gefeoht

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Old English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *gafehtą. Cognate with Old Saxon *gifeht, Old High German gifeht. Equivalent to ġe- +‎ feoht.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ġefeoht n

  1. fight, fighting
    Ġeswīcaþ þæs ġefeohtes!
    Stop the fighting!
  2. battle
    • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans
      Leoniða, Læcedemonia cyning, Crēca byrġ, hæfde IIII þūsend monna, þā hē anġēan Xersis fōr, on ānum nearwan londfæstenne; ⁊ him þǣr mid ġefeohte wiðstōd.
      Leonidas, king of Sparta, a Greek city, had four thousand men, when he marched against Xerxes, in a narrow fortified pass; and stood against him in battle.
  3. war
    • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Agnes, Virgin"
      ...and behat me þam heretogan þæt he me underfo æfter ðam gefeohte siððan he ða scyððiscan mid sige oferwinð.
      ...and promise me to the general, that he may take me after the war, after he shall by victory conquer the Scythians.

Usage notes

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In the Early West Saxon of King Alfred, ġewinn was used for "war" and ġefeoht for "battle," while in the Late West Saxon of Ælfric ġefeoht was the word for both "battle" and "war."

Declension

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Derived terms

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