blæc

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blæk/

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *blak, from Proto-Germanic *blakaz (“burnt, black”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleg- (“to shine, burn, scorch”). Cognate with Old Saxon blac (“ink”), Old High German blah-; related to Old Norse blakkr (“dusky, black”).

Alternative forms

• blac

Adjective

blæc

1. black

Declension

Declension of blæc — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	blæc	blacu, blaco	blæc
Accusative	blæcne	blace	blæc
Genitive	blaces	blæcre	blaces
Dative	blacum	blæcre	blacum
Instrumental	blace	blæcre	blace
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	blace	blaca, blace	blacu, blaco
Accusative	blace	blaca, blace	blacu, blaco
Genitive	blæcra	blæcra	blæcra
Dative	blacum	blacum	blacum
Instrumental	blacum	blacum	blacum

Declension of blæc — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	blaca	blace	blace
Accusative	blacan	blacan	blace
Genitive	blacan	blacan	blacan
Dative	blacan	blacan	blacan
Instrumental	blacan	blacan	blacan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	blacan	blacan	blacan
Accusative	blacan	blacan	blacan
Genitive	blæcra, blacena	blæcra, blacena	blæcra, blacena
Dative	blacum	blacum	blacum
Instrumental	blacum	blacum	blacum

Synonyms

• sweart

Descendants

• Middle English: blak, blake, blakke, black, blac
  • English: black (see there for further descendants)
  • Scots: black
  • Yola: bhlock, blaak
  • → Danish: blæk
    • → Faroese: blekk
    • → Norwegian Bokmål: blekk
    • → Norwegian Nynorsk: blekk
    • → Greenlandic: pilikki

See also

Colors in Old English · dēage (layout · text)

hwīt	grǣġ	blæc, sweart
rēad; basu	ġeolurēad; brūn	ġeolu
	grēne
	blāw	blāw
	purpuren

• blāc

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *blak, from Proto-Germanic *blaką (noun), from *blakaz (“black”, adjective).

Noun

blæc n

1. black
2. ink

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	blæc	blacu
accusative	blæc	blacu
genitive	blæces	blaca
dative	blæce	blacum

Derived terms

• blæchorn (“inkwell”)

Related terms

• blæċċe

Descendants

• Middle English: blak, blakke
  • English: black
  • Scots: blak, blac