æwielm

Meaning

1. a welling up of water

2. a spring, fountain

3. source or head of a river

   Nilus sēo ēa hire ǣwielme is nēh þǣm clife þǣre Rēadan Sǣs; þēah sume men seċġen þæt hire ǣwielme sīe on westende Affrica nēh þām beorge Athlans, ⁊ þonne fol raðe þǣs sīe ēast irnende on þæt sond, ⁊ þonne besince eft on þæt sand, ⁊ þǣr nēh sīe eft flōwende up of þǣm sande, ⁊ þǣr wyrcð miċelne sǣ.

   The source of the River Nile is near the edge of the Red Sea, though some people say that its source is in the western end of Africa near the Atlas Mountains, and that it immediately flows east of the sands, and then sinks back down into the sand, and near there it flows up again from the sand, and there forms a great sea.

   late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

Declension