earfoþe

Old English

Alternative forms

• earfeþe, earfod

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *arbaiþi, from Proto-Germanic *arbaidiz (“hardship”), from a verb *arbijaną, *arbāną (“be orphaned”).

Compare Old English ierfa. See also Proto-Indo-European *h₃órbʰos, whence Ancient Greek ὀρφανός (orphanós), Latin orbus, Old Church Slavonic рабъ (rabŭ, “slave”). Cognate with Old Frisian arbēd, Old Saxon arƀed, arvēd, Old Dutch arbeit (Dutch arbeid), Old High German arbeit (German Arbeit (“work, labour”)), Old Norse erfiði (Swedish arvode (“salary”)), Gothic 𐌰𐍂𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌸𐍃 (arbaiþs).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæ͜ɑr.fo.θe/, [ˈæ͜ɑrˠ.vo.θe]

Noun

earfoþe n (nominative plural earfoþu)

1. work; labour
2. suffering; hardship
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     Swā cwæð eardstapa, ·  earfeþa ġemyndiġ,
     wrāþra wælsleahta, · winemǣga hryre:

     So said an earth-stepper, mindful of hardships,
     of wrathful slaughters, of kinsmen fall:

3. labour; pains; trouble; childbirth
4. disease

Declension

Declension of earfoþe (strong ja-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	earfoþe	earfoþu
accusative	earfoþe	earfoþu
genitive	earfoþes	earfoþa
dative	earfoþe	earfoþum

Derived terms

• earfoþþrāg

Adjective

earfoþe (comparative earfoþra, superlative earfoþost or earfoþest)

1. hard, difficult
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Assumption of St. John the Apostle"

     Iohannes þa gegaderode ðæra gymstana bricas, and beseah to heofonum, þus cweðende, "Drihten Hælend, nis ðe nan ðing earfoðe; þu ge-edstaðelodest ðisne tobrocenan middangeard on þinum geleaffullum, þurh tácen þære halgan rode; ge-edstaðela nu þas deorwurðan gymstanas, ðurh ðinra engla handa, þæt ðas nytenan menn þine mihta oncnāwon, and on þe gelyfon."

     John then gathered the fragments of the jewels, and looked to heaven, thus saying, "Lord Jesus, to thee nothing is difficult; thou didst restore this crushed world for thy faithful, through sign of the holy rood; restore now these precious gems, by thy angels' hands, that these ignorant men may acknowledge thy powers, and in thee believe."

Declension

Declension of earfoþe — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	earfoþe	earfoþu, earfoþo	earfoþe
Accusative	earfoþne	earfoþe	earfoþe
Genitive	earfoþes	earfoþre	earfoþes
Dative	earfoþum	earfoþre	earfoþum
Instrumental	earfoþe	earfoþre	earfoþe
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	earfoþe	earfoþa, earfoþe	earfoþu, earfoþo
Accusative	earfoþe	earfoþa, earfoþe	earfoþu, earfoþo
Genitive	earfoþra	earfoþra	earfoþra
Dative	earfoþum	earfoþum	earfoþum
Instrumental	earfoþum	earfoþum	earfoþum

Declension of earfoþe — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	earfoþa	earfoþe	earfoþe
Accusative	earfoþan	earfoþan	earfoþe
Genitive	earfoþan	earfoþan	earfoþan
Dative	earfoþan	earfoþan	earfoþan
Instrumental	earfoþan	earfoþan	earfoþan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	earfoþan	earfoþan	earfoþan
Accusative	earfoþan	earfoþan	earfoþan
Genitive	earfoþra, earfoþena	earfoþra, earfoþena	earfoþra, earfoþena
Dative	earfoþum	earfoþum	earfoþum
Instrumental	earfoþum	earfoþum	earfoþum

Antonyms

• īeþe

Derived terms

• earfoþnes

Descendants

• Middle English: arveð