Ge-sciftan

to divide into shares among people. Take here ge-scyftan in Dict. II. to assign, appoint, ordain :-- Is lencten ús eallum tó dǽdbóte gescyft, þæt wé on þám fæce . . . wið God gebétan . . . , Wlfst. 102, 17. Stów gecwéme gebróþrum sí ámearcud (designetur) . . . þæt hús ealswá wé sǽdan gescifte (designatam), Angl. xiii. 397, 464. Syndon eahta heálice mægnu þurh Godes mihte mannum gescyfte, Wlfst. 68, 19. II a. to appoint a person to a position, office, &c. :-- God gescifte ǽnne swá gerádne mann þe áhte geweald ealles ðæs splottes God appointed a man of this kind to be the owner of all the plot, Hml. S. 23, 414. Beón gescyfte (ordinentur) gebróþru, þá tó sealmsange geǽmtian, Angl. xiii. 444, 1121. Gescifte, 422, 815. Sýn twégen tó þám sylfan gescyfte (destinati), 410, 640. III. to arrange, regulate :-- God sylf ðás þingc swá gescifte and mid his fadunge gedihte. Hml. S. 23, 256. Hú bisceophádas wurdan ǽrest ástealde and be Godes dihte mannum gescyfte, Wlfst. 176, 7. II a. to regulate a measure, weight, &c. :-- Ne beó ǽnig metegyrd lengre þonne óðer, ac be þæs scriftes gemete ealle gescyfte, and ǽlc gemet and ǽghwilc gewihte beó be his dihte gescyft swíðe rihte, Ll. Th. ii. 314, 5-8. ge-sciftan