Old English words first recorded in the 9th century

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *aigan, from Proto-Germanic *aiganą (“to possess, own”). The verb is common to the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (aigan), Old Norse eiga, Old Frisian…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *beudan, from Proto-Germanic *beudaną (“to offer, bid”). The verb is common Germanic: Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌱𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽 (anabiudan, “to command”), Old Norse bjóða (“to…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *beran, from Proto-Germanic *beraną (“to bear, carry, give birth”). The verb is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽 (bairan), Old Norse…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dragan, from Proto-Germanic *draganą (“to draw, pull, carry”). The strong verb is shared by Gothic 𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽 (dragan), Old Norse draga, Old Frisian draga (also…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *fast, from Proto-Germanic *fastuz (“fixed, firm”). The adjective is found in Old Norse fastr, Old Frisian fest, Old Saxon fast and Old High German festi…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *folgēn, from Proto-Germanic *fulgāną (“to follow”). Orel reconstructs it as *fulʒēnan and lists Old Norse fylgja, Old Frisian folgia, Old Saxon folgon and…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *grōan, from Proto-Germanic *grōaną (“to grow, become green”). The strong verb is shared with Old Norse gróa (“to grow, become green”) and Old Frisian grōwa…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *helan, from Proto-Germanic *helaną (“to hide, conceal”). The strong verb is found across West Germanic: Old Frisian hela, Old Saxon helan and Old High…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *lang, from Proto-Germanic *langaz (“long”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍃 (laggs), Old Norse langr, Old Frisian long, Old Saxon lang and Old High German…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *laggjan, from Proto-Germanic *lagjaną (“to lay, to put”). The Proto-Germanic verb is the causative of *ligjaną (“to lie”), which gave liċġan. It is found…

1. The noun meaning measure is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *māþi, from Proto-Germanic *mēþiz (“measure”). Kroonen reconstructs it as Proto-Indo-European *méh₁-ti-, and Orel too derives it…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nai (“never”), a contraction of ne (“not”) and ā (“ever”). The vowel of the negative was lost before the following vowel. The same contraction is Old…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nain, from Proto-Germanic *nainaz (“none”), made of Proto-Germanic *ne (“not”) and Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”). In Old English it is still the negative ne…

The verb continues a strong verb “to advise” and a weak verb “to make ready”, which fell together in the present. The strong verb is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rādan, from Proto-Germanic…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *spōan, from Proto-Germanic *spōaną (“to succeed”). Its cognates are Middle Dutch spoen (“to strive for”) and Old High German spuon (“to succeed”), weak…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *taikijan, from Proto-Germanic *taikijaną (“to show”). Kroonen records the verb in Old English alone, and explains it as a formation made to the geminated…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tredan, from Proto-Germanic *trudaną (“to tread”). The West Germanic languages share the vowel ⟨e⟩: Old Frisian treda, Old Dutch tredan and Old High German…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *werþan, from Proto-Germanic *werþaną (“to become”). The strong verb is common Germanic: Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌽 (wairþan), Old Norse verða, Old Frisian wertha, Old…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kaupōn (“to buy”), from Proto-Germanic *kaupōną (“to buy, trade”). The Proto-Germanic verb is made on *kaupô (“merchant”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍀𐍉𐌽…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mādu, from Proto-Germanic *mēdwō (“meadow”). Kroonen derives it, with Old Frisian mēde and Old Dutch māda (“pasture, meadow”), from Proto-Indo-European…

1. The verb “to see” is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sehwan, from Proto-Germanic *sehwaną (“to see”). Its cognates are Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌰𐌽 (saíƕan), Old Norse sjá, Old Frisian siā, Old Saxon sehan…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *stakō, from Proto-Germanic *stakô (“stake”). Its cognates include Old Norse hvatstaki, the name of a kind of weapon, Middle Low German stake (“pole”) and…

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wegan, from Proto-Germanic *weganą (“to move, carry”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to convey, transport”). The strong verb is found in Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽…