gesetnes

Old English[edit]

From earlier ġesetednes, equivalent to ġeseted +‎ -nes. Compare Old High German gisezzida (“establishment, regulation, order, decree”), Old High German gisezzidī (“establishment, regulation, composition, structure”), German Gesetz (“law”).

ġesetnes f (nominative plural ġesetnessa)

constitution; law
ceremony; religion
position
- c. 992, Ælfric, "The Epiphany of the Lord"
  Us is eac to witenne, þæt wæron sume gedwolmen ðe cwǽdon, þæt ælc man beo acenned be steorrena ġesetnyssum, and þurh heora ymbryna him wyrd gelimpe, and námon to fultume heora gedwylde þæt níwe steorra asprang þaþa Drihten lichamlice acenned wearð, and cwædon þæt se steorra his gewyrd wære.
  We are also to know, that there were some heretics who said, that every man is born according to the position of the stars, and that by their course his destiny befalls him, and advanced in support of their error, that a new star sprang up when the Lord was corporally born, and said that that star was his destiny.

Declension of gesetnes (strong ō-stem)