æht

Meaning

1. possession

2. property, livestock

   Þā æt nēxtan forlēt Pharao Israhela folc of his earde siðian mid miċċlum ǣhtum, and God ġesette ðone foresǣdan Moysen his folce tō heretogan, and his broðer Aaron tō sacerde; and hī lǣddon þæt folce tō ðǣre Rēadan sǣ mid miċelre fyrdinge, þæt wǣron six hund þūsenda wigendra manna, buton wīfum and ċildum.

   Then at last Pharaoh allowed the people of Israel to leave his land with much livestock, and God appointed the aforementioned Moses as the leader of his people, and his brother Aaron as priest; and they led the people to the Red Sea with a great host, which numbered six hundred thousand warriors, not counting women and children.

   Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church

3. power, possession

   Iċ eom æþelinges ǣht ond willa.

   I am power and will of an atheling.

   c. 980, Exeter Book Riddle 79:

4. valuation, estimation, reckoning

   Þonne is on ēasteweardre Cent myċel ēaland Tenet, þæt is syx hund hīda miċel æfter Angelcynnes ǣhte. Þæt ēalond tōsċēadeð Wantsumo strēam frām þām tōġeþeoddan lande. Sē is þreora furlunga brād: ⁊ on twām stōwum is oferfernes, ⁊ ǣġhwæþer ende līð on sǣ.

   Now to the east of Cent there is the great island of Thanet, which contains six hundred hides by the English manner of reckoning. The island separates the Wantsum Channel from the adjacent land. It is three furlongs wide; and it can be crossed in two places, and at each end flows into the sea.

   late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History

Declension