æne

Old English

Alternative forms

• āne

Etymology

Originally a variant of āne, instrumental masculine/neuter singular of ān (“one”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæː.ne/

Adverb

ǣne

1. once, one time
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Genesis 18:32

     Ābrahām cwæþ þā ġīet, "Lā lēof Dryhten, iċ bidde þæt þū ne iersiġe ġif iċ sprece ġīet ǣne: Hū biþ hit ġif þǣr bēoþ tīen rihtwīse?" God cwæþ, "Ne ādiligiġe iċ hīe ġif þǣr bēoþ tīen."

     Then Abraham said, "Oh Lord, please don't get angry if I speak one more time: What if there are ten righteous people?" God said, "I won't destroy them if there are ten."

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Paul the Apostle"

     Se hālga Paulus āwende his naman mid his þēawum. Saulus se ārlēasa beswang þā cristenan, ac æfter þǣre ġeċierednesse wæs se ārfæsta Paulus for Cristes naman oft beswungen. Ǣne hē wæs ġestǣned oþ dēaþ, swā þæt þā ēhteras hine for dēadne lēton, ac þæs on morgne hē ārās and fērde ymb his bodunge.

     When Saint Paul changed his name, he changed his character. Saul beat the Christians, but after his conversion, Paul was often beaten for being a Christian. Once he was stoned so severely that the attackers left him for dead, but then in the morning he got up and went back to his preaching.

   • c. 1011, Byrhtferth, Manual

     Ǣne seofon bēoþ seofon, tweowa seofon bēoþ fēowertīene, þreowa seofon bēoþ ān and twēntiġ, fēower sīðum seofon bēoþ eahta and twēntiġ.

     One times seven is seven, two times seven is fourteen, three times seven is twenty-one, four times seven is twenty-eight.

Synonyms

• (at some former time): hwīlum