Old English · verb
gefæstnian
Normalised ġefæstnian
- Part of speech
- verb
- Verb class
- weak class 2
- IPA
- /jeˈfæst.ni.ɑn/
- Syllables
- je · ˈfæst · ni · ɑn (4 syllables)
- Modern English
- relationsimprisonconfirmentruststeady
Meaning
-
to fix, confirm, make fast
God ġeworhte ðā sōna twā sċīnende lēoht myċele and mǣre, mōnan and sunnan, ðā sunnan on meriġen tō ðǣs dæġes lihtinge, ðone mōnan on ǣfen mannum tō lihtinge on nihtlīcere tīde...And ealle steorran hē ēac ðā geworhte, and hē hī ġefæstnode on ðām fæstan rodore ðæt hī ðā eorðan onlīhton mid heora mæniġfealdum lēoman
Thereafter, God made two shining lights, a greater one and a lesser one, the moon and the sun, with the Sun to shine by day, and the moon to shine by night...and he also made all the stars, and he fixed them in the firm heavens so that they could illumine the earth with their manyfold rays.
c. 1000, Ælfric of Eynsham, transl., Hexameron of St. Basil: -
to imprison, fetter
-
to establish (relations), settle, determine
-
to make steady, constant
-
to secure, make safe
-
to entrust, commit
Conjugation
| Present | Past | |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative | ||
| 1st singular | ġefæstniġe | ġefæstnode |
| 2nd singular | ġefæstnast | ġefæstnodest |
| 3rd singular | ġefæstnaþ | ġefæstnode |
| Plural | ġefæstniaþ | ġefæstnodon |
| Subjunctive | ||
| Singular | ġefæstniġe | ġefæstnode |
| Plural | ġefæstniġen | ġefæstnoden |
| Form | |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | ġefæstnian |
| Inflected infinitive | ġefæstnienne |
| Imperative singular | ġefæstna |
| Imperative plural | ġefæstniaþ |
| Present participle | ġefæstniende |
| Past participle | ġefæstnod |
All forms (14)
Etymology
From ġe- + fæstnian. Cognate with Old High German gifastinōn.
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gefæstnian · CC BY-SA 4.0 licence · Attribution