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Anglo-Saxon

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sǽl

  • noun [ masculinefeminine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
sǽl, es; m.: e; f.
Wright's OE grammar
§387; §419;
time, occasion
Show examples

  • Ðá becom se apostol æt sumum sǽle (

    on one occasion

    ) tó ðære byrig
      Pergamum, Homl. Th. i. 62, 24: 70, 23.

  • On sumne sǽl

    quandoque,

      Ælfc. Gr. 38; Som. 40, 66.

  • Heora wíse on nǽnne sǽl wel ne gefór,

      Ors. 4, 4; Swt. 164, 13.

  • Ðás wyrte man mæg niman on ǽlcne sǽl

    this plant may be gathered at any time,

      Lchdm. i. 112, 3.
a fit time, season, opportunity, the definite time at which an event should take place
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  • Ðéh ðe seel síe

    etiamsi oportuerit,

      Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 26, 35.

  • Ðá Godan sǽl þúhte ðá gesóhte hé ðone kynincg

    when it appeared to Goda a favourable opportunity, he visited the king,

      Chart. Th. 202, 30.

  • Hí wundiaþ, ðonne se sǽl cymeþ,

      Fragm. Kmbl. 43; Leás. 23.

  • Ðá wæs sǽl and mǽl, ðæt tó healle gang Healfdenes sunu

    it was the proper time for Hrothgar to go to the banquet-hall,

      Beo. Th. 2021; B. 1008.

  • Óþ ðæt sǽl álamp (cf. Ðá seó tíd gelamp, ðæt . . . , Met. 26, 17) ðæt hió Beówulfe medoful ætbær

    till the proper time arrived for her to present the mead cup to Beowulf,

      1249; B. 622: 4123; B. 2058.

  • Ic ofslóh æt ðære sæcce ðá mé sǽl ágeald (

    when opportunity was offered me:

    cf. ðá him rúm ágeald
      5374; B. 2690) húses hyrdas, 3335; B. 1665: Cd. Th. 121, 11; Gen. 2008.

  • Seó sǽl gewearð (cf. seó tíd gewearð, ðæt se eorl ongan æðele cennan,

      74, 25; Gen. 1227),
    ðæt his wíf sunu on woruld brohte, 72, 14: Gen. 1186.

  • Se sǽl cymeþ, ðæt heó dómes dæges dyn gehýre,

      Salm. Kmbl. 648; Sal. 323.

  • Ne mihte ná lengc manna ǽnig hine sylfne bedyrnan ac gehwá tó sǽles (

    at once

    ) móste clipian,
      Homl. Skt. i. 23, 115.

  • Wit þencaþ sǽles bídan siððan sunne Metod up forlǽt

    we intend to wait till after sunrise,

      Cd. Th. 147, 10; Gen. 2437.

  • Sǽles bídeþ hwonne heó cræft hyre cýþan móte,

      Exon. Th. 413, 28; Rä. 32, 12.

  • Hé sóhte ða seel (sél, Rush.) ðætte hine salde

    quaerebat opportunitatem ut eum traderet,

      Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 26, 16.
time as in bad or
good times, circumstance, condition. v. IV.
Show examples

  • Nú ís sǽl (

    a time of misery

    ) cumen, þreá ormǽte,
      Andr. Kmbl. 2332: An. 1167.

  • Storm oft holm gebringeþ in grimmum sǽlum

    storm oft brings ocean into a furious condition,

      Exon. Th. 336, 20; Gn. Ex. 52.

  • Jacob byþ on glædum sǽlum

    exultabit Jacob,

      Ps. Th. 52, 8.

  • Hæfdan beorgas blíðe sǽle

    montes exultaverunt,

      113, 14.

  • Sael gewynsumie roeðe

    casus secundet asperos,

      Ps. Surt. ii. 201, 11.
happiness, good fortune, good time, prosperity (often in pl.)
Show examples

  • On ðære stówe wé gesunde mágon sǽles bídan,

      Cd. Th. 152, 21; Gen. 2523.

  • Mæg snottor guma sǽle brúcan, gódra tída,

      Exon. Th. 104, 12; Gú. 6.

  • Sǽlum geblissad

    gladdened with all joys,

      207, 12; Ph. 140.

  • Siteþ sorgcearig, sǽlum bidǽled,

      379, 5; Deór. 28.

  • Syngum tó sǽlum (cf. After liked him ful wele for al was turned him to sele, C. M. 4432)

    for the happiness of sinners,

      84, 21; Cri. 1377.

  • Ne frín ðú æfter sǽlum, sorh is geníwod, Beo. Th. 2648; B. 1322. ¶ On sǽlum, sálum

    in a state of happiness, happy

    [cf. þu ware a sele gief ich was wroð,
      O. E. Homl. ii. 183, 17.

  • Heora færð wes on sæle

    was prosperous,

      Laym. 1310.

  • Selden sal he ben on iele (selde wurþ he blyþe and gled,

      Jes. MS.), Misc. 121, 301
    ] :-- Þá wæs þeód on sǽlum (

    joyous

    ),
      Beo. Th. 1291; B. 643.

  • On sálum,

      1218; B. 607.

  • Ðú on sǽlum wes

    be fortunate,

      2345; B. 1170.

  • On sǽlum

    in times of prosperity,

      Met. 2, 2, 7.

  • Folc wæs on sálum,

      Cd. Th. 184, 13; Exod. 106: 214, 5; Exod. 564: Elen. Kmbl. 387; El. 194.
Etymology
[All middellærdess sceþe and sel, Orm. 14304. For quoso suffer cowþe syt (trouble), sele wolde folȝe, Allit. Pms. 92, 5. Goth. sélei goodness: Icel. sæla bliss, joy, happiness.]
Similar entries
v. gyte-, heáh-sǽl; sǽlþ.
Linked entries
v.  sél.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “sǽl.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/26212.

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Word-wheel

  • sǽl, n.

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