eldertongue

Old English · conjunction

nefne

Part of speech
conjunction
IPA
/ˈnef.ne/
[ˈnev.ne]
Syllables
ˈnef · ne (2 syllables)
Modern English
unlessexcept

Meaning

  1. unless

    Ne biþ him tō hearpan hyġe, ne tō hringþege, ne tō wīfe wyn, ne tō worulde hyht, ne ymbe ōwiht elles, nefne ymb ȳða ġewealc, ac ā hafað longunge sē þe on lagu fundað.

    His mind is not for a harp, nor for a gift of ring, nor for a wife’s mirth, nor for world’s hope, nor about anything else, unless about the rolling of waves, but he always has a longing, the one who rushes onto the sea.

    10th century, The Seafarer:

  2. except

Etymology

Probably cognate with Old Saxon neba, nebo, nebu (“except, unless”), Old Norse nema (“except, unless”).

Historical citations

  1. Hé hyra má ácwellan wolde, nefne him witig God forstóde, Beo. Th. 2116; B. 1056: 6101; B. 3054: Exon. Th. 340, 5; Gn. Ex. 106: 345, 11; Gn.

    Ex. 186.

  2. Ne gehýrde nǽnig man on his múþe óht elles nefne Cristes lof and nytte sprǽce, 223, 36: Exon. Th. 308

    Seef. 46.

  3. Hé læg swá swá deád mon nemne ðynre éðunge ánre ætýwde ðæt hé lífes wǽre

    S. 640, 24.

Related words

Synonymsnymþebūtan

Cognates

Old Norse nema, Old Saxon neba

Attested in Bēowulf

nefne · 1057nefne · 1935nefne · 2152nefne · 2534nefne · 3055

5 lines of the poem · read it

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