcce sécean, Beo. Th. 3982; B. 1989: 5117; B. 2562. Fǽhþe sécan, 5020; B. 2513. III. to seek with hostile intent (as in to seek a person's life), to try to get at, to go to attack:--Mé fyrenfulle fǽcne séceaþ, wyllaþ mé lífes ásécean me expectaverunt peccatores, ut perderent me, Ps. Th. 118, 95. Him (hié, hí other MSS.) mon mid óðrum floccum sóhte, Chr. 894; Erl. 90, 14. Hié micle fierd gegadrodon and ðone here sóhton æt Eoforwícceastre, 867; Erl. 72, 13. Ða ðe míne fýnd wǽron, and míne sáwle sóhton mid níðe, Ps. Th. 69, 2: 85, 13: Mt. Kmbl. 2, 20. Hié alle from him ondrédon, ðæt hí hié mid gefeohte sóhte, Ors. 1, 10; Swt. 48, 17. Sécan míne fýnd míne sáwle persequatur inimicus animam méam, Ps. Th. 7, 5. Ðá hié gewin drugon, and on healfa gehwone heáwan þohton, sáwle sécan, Beo. Th. 1606; B. 801. Sécean sáwle hord, sundur gedǽlan líf wið líce, 4835; B. 2422. [Goth. sókjan: O. Frs. séka: O. Sax. sókian: O. L. Ger. suocan: O. H. Ger. suohhan quaerere, petere, exquirere, arcessire, appetere, invisere: Icel. sœkja to seek, fetch; to visit, frequent; to prosecute (a suit); to attack.] v. á-, for-, ge-, geond-, ofer-, on-, under-sécan. secan

Related words: sócn,