swiþe

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Old English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Equivalent to swīþ +‎ -e. From Proto-Germanic *swinþaz, *swenþaz (“strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *swent- (“active, healthy”). More at swith.

Pronunciation

Adverb

swīþe (comparative swīþor, superlative swīþost)

  1. very
    • Blickling Homilies, "The First Sunday in Lent"
      Þæt Dēofol hine þā ġenam þriddan sīðe, and hē hine lǣdde uppon swīðe hēa dūne.
      Then the Devil took him a third time, and led him up to a very high mountain.
    • c. 890, The Voyage of Ohthere and Wulfstan
      Swīðost hē fōr þæder for þām horshwalum, for þon hīe habbaþ swīðe æðele bān on heora tōðum.
      Mostly he went there for the walruses, since they have very fine ivory in their teeth.
    • early 12th century, the Peterborough Chronicle
      Þā niht wæs sēo lyft swīðe clǣnu and þā steorran ofer ealne þone heofon swīðe beorhte sċīnende.
      That night the air was very clear, and all the stars in the sky were shining very brightly.
    • Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Manuscript E, year 1089
      On þone endleftan dæġ hærfestmōnaþes ġewearþ ofer eall Engla land miċel eorþstyring, and wæs swīðe lætsum ġēar on corne and on ǣlċes cynnes wæstmum, swā þæt maniġe menn rǣpon heora corn onbūtan Mārtīnes mæssan and ġīet lator.
      On August 11th, all of England was hit by a huge earthquake, and it was a very slow year for grain and all kinds of crops, so that many people reaped their grain around Martinmas or even later.
  2. much
    • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies
      Hū be mete? hū swīðe lyst þē þæs?
      How about food? How much dost thou desire that?
    • Solomon and Saturn II
      Ne ondrǣd þū þē dēaþ tō swīðe. Þēah hē þē full gōd ne þynċe, ne cymþ hē nǣfre mā.
      Don't be too scared of death . Even if it doesn't seem so great, it only happens once.
  3. more
    • c. 900, King Alfred's translation of St. Augustine's Soliloquies
      Iċ lufiġe ǣlcne mīnra frēonda, sume lǣsse, sume swīðor.
      I love all my friends, some more, some less.
    • c. 900, translation of Orosius' History Against the Pagans
      Hīe sæġdon þām folce þæt heora godu him wǣren ierre, tō þām þæt hīe him þā ġīet swīðor þonne hīe ǣr dydon.
      They told the public that their gods were angry at them, so they would sacrifice to them even more than they had before.
  4. mostly
    • c. 890, The Voyage of Ohthere and Wulfstan
      Swīðost hē fōr þæder for þām horshwalum, for þon hīe habbaþ swīðe æðele bān on heora tōðum.
      Mostly he went there for the walruses, since they have very fine ivory in their teeth.
  5. especially
    • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Maur, Abbot"
      ...swīþost swā þēah synderlīce tō maure...
      ...but especially, however, to Maurus in particular;...
    • late 10th century, Ælfric
      Menn behōfiaþ gōdre lāre, swīðost on þissum tīman.
      People are in need of good teaching, especially at this time.
  6. exceedingly, superlative adjective related to the associated verb
    • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Sermon on the Beginning of Creation"
      Þā cōm God þǣrtō þā þā hīe swīðost worhton, and sealde ǣlcum menn þe þǣr wæs synderlīċe sprǣċe.
      Then God came there when they were working hardest, and gave everyone there a separate language.

Related terms

Descendants

  • Middle English: swithe, swythe

References

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia