wyrhta

Old English

Alternative forms

• werhta, wryhta, wyrchta

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *wurhtijō; By surface analysis, wyrht (“deed”) +‎ -a (agentive suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwyrx.tɑ/, [ˈwyrˠx.tɑ]

Noun

wyrhta m

1. worker
   • Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church

     Mīne ġebroðra, behealdað ēowere ðēawas, and ġif ġē ġȳt Godes wyrhtan sind, sċeawiað.

     My brothers, behold your conduct, and examine if you are yet God's workers.

2. maker
   • 10th century, The Ruin:

     Eorðgrāp hafað waldend wyrhtan forweorone, ġelēorene, heardgripe hrūsan, ōþ hund cnēa werþēoda ġewitan.

     Earth-grip holds the worn-out makers' lords, forsaken, to the tough-grip of the ground, until hundreds of knees of men set out.

3. doer

Declension

Weak:

	singular	plural
nominative	wyrhta	wyrhtan
accusative	wyrhtan	wyrhtan
genitive	wyrhtan	wyrhtena
dative	wyrhtan	wyrhtum

Synonyms

• wyrċend (much less common)

Derived terms

• ċīeswyrhta (“cheesemaker”)
• crocwyrhta (“potter”)
• efnwyrhta (“coworker”)
• esnewyrhta (“hireling, mercenary”)
• firenwyrhta (“sinner”)
• forwyrhta (“agent, deputy”)
• frumwyrhta (“author”)
• ġewyrhta (“accomplice, coworker”)
• ġimwyrhta (“jeweler”)
• godwebwyrhta
• hrōfwyrhta (“roofer”)
• īsenwyrhta (“blacksmith”)
• lǣstwyrhta (“shoemaker”)
• lāmwyrhta (“potter”)
• lēoþwyrhta (“poet”)
• leþerwyrhta (“tanner, currier”)
• mēdwyrhta (“hireling, mercenary”)
• meterwyrhta (“poet”)
• midwyrhta (“coworker, associate”)
• morþwyrhta (“murderer”)
• nīedwyrhta (“involuntary agent”)
• sċieldwyrhta (“shield maker”)
• sċipwyrhta (“shipbuilder”)
• sċōhwyrhta (“shoemaker”)
• sealmwyrhta (“psalmist”)
• smēagwyrhta (“skilled worker, artisan”)
• stānwyrhta (“stonemason”)
• teldwyrhta (“tentmaker”)
• tiġelwyrhta (“brickmaker”)
• trēowwyrhta (“carpenter”)
• unlybwyrhta (“sorcerer”)
• unrihtwyrhta (“wrongdoer”)
• wæġnwyrhta (“wainwright”)
• weallwyrhta (“wall builder”)
• webwyrhta (“a fuller”)

Related terms

• weorc
• wyrċan
• wyrht
• wyrhte

Descendants

• Middle English: wurhte, wruhte, wriȝte, wrighte
  • Scots: wricht, wrycht, wrecht
  • English: wright