gælan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gailijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic *gailō (“lane, passageway”). Compare Old Norse geil (“narrow glen, passage”), Middle English gale (“way, course”). Compare also assumed Old English *gāl ("obstacle, boundary, marker"; > Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡæː.lɑn/

Verb

gǣlan

1. (transitive) to hinder, delay, impede
2. (transitive) to suspend, keep in suspense; to dupe
   • "Gospel of Saint John", chapter 10, verse 24

     Ðā bestōdon þā Iudeas hyne ūtan, and cwǣdon tō him, Hū lange gǣlst þū ūre līf? Sege ūs openlīce hwæþer þū Crīst sȳ.

     Then the Jew surrounded him from outside and said to him, how long do you keep in suspense our lives? Tell us openly whether you be Christ.

3. (intransitive) to hesitate, linger, stall
4. (transitive or intransitive) to remit, relax; to neglect
5. (transitive) to astound, astonish; to stun; to terrify, immobilise with fear

Conjugation

Conjugation of gǣlan (weak class 1)

infinitive	gǣlan	gǣlenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	gǣle	gǣlde
second person singular	gǣlest, gǣlst	gǣldest
third person singular	gǣleþ, gǣlþ	gǣlde
plural	gǣlaþ	gǣldon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	gǣle	gǣlde
plural	gǣlen	gǣlden
imperative
singular	gǣl
plural	gǣlaþ
participle	present	past
	gǣlende	(ġe)gǣled

Derived terms

• gǣling
• āgǣlan
• tōgǣlan

Related terms

• *gāl
• hyġegǣls
• hyġegǣlsa

Descendants

• Middle English: gelen