fæt

• fet — Mercian

From Proto-West Germanic *fat, from Proto-Germanic *fatą.

• IPA^(key): /fæt/

fæt n

1. container, vessel; especially a box, jar or cup

Strong a-stem:

• Middle English: fat, faat, vat, vaat, fet, vet
  • English: vat, fat
  • Scots: fat, vat, vautt
  • Yola: vaat, vaate

Bosworth-Toller's Anglo-Saxon Dictionary has this entry but does not provide an etymology. This word is also found in compounds such as fætgold (in Bosworth-Toller) and fætedsinc (in Bosworth-Toller).

Altenglisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch has geschlagenes Metall, Goldschmuck ("beaten metal, golden ornament") as the definition for the word fǣt with a long æ instead. It etymologically associates this word with Old English fǣtan ("to forge, beat or work metal").

• IPA^(key): /fæːt/

fǣt m

1. a thin plate
2. golden ornament
   • The Anglo-Saxon poems of Beowulf

     Sceal se hearda helm, hyrsted golde, fætum, befeallen

     the hard helmet, adorned with gold, with ornaments, shall be fallen off

   • Beowulf: Autotypes of the Unique Cotton ms. Vitellius A XV in the British Museum

     To ðæs ðe he goldsele gumena wisse, fættum fáhne

     until he perceived the golden hall of men, variegated with ornaments,