eldertongue

Old English · verb

befylan

Normalised befȳlan

Part of speech
verb
Verb class
weak class 1
IPA
/beˈfyː.lɑn/
Syllables
be · ˈfyː · lɑn (3 syllables)
Modern English
defilebefilebefoul

Meaning

  1. to defile, befoul

    Nū is ūs ālȳfed, þurh lārēowa ealdordōm, þæt wē dæġhwomlice, on þyssere lenctenlīċan tīde, ūre līchaman ġerēordiġan mid forhæfednysse, and sȳfernysse, and clǣnnysse. Stuntlīċe fæst sē lenctenlīċ fæsten seðe on ðisum clǣnum tīman hine sylfne mid gālnysse befȳld. Unrihtlīċ bið þæt sē crīstena mann flǣsċlīċe lustas ġefremme on ðām tīman þe hē flæsċmettas forgān sċea

    Now it is permitted to us, through the authority of teachers, that we feed our bodies with restraint, moderation, and modesty every day of this Lenten tide. He who performs the Lenten fast while defiling himself with lust does so foolishly. It is unlawful for a Christian to indulge in carnal lusts during the time he should forgo meats.

    Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church

Conjugation

Conjugation of befylan
PresentPast
Indicative
1st singular befȳlebefȳlde
2nd singular befȳlestbefȳlstbefȳldest
3rd singular befȳleþbefȳlþbefȳlde
Plural befȳlaþbefȳldon
Subjunctive
Singular befȳlebefȳlde
Plural befȳlenbefȳlden
Non-finite forms of befylan
Form
Infinitive befȳlan
Inflected infinitive befȳlenne
Imperative singular befȳl
Imperative plural befȳlaþ
Present participle befȳlende
Past participle befȳledbefȳld

All forms (17)

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *bifūlijan, equivalent to be- + fȳlan.

Descendants

befile, defile

Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · en.wiktionary.org/wiki/befylan · CC BY-SA 4.0 licence · Attribution