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Anglo-Saxon

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cwealm

  • noun [ masculine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
cwealm, cwélm , es; m. n. [cwelan to die]
Wright's OE grammar
§335;
Death, destruction, a violent death, slaughter, murder, torment, plague, pestilence, contagion , QUALM; mors, pernicies, nex, cædes, homicidium, cruciatus, lues, pestis, pestilentia, contagium
Show examples

  • Hine se cwealm ne þeáh

    death profited him not,

    • Exon. 74b
      • ;
    • Th. 278, 30
      • ;
    • Jul. 605: Cd. 79
      • ;
    • Th. 98, 1
      • ;
    • Gen. 1623: Elen. Kmbl. 1349
      • ;
    • El. 676
      • .

  • Him cwelm gesceód

    death destroyed him,

    • Cd. 208
      • ;
    • Th. 257, 36
      • ;
    • Dan. 668
      • .

  • Ylda cwealm

    a slaughter of men,

    • Andr. Kmbl. 363
      • ;
    • An. 182
      • .

  • Cwealmes wyrhta

    a worker of murder, a murderer,

    • Cd. 48
      • ;
    • Th. 61, 29
      • ;
    • Gen. 1004
      • .

  • Ðider sóþfæstra sáwla mótun cuman æfter cwealme

    thither the souls of the just may come after death,

    • Exon. 32b
      • ;
    • Th. 103, 14
      • ;
    • Cri. 1688: Cd. 166
      • ;
    • Th. 207, 18
      • ;
    • Exod. 468
      • .

  • To wera cwealme

    for the destruction of men,

    • Andr. Kmbl. 3013
      • ;
    • An. 1509
      • .

  • Ic honda gewemde on Caines cwealme míne

    I have polluted my hands in Cain's murder,

    • Cd. 52
      • ;
    • Th. 67, 4
      • ;
    • Gen. 1095
      • .

  • In Caines cynne ðone cwealm gewræc Drihten

    the Lord avenged the death [of Abel] on Cain's race,

    • Beo. Th. 215
      • ;
    • B. 107: Exon. 28b
      • ;
    • Th. 87, 17
      • ;
    • Cri. 1426: Andr. Kmbl. 2243: An. 1123
      • .

  • Ðú wást cwealm hátne in helle

    thou knowest hot torment in hell,

    • 2374
      • ;
    • An. 1188: 562
      • ;
    • An. 281
      • .

  • Þurh deáþes cwealm

    through pain of death,

    • Exon. 35b
      • ;
    • Th. 115, 26
      • ;
    • Gú. 195: Cd. 224; Th. 296, 9
      • ;
    • Sat. 499
      • .

  • Mid morþes cwealme

    with pain of death,

    • 35
      • ;
    • Th. 47, 9
      • ;
    • Gen. 758
      • .

  • Cwealma mǽst

    the greatest of torments, hell,

    • Exon. 31b
      • ;
    • Th. 99, 20
      • ;
    • Cri. 1627
      • .

  • Micel cwealm wearþ ðæs folces

    the mortality of the people was great,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 122,
      • 18.

  • Cwealm pestilentia vel contagium vel

    lues,

    • Ælfc. Gl. 9
      • ;
    • Som. 57,
      • 8;
    • Wrt. Voc. 19,
      • 18.

  • Ðæt us cwealm on ne becume

    ne forte occidat nos pestis,

    • Ex. 5,
      • 3.

  • To ðam swíðe awédde se cwealm ðæt hundeahtatig manna of lífe gewiton

    the plague raged to that degree that eighty men departed from life,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 126, 18: Exon. 89a
      • ;
    • Th. 335, 7
      • ;
    • Gn. Ex. 30
      • .

  • On ðissum geáre com micel máncwealm on Brytene ígland, and on ðam cwealme forþférde Tuda biscop

    in this year [A. D. 664] there was a great plague in the island of Britain, and bishop Tuda died of the plague,

    • Chr. 664
      • ;
    • Erl. 35, 19: Homl. Th. ii. 124,
      • 2.

  • Godes miltsung ðone rédan cwealm gestilde

    God's mercy stilled the cruel pestilence,

    ii.
      126, 22.

  • Beóþ mycele eorþan styrunga geond stówa, and cwealmas terræmotus magni erunt per loca, et pestilentiæ, Lk. Bos. 21, 11. In the following example cwealm is neuter Sume ic þurh mislíc cwealm mínum hondum slóg

    some I slew by my hands through various deaths,

    • Exon. 73a
      • ;
    • Th. 272, 2
      • ;
    • Jul. 493
      • .
Etymology
[
Chauc. qualm sickness:
Laym. qualm mortality, plague:
Plat. qualm vapour, smoke:
O. Sax. qualm , m. violent death, murder:
Dut. kwalm , m.reek, moist:
Ger. qualm , m.vapour, smoke:
M. H. Ger. qualm , m. anguish:
O. H. Ger. qualm , m. nex:
Dan. qwalm , m. f. vapour, smoke:
Swed. qwalm , n. sultriness
.]
Derived forms
beadu-cwealm , bealo-, bróðor-, deáþ- , feorh-, gár-, mán-, morþor-, níþ-, orf-, út- , wael- , yrf-
Linked entries
v.  cwælm cwelm cwylm.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “cwealm.” 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/6904.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • cwealm, n.

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