Etymologically
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1000s

Old English words first recorded in the 11th century

4 Old English words whose earliest known written record dates from the 11th century, earliest first. Words dated only to part of the century follow the ones with a year.

  1. scyttan

    1023–1038

    It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *skuttjan, from Proto-Germanic *skutjaną (“to shut”), a verb made from the noun *skuttą (“bar, bolt”). Its nearest relatives are Old Frisian sketta (“to shut…

  2. hindrian

    1050

    It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *hindrōną (“to hinder”), made to *hinder (“behind”). Holthausen derives it from the adverb hinder (“behind, back”). Köbler sets up the Proto-Germanic verb as…

  3. sciftan

    1050

    It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *skiftijaną (“to divide; to put in order”), an earlier *skipatjaną. The verb has cognates in Old Norse skipta (“to exchange, divide, decide”), Old Frisian skifta…

  4. tacan

    1050–1100

    It is a late loan, borrowed from Old Norse taka (“to take”). Durkin counts it among the few Norse loans of real importance recorded in Old English itself: it appears in two manuscripts of the…

All Old English words by century →