þeof

Middle English

Noun

þeof

1. (chiefly Early Middle English) Alternative form of thef

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *þeubaz. Cognate with Old Frisian thiāf, Old Saxon thiof, Old High German diob, Old Norse þjófr, Gothic 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (þiufs).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θe͜oːf/

Noun

þēof m

1. thief
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, Lives of Saints

     Is nū ēac to witenne þæt man witnaþ foroft þā ārlēasan sċeaþan and þā swicolan þēofas...

     It is also now known that we very often punish the honorless robbers and the treacherous thieves...

2. (rare) theft

Declension

Declension of þēof (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	þēof	þēofas
accusative	þēof	þēofas
genitive	þēofes	þēofa
dative	þēofe	þēofum

Derived terms

• manþēof
• þēofsċip
• þīefþu

Descendants

• Middle English: thef, theef, theff, thyef, þef, þeef, þief, þyef, þeof, thefe
  • English: thief
  • Scots: thef, theif, thief