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Anglo-Saxon

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æ
þ

hwæþer

Dictionary links
Wright's OE grammar
§41; §218; §325; §470; §560;
Add:
in direct questions.
which of two persons or
things,
alone
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  • Hwæðer (cf. hwæt, Mt. 9, 5) is éðre tó secgenne?

    quid est facilius dicere?,

      Mk. 2, 9: Lk. 5, 23.

  • Hwæþerne woldest þú déman wítes wyrþran, ðe [þone þe] þone unscyldgan wítnode, þe ðone þe ꝥ wíte þolode?,

      Bt. 38, 6; F. 208, 15.

  • Hueðerne (

    quem

    ) wallas gié hic forléto iówh, Barabban ł ðone
      Hǽlend?, Mt. L. 27, 17.

  • Hwæþer wénst þú nú?

    what (there being two alternatives) do you think?,

      Bt. 36, 4; F. 178, 9.
with gen.
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  • Hwæþer ðára twégra þincþ þé mihtigra?,

      Bt. 36, 4; F. 178, 14.
with the force of hwæt (v. hwá;
2 a),
where the answer is confined to two alternatives
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  • Hwæþer ðincþ þé ꝥ þá ðing sién, þe þára sóþena gesǽlþa limu, ðe sió gesǽlþ self?,

      Bt. 34, 6; F. 142, 9.
in dependent clauses.
as substantive,
alone,
which of the two.
where the alternatives are not expressed
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  • Nást ðú hwæðer bið þæs rícan wífes cild, hwæðer þæs earman,

      Hml. Th. i. 256, 14.

  • Geþence þonne þára tída and nú þissa, hwæþre him bet lícien,

      Ors. 1, 11; S. 50, 22.
where the alternatives are given
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  • Þá angunnon hí reahtigean hwæðer má mǽrlecra dǽda hæfde þe Philippus þe Alexander, Ors. 3, 9; S. 130, 26. (ββ)

    where the alternatives are expressed in a dependent clause introduced by the conjunction

    hwæþer :-- Gesege mé hwæþer þé betere ðince ..., hwæþer ... þe ...,
      Bt. 8; F. 26, 10.
with genitive,
which of the two.
the alternatives not expressed
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  • On ðǽm geflite hwæðer hiera mehte máran fultum him tó geteón,

      Ors. 3, 11; S. 144, 36.

  • Hit is on hiora ágenum anwealde hwæþre (hwaþre,

    v. l.

    ) ðára hí geceósan,
      Bt. 40, 3; F. 238, 23.
the alternatives expressed
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  • Hé áscade hwæþer heora sceolde on óþrum sige, habban, þe hé on Rómánum, þe Rómáne on him,

      Ors. 4, 1; S. 156, 1.
as adjective,
which object of two
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  • Mid ðǽm worde bið gecýþed hwæðer healf hæfð sige,

      Ors. 3, 1; S. 100, 9.

  • Gehwá móste cýðan tó hwæþeran hláfordscipe hé wolde gebúgan,

      Hml. S. 23, 116.

  • Saga mé on hwæðere Adames sídan nam úre Dryhten ðæt rib,

      Sal. K. 198, 8.
one or other of two,
either
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  • Twá ðing sindon ... gif hwǽm þára twéga hwæþeres (hwæðres, v. l.) wana biþ

    duo sunt, quorum si alterutum desit,

      Bt. 36, 3; F. 176, 7.

  • Ðonne him mon ðissa twéga hwæðer ondrǽtt suíður ðonne óðer,

      Past. 189, 9.
each of two
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  • Wearð mycel wælsliht on hwæðre (gehwæþere,

    v. l.

    ) hand,
      Chr. 871; P. 73, 3.
in combination with swá.
swá hwæþer swá
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  • An feó oþþe an áðe, swá hwæðer swá him leófre sió,

      Ll. Th. i. 32, 1.
swá ... swá ... swá hwæðer swá
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  • Swá werhádes swá wífhades, swá hwæðer (swæðer,

    v. l.

    ) swá hit sý,
      Ll. Th. i. 244, 11.
swá ... swá ... swá hwæþer
Show examples

  • Swá wæterordál swá ýsenordál, swá hwæðer him leófre sý,

      Ll. Th. i. 224, 16.
swá hwæþer swá ... swá ... swá ...
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  • Ceóse se man ... swá hweðer swá hé wylle, swá ánfeald ordál, swá pundes wurðne áð,

      Ll. Th. i. 280, 16: 394, 1.
swá hwæþer ... swá ... swá
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  • Ǽlc tiónd áge geweald swá hwæðer hé wille, swá wæter swá ísen, Ll. Th. i. 296, 3. V a. as adverb,

    however

    :-- Gebéte hit swá hwæðor swá hit gebyrige, swá mid godcundre bóte, swá mid woroldcundre steóre,
      Ll. Th. i. 328, 2.

  • Werian his man swá hwæðer him þincð ꝥ hé hine eáð áwerian mæge, swá for frigne, swá for þeówne,

      388, 2.

  • Gewylde man hine swá hwæðer swá man mæge, swá cucne, swá deádne,

      390, 21.

  • Swá hwæðer swá (swaðor,

    v. l.

    ),
      268, 17.
Similar entries
v. ge-hwæþer, swæþer.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “hwæþer.” 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/53472.

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