Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

Dictionary online

æ
þ

be-tellan

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Substitute:
to clear a person of a charge, exculpate, excuse
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  • Nis nán man swá dyrstig on þám micclum dóme, þ æt hé durre óðerne betellan,

    • Hml. Th. ii. 570, 35
      • .
generally reflexive,
absolute
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  • Búton hé þider férde and hine betealde,

    • Chr. 1094
      • ;
    • P. 228, 36
      • .

  • Gewende hé tó Róme, þæt hé hine betealde, gif hé mihte. Þa betealde hé hine sweðe geáplíce,

    • Hml. Th. i. 80, 9
      • .

  • Hí hí sylfe earhlíce betealdon,

    • Hml. S. 23, 308
      • .

  • Se Hǽlend nolde hine betellan, ðeáh ðe hé unscyldig wǽre,

    • Hml. Th. ii. 250, 11
      • :
    • 420, 1
      • .
to clear one's self from (æt), in the matter of (be) a charge, excuse one's self to (wið) a person
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  • Godwine betealde hine wið Eádward be eallum ðám ðingan ðe him wæs on geléd,

    • Chr. 1053
      • ;
    • P. 183, 28
      • .

  • ꝥ hé móste hine betellan æt ǽlc þǽra þinga þe him man on léde,

    • 1048
      • ;
    • P. 175, 2
      • .

  • ꝥ hé mage wið Crist hine betellan,

    • Hml. S. 27, 160.
to prove one's self innocent,
with adj.
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  • Hé hine betealde unsynnine,

    • Hml. Th. ii. 226, 12
      • .
with clause
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  • Hé betealde hine wið Eádward, þet hé wæs unscyldig,

    • Chr. 1052
      • ;
    • P. 183, 7.
to excuse a fault, plead excuse for
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  • Hé ne mihte his mándǽda betellan,

    • Hml. S. 9, 145.
Etymology
[
N.E.D. be-tell.
]
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “be-tellan.” 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/40211.

Checked: 1
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  • be-tellan,

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