earfoþ-sīþ

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Hana Videen

earfoþ-sīþ, m.n: troublesome or difficult journey; difficult way or road; time or experience of hardship; misfortune. (EH-ar-voth-SEETH / ˈɛar-vɔθ-ˌsiːθ)

Medieval manuscript image of Christ rescuing souls from hell, which appears as a crenellated tower rising out of a hell-mouth, while horned devils sit to the side plotting revenge. — Estoire de Merlin; N France (Saint-Omer or Tournai), 1316; British Library, Add MS 10292, f. 76r. [bl.uk]

fram-lād

Posted on November 19, 2022 by Hana Videen

fram-lād, f.n: departure; retreat. (FRAHM-LAWD / ˈfram-ˌlaːd)

lagu-cræftig

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Hana Videen

lagu-cræftig, adj: skilled in seamanship. (LAH-guh-KRAF-tih / ˈla-gʌ-ˌkræf-tɪj)

Medieval manuscript image of three men in a single-sailed ship, two of whom hold oars. — Chansonnier provençal; Italy, c. 1285-1300; Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.819, f. 190r. [ica.themorgan.org]

gnorn-scyndende

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Hana Videen

gnorn-scyndende, adj: hastening away in sorrow. (G’NORN-SHUEN-den-duh / ˈgnɔrn-ˌʃyn-dɛn-də)

wǣg-þel

Posted on August 23, 2022 by Hana Videen

wǣg-þel, n.n: wave-plank, ship. (WAIE-thell / ˈwæːj-θɛl)

Medieval manuscript image of a siren, depicted as a woman with a fish tail, pulling a sailor from a boat by the hair, while another sailor stops his ears to avoid hearing the siren’s song; there is also an illustration of a centaur with a bow. — Hugh of Fouilloy’s Bestiary; N France, 13th century; British Library, Sloane 278, f. 47r. [bl.uk]

twi-fēre

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Hana Videen

twi-fēre, adj: having two ways, accessible by two ways. (TWI-VAY-ruh / ˈtwɪ-ˌveː-rə)

heofon-flēogende

Posted on June 14, 2022 by Hana Videen

heofon-flēogende, adj: (of birds) flying around or across the sky. (HEH-oh-von-FLAY-oh-yen-duh / ˈhɛɔ-vɔn-ˌfleːɔ-jɛn-də)

Patrons, don’t forget to send your word requests for Goldgifa Week! Find out more on Patreon.

folgian

Posted on June 13, 2022 by Hana Videen

folgian, wk.v: to follow. (FOL-yih-ahn / ˈfɔl-jɪ-an)

Medieval manuscript image of a two-legged green dragon with red wings and a gaping mouth following a young man who looks remarkably unconcerned as he looks over his shoulder. — Bestiary; N Italy, c. 1290; Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.459, f. 5r. [ica.themorgan.org]

bōc-cist

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Hana Videen

bōc-cist, f.n: a repository for books, either for reading or for sale. (BOAK-CHIST / ˈboːk-ˌtʃɪst)

Look for The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English at your local bōc-cist – it’s out in the US & Canada today! Find out more.

A book, The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English, by Hana Videen, against a background of woven textiles. The cover background is white with a gold and red border with decorative gold dots. The title and author’s name are written inside an arched window shape, with a border of Old English words surrounding it: wæfre-gange, gafol-fisc, hring-finger, on-lucan, cwen, æg, dust, beo-gang, lig-draca, wyrd, dream-cræft, hærfest, and druncen-georn. The area surrounding the Old English word border has wood-cut style illustrations in red and gold, each in its own compartment but overlapping slightly: a spider, a fish, the letter h in a calligraphic style, a hand with a ring, a key, a woman carrying a basket of eggs, a bee, a dragon, an ink pot and quill with scroll of paper, a man playing a harp, a bundle of wheat, and a goblet. — Published in the UK by Profile Books on 11 November 2021. Published in the US and Canada by Princeton University Press today.

mancus

Posted on May 1, 2022 by Hana Videen

mancus, m.n: gold coin (4.25g gold), unit of currency worth 30 silver pence (about a month’s wages for a skilled worker, such as a craftsman or a soldier). (MAHN-kuss / ˈman-kʌs)

Mancus; England, reign of Coenwulf (796-821); British Museum 2006,0204.1. [britishmuseum.org]

Old English Wordhord

Old English Word of the Day

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