Head·word /ˈhedˌwɜː(ɹ)d/ n. @headword

9 posts8 participants2 posts today

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · 6h

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

ymb-fæþmian, wk.v: to embrace, clasp. (umb-FATH-mi-ahn / ymb-ˈfæθ-mɪ-an)
Image: St Mary embracing St Elisabeth in the Psalter of Eleanor of Aquitaine; France, c. 1185; Koninklijke Bibliotheek, KB 76 F 13, f. 15r.
Happy Hug a Medievalist Day!
Read this month’s Mōnaþ-spell (monthly update) on Patreon: https://bit.ly/goldgifa
#OldEnglish #WOTD #HugAMedievalistDay

Medieval manuscript image of two haloed women embracing with solemn expressions, standing on grass within an archway.

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · 15h

15h

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

fȳrene, adj: fiery, flaming with fire, fireproducing. (FUE-reh-nuh / ˈfyː-rɛ-nə)
Image: Livre des propriétés des choses; France (Toulouse), c. 1350; Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Ms. 1029, f. 248r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD

Medieval manuscript illustration of a fire-breathing dragon; it has no neck, a hairy face, and two wings that taper off into two feet.

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · 1d

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

wundor-weorold, f.n: the wondrous world. (WUN-dor-WEH-o-rold / ˈwʌn-dɔr-ˌwɛɔ-rɔld)
Image: Histoire ancienne, depuis la création; French, 15th century; Bibliothèque nationale de France, Français 250, f. 13r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD #EarthDay

A haloed man standing barefoot on the grass makes a gesture of blessing towards a globe in which are depicted trees and various animals; the globe is surrounded by a scroll with French writing.

**Alliterative/Endless Knot** @AllEndlessKnot@toot.community · 2d

Alliterative/Endless Knot @AllEndlessKnot@toot.community

The #ConnectedAtBirth #etymology of the week is ASTRONAUT/STAR/NOISE #wotd #astronaut #star #noise #BlueOrigin #KatyPerry #katyinspace

To great noise and fanfare, Katy Perry was picked to be an astronaut on a Blue Origin flight, based on her star power rather than any scientific merit. The word astronaut was first coined in the 1920s, meaning literally “star-sailor” from Greek aster “star” + nautes “sailor”. Greek aster can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root *ster- “star”, with the suffixed form *ster-s- becoming Proto-Germanic *sterzon-, which came into Old English as steorra, eventually becoming Modern English star. Greek nautes can be traced back to the PIE root *nau- “boat”, which also lies behind Greek naus “ship”, which produced the word nausia “seasickness” (literally “ship-sickness”), which was borrowed into Latin as nausea (which itself was eventually borrowed into English), which is likely the source of Old French noise “din, disturbance, uproar, brawl”, then borrowed into English ca. 1200 as our word noise.

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · 2d

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

hālig-wæcca, m.n: one who observes vigils. (HA-lih-WACK-ah / ˈhaː-lɪj-ˌwæk-ah)
#OldEnglish #WOTD

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · 3d

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

tīr-fruma, m.n: the source of glory or the prince of glory, the Deity. (TEER-FRUM-ah / ˈtiːr-ˌfrʌ-ma)
Image: Sherborne Missal; England (Sherborne), early 15th century; British Library, Add MS 74236, p. 216.
#OldEnglish #WOTD

A letter R in a medieval manuscript containing a scene of the Resurrection of Christ; a bleeding man wearing a blue cloth and a crown of thorns emerges from a tomb, around which soldiers and a dog are sprawled.

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · 4d

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

egeþe, f.n: harrow, rake. (EH-yeh-thuh / ˈɛ-jɛ-θə)
#OldEnglish #WOTD

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · 5d

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

hin-sīþ, m.n: departure (journey hence), death. (HIN-SEETH / ˈhɪn-ˌsiːθ)
Image: Tiberius Psalter; England (Winchester), 11th century; British Library, Cotton MS Tiberius C VI, f. 13r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD

Medieval manuscript illustration of Christ’s crucifixion; one soldier pierces Christ’s side with a spear, while another lifts a sponge on a stick to his mouth.

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · 6d

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

for-swelgan, str.v: to swallow (something/someone) entirely, devour (something/someone) utterly. (for-SWELL-gahn / fɔr-ˈswɛl-gan)
Image: Ormesby Psalter; England (East Anglia), 1250-1330; Bodleian Library, MS. Douce 366, f. 71v.
#OldEnglish #WOTD

Medieval manuscript marginalia depicting a hooded man holding the midsection of a winged dragon while swallowing its head; a bird pecks its breast and a squirrel eats a nut nearby.

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · Apr 16

Apr 16

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

spor, n.n: track, trace; mark left by anything. (SPOR / ˈspɔr)
#OldEnglish #WOTD

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · Apr 15

Apr 15

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

lox, m.n: lynx. (LOCKS / ˈlɔks)
Image: Lynx in a bestiary; England, c. 1170; British Library, Add MS 11283, f. 3v.
#OldEnglish #WOTD

Medieval manuscript illustration of a long, spotted cat-like creature.

**Alliterative/Endless Knot** @AllEndlessKnot@toot.community · Apr 14

Apr 14

Alliterative/Endless Knot @AllEndlessKnot@toot.community

The #ConnectedAtBirth #etymology of the week is EASTER/EAST #wotd #easter #east

Have you ever wondered if there's a connection between Easter and East? Well there may be. Easter takes its name from the Anglo-Saxon month name Eastermonaþ, basically April, which according to the Venerable Bede was named in honour of a goddess named Eostre (though whether she actually existed or was just made up by Bede is a matter of debate). The theory goes that she was some kind of dawn goddess, thus connecting her name with the Proto-Indo-European root *aus- “to shine” (especially of the dawn), hence the word East since that's where the sun rises. That root also gives us the word aurora through Latin, as the Romans had a dawn goddess named Aurora.

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · Apr 14

Apr 14

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

smēagan, wk.v: to consider, ponder, examine, search, seek an opportunity. (SMAY-ah-gahn / ˈsmeːa-gan)
#OldEnglish #WOTD

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · Apr 13

Apr 13

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

ge-palmtwīged, adj/participle: palm-twigged, adorned with palm twigs. (yeh-PALM-TWEE-yed / jɛ-ˈpalm-ˌtwiː-jɛd)
Image: Bamberger Psalter; Germany (Bamberg or Regensberg), c. 1220-1230; Staatsbibliothek Bamberg, Msc.Bibl.48, f. 61v.
#OldEnglish #WOTD

Medieval manuscript image of Christ entering Jerusalem on a donkey holding a palm leaf; two men are in a tree gathering palm leaves, and another man lays a cloth out for the donkey to walk on.

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · Apr 12

Apr 12

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

færeld, n.n: a way, going, motion, journey, course, passage, progress, expedition, company, one who accompanies in the journey of life, a relation; the Jewish Passover. (FAE-reld / ˈfæ-rɛld)
#OldEnglish #WOTD

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · Apr 11

Apr 11

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

foxunga, pl.n: foxlike wiles, tricks. (FAWK-sung-ga / ˈfɔk-sʌŋ-ga)
Image: Ormesby Psalter; England (East Anglia), 1250-1330; Bodleian Library, MS. Douce 366, f. 89r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD

Marginal illustration in a medieval manuscript of a fox disguised in human clothing approaching a hare.

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · Apr 10

Apr 10

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

fæþm, m/f.n: bosom, embrace; grasp, clutch, possession; fathom (a unit of measurement). (FATH-um / ˈfæ-θəm)
#OldEnglish #WOTD

**Old English Wordhord** @OEWordhord@mastodon.social · Apr 9

Apr 9

Old English Wordhord @OEWordhord@mastodon.social

wīc-eard, m.n: a dwelling-place. (WEECH-EH-ard / ˈwiːtʃ-ˌɛard)
Image: Hours of Catherine of Cleves; Netherlands (Utrecht), c. 1440; Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.917/945, p. 151.
#OldEnglish #WOTD