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heáfod

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Wright's OE grammar
§5; §10; §135; §172; §216; §221; §293; §299; §325; §347; §350;
Add: A head
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  • Heáfod caput, heáfud

    cephal,

      Wrt. Voc. ii. 16, 40, 41.
the head of a living creature.
of a human being
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  • Bróht wæs heáfud (-od,

      L. )
    his on disce, Mt. R. 14, 11.

  • Þeáh him mon sleá mid sweorde wiþ þæs heáfdes

    though one strike at his head with a sword,

      Bl. H. 47, 14.

  • Wið ðæs heáfodes sáre,

      Lch. i. 286, 22.

  • Him ne hangað nacod sweord ofer þám heáfde (

    pendentis supra verticem gladii terror),

      Bt. 29, 1; F. 102, 27.

  • Hé slóg mid his heáfde on þone wág

    caput pariete collidens,

      Ors. 5, 15; S. 250, 12.

  • Ꝥ sigbég gesetton hǽfde (on heófod, R. ) his

    coronam inposuerunt capiti eius,

      Jn. L. 19, 2.

  • Hé Ióhannes bibeád heáfde biheáwan,

      Jul. 295 : Met. 1. 43.

  • Heáfde beneótan,

      Ap. 46: Jul. 604.

  • Ic heáfde forceart Grendeles módor,

      B. 2138.

  • On ðæt heáfud (-od,

    v. l.

    ),
      Past. 261, 14.

  • Tó sácerdan heáfod áhyldan,

      Ll. Th. i. 334, 33.

  • Þweh mín heáfod (heáfut,

      L., heófod, R. ), Jn. 13, 9.

  • Hnigon mid heáfdum him tógeánes,

      Gen. 237 : 742.

  • Heora heáfda of áceorfan,

      Ors. 2, 3 ; S. 68, 12.

  • Hí wecgað heora heáfdu,

      Ps. Th. 21, 6.

  • Heáfda,

      Mt. L. 27, 39. (1 a) where the head is used in measurement :--
    -

  • Se hróf on sumre stówe wæs ꝥ man mid his handa neálíce gerǽcan mihte, in sumre eáþelíce mid heáfde gehrínan,

      207, 23 : Hml. Th. i. 508, 19.
of an animal
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  • Ðæs íles heafud (-od,

    v. l.

    ),
      Past. 241, 16.

  • Scépes heáfod,

      Bl. H. 183, 22.

  • Slóg hé hors mid his sweorde ꝥ him wand þæt heáfod of,

      Ors. 5, 2 ; S. 216, 24.

  • Ðá heáfudu (heáfdu,

    v. l.

    ),
      Past. 105, 5.

  • Hí hine oftorfodon mid hrýðera heáfdum,

      Chr. 1012; P. 142, 23.

  • Ceruerus sceolde habbanþrió heáfdu,

      Bt. 35, 6; F. 168, 17.
the head
as the seat of thought
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  • Ðæt heáfod sceal wísian ðǽm fótum,

      Past. 131, 24.

  • Hond sceal heófod in wyrcan,

      Gn. Ex. 68.
as part essential to life, cf. heáfod-ǽ. —
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  • Ne sý nán óðer bót bútan ꝥ heáfod (cf. forgá þýfðe be his feóre,

      210, 3), Ll. Th. i. 282, 2, 23.

  • Sý hé þeóf, and þolige heáfdes,

      276, 13.

  • For þon ðín éþel (wyrd ?) hit swá be þínum heáfde and fóre hafað árǽded

    fata ita de tuo capite statuerunt,

      Nar. 29, 13.
the head in reference to hair
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  • Eówres heafudes loccas,

      Mt. 10, 30.

  • Heáfdes (heófdes,

      R.), Lk. 12, 7.

  • Loc of heáfde,

      An. 1425.

  • Of heófde iówrum,

      Lk. R. 21, 18.

  • Ꝥ hié eal hiera heáfod besceáren,

      Ors. 4, 11; S. 204, 8.

  • Ða sácerdas ne scoldon nó hiera heáfdu scieran mid scierseaxum,

      Past. 139, 12.
in enumeration, as in per
head
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  • Æt heáfde peninc,

      Wlfst. 170, 20.
in numbering cattle
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  • Mid xii heáfdon sceápa,

      Cht. Th. 641, 1.
the extremity of a thing
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  • Stæfes heáfod

    apex,

      Mt. L. 5, 18.

  • Heáfod (

    of a key

    ),
      Rä. 62, 5.

  • Þurh his (

    a battering-ram) heáfdes mægen, 54, 9. V a. the rounded part of a plant :-- xii hund heáfda (cf. capitum (heads of garlic )

    milia multa,
      Prehn, p. 255), Rä. 83, 4.

  • Genim gárleáces þreó heáfdu,

      Lch. ii. 234, 20.
the top of a building
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  • Þæt þú heáfod sié healle mǽrre and gesomnige síde weallas fæste gefóge,

      Cri. 4.

  • Se stán ys geworden tó þǽre hyrnan heáfde (in heafut,

      L., heáfod, R.), Mt. 21, 42.
of places.
a summit, eminence
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  • Of héfdes welle on nunnene line; of nunnene linche on litiges héuede ; of litiges héuede anlang díche,

      C. D. iii. 420, 10-12.

  • Of ðére dúne on beran heáfde ; of beran heáfde,

      376, 7.

  • Of ðám stáne tó ðám heáfde; big ðám heáfde,

      384, 16.

  • On ðam beorge ðat hit sticað on cheotoles heáfde,

      434, 14.
  • Tó dúnan heáfde; ðæt tó Hunes cnolle, v. 313, 13.

  • Æt Biédan heáfde,

      Chr. 675 ; P. 34, 28.
the upper end of that which is, or is thought of as, sloping.
of land. Cf. æt ðas akeres úpende,
    C. D. iii. 434, 2.
In pl. the word seems often equivalent to andheáfdu, q. v.
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  • Andlang cumbes tó ðæs cumbes heáfde,

      434, 35 : ii. 29, 3.
  • Æt ðæs croftes heáfod, iii. 37, 23.
  • On þæs hlinces heáfod, v. 217, 21 : iii. 420, 27.

  • On móres heáfod,

      C. D. B. iii. 336, 19.

  • On hanslædes heáfdan . . . on catedenes heáfdan,

      C. D. iii. 380, 26-29.

  • Tó ceólan heáfdan,

      462, 21.
  • Be ðǽra æcera heáfdan, vi. 79, 12 : iii. 420, 16.

  • Be heáfdan,

      444, 14.

  • Andlang fyrh tó ðon heáfdon,

      437, 22.

  • Of ðǽre fyrh á be þǽm heáfdan,

      Cht. E. 208, 33, 34.

  • Of þám heáfodon andlang fúra . . . Ondlong weges oþ þá heáfdo,

      C. D. iii. 436, 16-27.
of water
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  • Of horspóles heáuede . . . on horspóles heáued,

      C. D. iii. 445, 25-35.

  • In ðes pulles heáfod,

      382, 10.

  • On þæs fennes heáfod,

      C. D. B. iii. 517, 30.

  • On seohteres heáfod,

      624, 20.
head, as in bed's
head, the part of a couch where a person's head would rest
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  • Sce Adrianes hand heó ásette æt hire heáfdum on hire ræste,

      Shrn. 59, 35.

  • Setton him tó heáfdum hilderandas,

      B. 1242.
head as in fountain-
head, source.
literal
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  • Andlang weges tó mearcbróces heáfde,

      C. D. iii. 445, 4.
  • On beueres bróces heáfod, v. 48, 8.
  • On ðæs wælles heáfod, ii. 28, 34 : 29, 4.
  • On secgwælles heáfod, 7.
  • On wulfwælles heáfod, 13.
figurative
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  • Wyrd . . ., weána wyrtwela, wópes heáfod,

      Sal. 444.
  • Of edwittes ýða heáfdum, 29.
the beginning of a period of time
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  • Heáfdes fæstenes

    capitis ieiunii,

      Angl. xiii. 404, 566.
  • Fram heáfde fæstenes, 563.

  • Fram heáfde lenctenes oþ tó gereorde Drihtnes

    a capite quadragesimę usque ad cenam Domini,

      407, 596.
the figure-head of a ship
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  • Harold his scipes heáfod þám kynge bróhte,

      Chr. 1063; P. 191, 16.
  • XI. used of persons.
one to whom others are subordinate, a chief, leader
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  • Israhéla folc geceás Ionatham, biddende ꝥ hé wǽre heora heáfod and heretoga wið þá hǽþenan þeóda ; and hé féng ðá tó ealdordóme swá swá hí bǽdon,

      Hml. S. 25, 717.
  • Þone arcb . . . sé þe ǽr wæs Angelcynnes heáfod and Xpendómes, Chr. 1011; P. 142, 5.

  • Þú mé gesettest ðeódum tó heáfde

    constitues me in caput gentium,

      Ps. Th. 17, 41.

  • Hwæt áwriten is be hira heáfde and be hiera láreówe, ðæt is deóful

    quod de eorum capite scriptum est,

      Past. 301, 6.

  • Ðæt hálige heáfoð (-od,

    v. l.

    ) ðǽre hálgan gesomnunge, ðæt is
      Dryhten, 101, 22.
one who is more intelligent than others, who can instruct others
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  • Is ðearf ðæt ðæt dúst ðisse eorðlican giémenne ne áðísðrige ðæt eáge ðæs recceres, for ðǽm ealle ðá ðe ofer óðre bióð, bióð heáfda (-u,

    v. l.

    ) ðǽra ðe ðǽrunder bióð, and ðæt heáfod sceal wísian ðǽm fótum,
      Past. 131, 23.
used of places,
a capital, chief town
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  • Constantinopolim is nú ꝥ héhste cynesetl and heáfod ealles eástríces,

      Ors. 3, 7 ; S. 116, 13.

  • Babilonia þe wæs Persa ríces heáfod,

      Wlfst. 194, 11.
phrases.
with prep. ofer.
local, over ( one's)
head, aloft
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  • Hí him ásetton segen heáh ofer heáfod,

      B. 48.

  • Áscán leóht ofer hieora heáfod,

      Bl. H. 249, 2.
with the idea of protection, influence, &c.
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  • Þú hand þíne mé ofer heáfod holde gesettest

    posuisti super me manum tuam,

      Ps. Th. 138, 3.

  • Þá þe him Godes egsa hleonað ofer heáfdum,

      Gú. 44.
with another noun
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  • Hé tóbærst mid wundum from ðám heáfde oð ðá fét,

      Shrn. 132, 9.
with a verb.
heáfod brecan
to destroy, crush an enemy
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  • Heáfod hé gebreceð hæleða meniges,

      Ps. Th. 109, 7.
heáfod (á)hebban.
to take courage, regain cheerfulness or
confidence
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  • Eóure heáfdu (heófodo,

      R.) úp áhebbaþ;
    for þám þe eówer álýsednes geneálǽcð, Lk. 21, 28.
to feel proud or
elated
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  • Hí beóð þý dǽdfromran, and for ðon hiora heáfod hebbað,

      Ps. Th. 109, 8.
to be defiant
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  • Hí heora heáfod wið þé hófan,

      Ps. Th. 82, 2.
heáfod niman to accept as a slave. Cf.
Icel. fœra einum höfuð sitt to surrender oneself to an enemy, and see Grmm. R. A. pp. 146-7, 327-8
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  • Ealle þá men þe heó nam heora heáfod for hyra mete on þám yflum dagum,

      Cht. Th. 621, 9.
Etymology
[Goth. haubif: O. Frs. háved: O. Sax. hóbið: O. H. Ger. houbit: Icel. haufuð, (later) hǫfuð.]
Similar entries
v. foran-heáfod, fore-heáfod, for-heáfod, healf-heáfod, ofer-heáfod, oferhealf-heáfod, súþ-heáfod, úp-heáfod; and-heáfdu; wulf-heáfod-treów.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “heáfod.” 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/51823.

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