Wær

According to the Old English Dictionary:

wær

adj. I. ware, aware, having knowledge of something which is to be guarded against:--Ðá wurdon ða landleóde his (a band of Danes) ware and him wiþ gefuhton, Chr. 917; Erl. 102, 17. Hé eode nihtes, ðæt hé his lífe geburge, ac ða hǽðenan wurdon wære his fare, Homl. Skt. i. 22, 230. II. ware, prepared for, on guard against something that might be hurtful, (a) absolute:--Beó gé wære uos estote parati, Lk. Skt. 12, 40. Ús is mycel þearf, ðæt wé geornlíce wacian and wære beón, Btwk. 220, 27. Se Hǽlend ús warnode, for ðam ðe hé wyle, ðæt wé ware beón, Homl. Ass. 55, 113. Man sceal wacigean and warnian symle, ðæt man geara weorðe . . . Leófan men, utan beón ðe wærran, Wulfst. 90, 10. (b) with gen.:--Ús is micel þearf, ðæt wé wære beón ðæs eges-lícan tíman, ðe nú tówærd is, Wulfst. 191, 25. (c) with preposition:--Wes ðú giedda wís, wær wið willan, Exon. Th. 302, 26; Fä. 42. Sóna wyrð deófol inne; is micel þearf ðæt manna gehwylc wið swylc wær sý, Wulfst. 280, 11. Ðæt wé geornlíce wacian and á wære beón wið deófles costnunga, Btwk. 220, 35. Woruldmenn wǽron wære wið heora fýnd, Homl. Skt. i. 13, 150. Wosas gé wære fram monnum cavete ab hominibus, Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 10, 17. III. ware, careful to avoid something, on guard against doing something, (a) with gen.:--Wénde ic ðæt ðú ðý wærra weorþan sceolde swylces gemótes, Exon. Th. 267, 34; Jul. 425. (b) with preposition:--Beó wær æt ðam, ðæt ðú nǽfre mínne sunu þyder ne lǽde cave, ne quando reducas filium meum illuc, Gen. 24, 6. (c) with a clause:--Mín bearn, beó ðé wærr ðæt ðú ne drince of ðam wíne, Homl. Th. ii. 170, 17. Wærne ðé beón, ðæt ðú náht unrihtes ne dó getácnaþ, Lchdm. iii. 214, 25. IV. ware, observant of, attentive to a warning:--Ðæt hí wære beón ðæs cwydes, Wulfst. 7, 6: L. I. P. 19; Th. ii. 330, 2. V. wary, cautious, sagacious, prudent, cunning:--Wær cautus, i. sagax, prudens, acutus, Wrt. Voc. ii. 130, 5. Wær geápnis argumentum, 125, 1. Hé bið scarp and biter and swíðe wær on his wordum, Lchdm. iii. 162, 13. Hé wær (printed þær) weorðe worda and dǽda, Exon. Th. 96, 32; Cri. 1583. Deófol gedéð, ðæt unsǽlig man wísdómes ne gýmeþ, and gyt gedéð, ðæt hé talaþ hine sylfne wærne and wísne, Wulfst. 52, 29. Beó gé swá ware suá suá nædran estote prudentes sicut serpentes, Past. 35; Swt. 237, 20. Hig sint wære and cunnon þénunga, and hig cennaþ ǽr ðam ðe wyt cumon tó him ipsae obstetricandi habent scientiam, et priusquam veniamus ad eas pariunt, Ex. i. 19. Se wísdóm gedéþ his lufiendas wíse and wære, Bt. 27, 2; Fox 98, 1. Werra bið astutior fiet, Kent. Gl. 509. Gielpaþ hié suelce hí sién micle wærran and wísran ðonne hié quasi praestantius ceteris prudentes se esse gloriantur, Past. 35; Swt. 243, 25. Ðæt se bið on geþance wærast and wísast, se ðe óðerne can raðost ásmeágean, Wulfst. 55, 21. Se þincð nú wærrest and geápest ðe óðerne mæig beswícan, Shrn. 17, 23. [Goth. wars wisan to be ware: O. Sax. war wesan wiðar: O. H. Ger. gi-war providus, solers, gnarus, intentus, adtentus, vigilans: Icel. varr.]

Related words: ge-, un-wær. wær