eldertongue

Old English · noun

forhæfednes

Part of speech
noun, feminine
Declension
strong ō-stem
Modern English
restraintabstinence

Meaning

  1. restraint

    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
  2. abstinence

Declension

All forms (4)

Etymology

forhæfed (“abstinent”) + -nes

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