cweartern

Old English

Alternative forms

• *cweartærn

Etymology

From *cweart (“lamentation, groaning”) +‎ ern (“place”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkwæ͜ɑr.tern/, [ˈkwæ͜ɑrˠ.terˠn]

Noun

cweartern n

1. jail, prison

   Sē wer wæs on cwearterne for þīefþe.

   The man was in jail for theft.

   Sē dēma hine dēmde tō tīen dagum on cwearterne.

   The judge sentenced him to ten days in prison.

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Clement the Martyr"

     Þā cwelleras þā ġeopenodon þæt cweartern and nānne ne ġemētton.

     The executioners then opened the prison and found no one.

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	cweartern	cweartern
accusative	cweartern	cweartern
genitive	cwearternes	cwearterna
dative	cwearterne	cwearternum

Synonyms

• carcern
• dung

Descendants

• Middle English: quartern