hladan

Forms

hladan (strong class 6; third-person singular present hlætt, past singular hlōd, past plural hlōdon)^[1] Also written hleadan.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hlaþan, from Proto-Germanic *hlaþaną (“to load”).^[1] The strong verb is found across Germanic: Old Norse hlaða (“to load, pile up”), Old Frisian hlada, Old Saxon hladan and Old High German ladan;^[2][3][4] the Gothic verb is reconstructed as *𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌸𐌰𐌽 (*hlaþan).^[1][2] Holthausen explains the ⟨d⟩ of the Old English form, against the ⟨þ⟩ of Gothic, as grammatical alternation, and Köbler sets up both this form and *hladaną.^[3][5]

Wiktionary and Köbler trace the verb to Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂- (“to lay down, spread out”), the root of Lithuanian kloti (“to spread”) and Russian клад (klad, “treasure”);^[1][2][4] Holthausen adds the Old Church Slavonic verb for “to lay, load”.^[3] Köbler also mentions Seebold's alternative, a root *kel- (“to drive”).^[2]

It belongs to the sixth class of strong verbs, with past hlōd, hlōdon and participle hladen.^[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first dated record is in the verse epilogue of the Pastoral Care in the Hatton manuscript, written 890×897.^[7] The book is compared to a spring of water that Gregory has brought to the readers' doors: Ac hladað iow nu drincan “but draw yourselves a drink now”.^[8][9]

Semantic evolution

The verb had two branches of sense: in the poetry it means to heap up, pile, build and load: Abraham begins to build a pyre (ád hladan) in Genesis, a man may not be laid on the pyre (on bǽl hladan) in Beowulf, and twisted gold is loaded on a wagon.^[10][11] The participle means “laden, richly furnished”: a boat hladen herewǽdum “laden with war-gear”, autumn wæstmum hladen “laden with fruits”, and the compounds goldhladen and ġilphlæden.^[9]

In the prose it means to draw water, rendering Latin “haurire” in Ælfric's Grammar (Ic hlade “haurio”), the Old English Exodus and the Gospels.^[10][2] From there it is used of drawing breath and of drawing favour or grace.^[9] Etymonline notes that the sense “draw water” is found only in English, while “load” is the sense shared by the Germanic languages.^[4]

As Middle English laden it meant loading a ship or cart, and the participle laden “loaded, burdened”.^[12] In English lade gave way to load and is now used chiefly of loading ships.^[4]

Timeline

• 890×897 – hladað iow nu drincan “draw yourselves a drink” in the verse epilogue of the Pastoral Care.^[7][8]
• s. x² – ád hladan “build a pyre” in Genesis A in the Junius manuscript.^[13][10]
• s. x² – Ic mé hrycg hlade “I load my back” in a riddle of the Exeter Book.^[14][10]
• s. x/xi – naca hladen herewǽdum “a boat laden with war-gear” in the Beowulf manuscript.^[15][9]
• c. 1425 – Middle English laden “to load (a ship)” in Lydgate's Troy Book.^[12]

Meanings

Verb

1. to load (a ship, a wagon); to put on as a burden or cargo.^[9][11]
2. to heap up, pile; to build (a pyre).^[10]
3. (participle) laden, richly furnished with something.^[9]
4. to draw (water), take up.^[10][2]
5. to draw (breath); to obtain (favour).^[9]

Word family

• ġehladan
• goldhladen
• ġilphlæden
• windhladen

Descendants

• Middle English laden (→ English lade; Middle Scots lade; Middle Scots laid)^[1]

Related words

• hlǣst

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. hladan
3. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. 161
4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
6. ^ Hogg, Richard M.; Fulk, R. D. (2011), A Grammar of Old English, vol. 2: Morphology, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, p. § 6.68
7. ^ a b Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 499
8. ^ a b Healey, Antonette diPaolo; Price Wilkin, John; Xiang, Xin, eds. (2009), Dictionary of Old English Web Corpus, Toronto: Dictionary of Old English Project
9. ^ a b c d e f g Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898), An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press; Toller, T. Northcote (1921), Supplement, p. Suppl. 547
10. ^ a b c d e f Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898), An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press; Toller, T. Northcote (1921), Supplement, p. 539
11. ^ a b Fulk, R. D.; Bjork, Robert E.; Niles, John D., eds. (2008), Klaeber's Beowulf and The Fight at Finnsburg, 4th ed., Toronto: University of Toronto Press (glossary), p. s.v. hladan
12. ^ a b Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
13. ^ Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 513
14. ^ Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 223
15. ^ Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 344