sincgiefa

Old English

FWOTD – 13 December 2016

Alternative forms

• sincġyfa

Etymology

From sinc (“treasure”) +‎ ġiefa (“giver”), from ġiefan (“to give”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsinkˌji͜y.fɑ/, [ˈsiŋkˌji͜y.vɑ]

Noun

sincġiefa m (West Saxon)

1. (poetic) a lord; the giver of treasures to his thanes
   • Beowulf, 1338-1343 (c. 8th-9th century), tr. Benjamin Slade:

     ... / ond nú óþer cwóm
     mihtig mánscaða / wolde hyre maég wrecan
     gé feor hafað / faéhðe gestaéled
     þæs þe þincean mæg / þegne monegum
     sé þe æfter sincgyfan / on sefan gréoteþ:
     hreþerbealo hearde / ...

     ... / and now the other has come,
     the mighty crime-wreaker, / she wants to avenge her kinsman,
     and has very far / carried her feud,
     as it must seem / to many a thane,
     who for the treasure-giver / weeps in his heart:
     hard mind-grief! / ...

Declension

Declension of sincgiefa (weak)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	sincġiefa	sincġiefan
accusative	sincġiefan	sincġiefan
genitive	sincġiefan	sincġiefena
dative	sincġiefan	sincġiefum