siþ

Old English

Alternative forms

• sið

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /siːθ/

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *sinþ, Proto-Germanic *sinþaz, from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to head for, go”). Cognate with Old Frisian sīth, Old Saxon sīð, Old High German sind, Old Norse sinn, Gothic 𐍃𐌹𐌽𐌸𐍃 (sinþs).

Noun

sīþ m

1. time (instance or occurrence)

   Þȳs sīðe iċ seċġe him þæt iċ hine lufiġe.

   This time I'm telling him I love him.

   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     Þā hīe sume sīðe druncene æt heora symble sǣton, þā ongunnon hīe trahtian hwæðer mā mǣrlīcra dǣda ġefremed hæfde, þē Philippus þē Alexander.

     One time, when they were sitting around drunk at a banquet, they began to debate who had achieved more great feats, Philip or Alexander.

2. time (as in the first time, many times)

   Earge sweltaþ manigum sīðum ǣr heora dēaðum.

   Cowards die many times before their deaths.

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Joshua 6:15

     On þām seofoþan dæġe hīe fērdon seofon sīðum ymb þā burg.

     On the seventh day, they circled the city seven times.

   • Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Manuscript E, year 1099

     Hēr wæs Willelm cyning tō midwintra on Normandiġ, and tō Ēastron hider tō lande cōm, and tō Pentecosten forman sīðe his hīred innan his nīewum ġebytlum æt Westmynstre hēold.

     This year, King William spent Christmas in Normandy • came to England on Easter • at Pentecost, held court at his new palace in Westminster for the first time.

   • Blickling Homilies, "The Third Sunday in Lent"

     Eallum cristenum mannum is beboden þæt hīe ealne heora līchaman seofon sīðum ġebletsian mid Cristes rōde tācne: ǣrest on ǣrne morgen, ōðre sīðe on underntīd, þriddan sīðe on midne dæġ, fēorðan sīðe on nōntīd, fīftan sīðe on ǣfen, sixtan sīðe on niht ǣr hē reste, seofoþan sīðe on ūhtan.

     All Christians are commanded to bless their entire body seven times with the sign of the cross: first early in the morning, the second time at nine o'clock, the third time at noon, the fourth time at three, the fifth time in the evening, the sixth time at night before bed, the seventh time before dawn.

3. times (indicating the multiplication of two numbers or a ratio of comparison)

   Six sīðum fēowertīene bēoþ fēower and hundeahtatiġ.

   Six times fourteen is eighty-four.

   • c. 1011, Byrhtferth, Manual‎:

     Ǣne seofon bēoþ seofon, tweowa seofon bēoþ fēowertīene, þreowa seofon bēoþ ān and twēntiġ, fēower sīðum seofon bēoþ eahta and twēntiġ.

     One times seven is seven, two times seven is fourteen, three times seven is twenty-one, four times seven is twenty-eight.

4. journey
   • Beowulf, lines 2532-2534

     […] nis þæt ēower sīþ / ne ġemet mannes / nefne mīn anes. […]

     That is not your journey / nor in the power of men / save for me, alone.

Usage notes

• For 'one time', 'two times', and 'three times', the adverbs ǣne (“once”), tweowa (“twice”), and þreowa (“thrice”) were more common than phrases involving sīþ, though these were also possible.

Declension

Derived terms

• ġesīþ
• sīþfæt
• wīdsīþ

Related terms

• sendan

Descendants

• Middle English: sith
  • English: sith

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *sīþuz. Cognate with Old High German sīd and Old Norse síðr.

Adjective

sīþ (comparative sīþra, superlative sīþmest)

1. late

Declension

Adverb

sīþ

1. late

Preposition

sīþ

1. after

Conjunction

sīþ

1. after