ferhþ

Old English

Alternative forms

• ferht, ferþ, ferð, ferþþ, fyrhþ

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ferhþuz, equivalent to feorh +‎ -þ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ferxθ/, [ferˠxθ]

Noun

ferhþ m or n (nominative plural ferhþas or ferhþ)

1. life
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     Flēotendra ferð · nō þǣr fela bringeð
     cūðra cwidegiedda. · Ċearo bið ġenīwad

     Lifes of floating don't bring there
     many known tales. Grief is renewed

2. heart, spirit, mind
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     Sē þonne þisne wealsteal · wīse ġeþōhte
     ond þis deorce līf · dēope ġeondþenċeð,
     frōd in ferðe, · feor oft ġemon
     wælsleahta worn, · ond þās word ācwið:

     Then he deeply thinks over this wall-place
     and this dark life with wise thought,
     shrewd in mind, oft recalls the long bygone
     swarm of slaughters, and utters these words:

Declension

Masculine

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	ferhþ	ferhþas
accusative	ferhþ	ferhþas
genitive	ferhþes	ferhþa
dative	ferhþe	ferhþum

Neuter

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	ferhþ	ferhþ
accusative	ferhþ	ferhþ
genitive	ferhþes	ferhþa
dative	ferhþe	ferhþum