Old English · adverb
ongean
- Part of speech
- adverb
- IPA
- /onˈjæ͜ɑːn/
- Syllables
- on · ˈjæ͜ɑːn (2 syllables)
ongean1 · adverb
Senses
opposite
back
...Beo se man ongean gelæd, for minum leofan iuliane...
...Let the man be led back, for my dear Julian's sake...
late 10th century, Ælfric, "Passion of St. Julian and His Wife Basilissa"with
On ðisum andweardan life sind þa gecorenan feawa geðuhte onġēan getel þæra wiðercorenra, ac þonne hí to ðam ecan life gegaderode beoð, heora tel bið swa menigfeald, þæt hit oferstihð, be ðæs witegan cwyde, sand-ceosles gerím.
In this present life the chosen appear few in comparison with the number of the reprobates, but when they shall be gathered to the eternal life, their number will be so manifold, that it will exceed, according to the prophet's saying, the number of the sand-grains.
c. 992, Ælfric, "The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost"
ongean2 · preposition
Senses
against
Simon cwæð, "Ðu góda cyning, ne understenst ðu ðisra twegra manna gerēonunge onġēan mē.
Simon said, "Thou good king, thou understandest not the plot of these two men against me.
c. 992, Ælfric, "The Passion of the Apostles Peter and Paul"against as in to oppose with hostility
...and we feohtan ne durston ongean ðone ormætan here..
...and we durst not fight against the overwhelming army,...
late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Agnes, Virgin"
Etymology
from Proto-West Germanic *in gagin, from Proto-Germanic *in gagin. Compare Old Saxon angegin, Middle Dutch entegen (Dutch entegen), Old High German ingegin and ingagan (German entgegen). By surface analysis, on- + ġean.
Descendants
again, agyen
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ongean · CC BY-SA 4.0 licence · Attribution