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un-land

Posted on December 22, 2025 by Hana Videen

un-land, n.n: false land. (UN-LOND / ˈʌn-ˌland)

Medieval manuscript image of an oddly drawn whale with two men warming themselves at a fire on its back, one of whom has taken off his shoes and wiggles his toes near the flames; their boat is anchored to the whale’s back.
De bestiis et aliis rebus; France, c. 1230; Bibliothèque Nationale de France, lat. 2495B, f. 46v. [mandragore.bnf.fr]
Posted in deorhord book, hord highlights, places, travel + trade Leave a comment

winter-setl

Posted on December 21, 2025 by Hana Videen

winter-setl, n.n: a place to stop in for the winter, winter-quarters. (WIN-ter-SEH-tull / ˈwɪn-tɛr-ˌsɛ-təl)

Posted in places, time + seasons Leave a comment

þurh-wadan

Posted on December 20, 2025 by Hana Videen

þurh-wadan, str.v: to pass through; (of a weapon) to pierce through, penetrate. (thur’h-WA-dahn / θʌrx-ˈwa-dan)

Medieval manuscript illustration of a legless creature passing through a tower, its pointy-eared head and long neck on the right side, its shrivelled brown skin coming off on the left side where its tail is.
A snake in the Worksop Bestiary; England (Lincoln or York?), c. 1185; Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.81, f. 87v. [themorgan.org]
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horder-wice

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Hana Videen

horder-wice, f.n: the office of a treasurer or steward. (HOR-der-WITCH-uh / ˈhɔr-dɛr-ˌwɪ-tʃə)

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pynding

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Hana Videen

pynding, f.n: dam. (PUEN-ding / ˈpyn-dɪŋ)

Medieval manuscript illustration of a beaver making its way through water, gripping a piece of wood in its forefeet and mouth.
Lambeth Apocalypse; England, 13th century; Lambeth Palace Library, MS 209, f. 7v. [images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk]
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eorþ-nafela

Posted on December 17, 2025 by Hana Videen

eorþ-nafela, m.n: a plant, literally ‘earth-navel’, probably wild asparagus. (EH-orth-NAH-veh-la / ˈɛɔrθ-ˌna-vɛ-la)

Posted in hord highlights, trees + plants Leave a comment

sweor

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Hana Videen

sweor, m.n: a column, pillar (lit. or fig.), that which is shaped like a pillar. (SWEH-or / ˈswɛɔr)

Purple dyed page from a medieval manuscript with text written in gold and silver script divided between two larger columns, each containing four smaller columns.
Stockholm Codex Aureus; England (probably Canterbury), c. 750; Kungliga Biblioteket (National Library of Sweden), MS. A 135, p. 45. [commons.wikimedia.org]

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ge-sēnian

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Hana Videen

ge-sēnian, wk.v: to sign, mark with the sign of the cross, bless. (yeh-SAY-ni-ahn / jɛ-ˈseː-nɪ-an)

Posted in deorhord book, religion Leave a comment

holh

Posted on December 14, 2025 by Hana Videen

holh, n.n: a hollow, cavity, hole. (HOL’H / ˈhɔlx)

Medieval manuscript containing a large circular hole around which the hands of a clock have been drawn; a man holds a long narrow cylinder to his eye which connects with what would be 7:30 on the clock although there aren’t any numbers.
A drawing of Pacificus of Verona’s star clock; Switzerland (St Gallen), c. 1000; St Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 18, p. 43. [e-codices.unifr.ch]
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ge-hæp

Posted on December 13, 2025 by Hana Videen

ge-hæp, adj: fit, suitable. (yeh-HAP / jɛ-ˈhæp)

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