hwealf

Old English

Alternative forms

• hwalf

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *hwalbą, *hwalfą. Cognate with Old High German walbe, Old Norse hvalf (Icelandic hólf).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xwæ͜ɑlf/, [ʍæ͜ɑɫf]

Noun

hwealf f

1. vault, arch
   • 10th century, Anonymous, Beowulf, line 576:

     under heofenes hwealf

     under heaven’s vault

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	hwealf	hwealf
accusative	hwealf	hwealf
genitive	hwealfes	hwealfa
dative	hwealfe	hwealfum

Adjective

hwealf

1. arched, vaulted, hollow, concave, bent
   • 10th century, Anonymous, Judith XI 214, Nowell Codex:

     bordum beðeahte, / hwealfum lindum,

     with bucklers protected, / With their hollow shields,
     warded with bucklers, / Linden-shields curved,

Declension

Declension of hwealf — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	hwealf	hwealf	hwealf
Accusative	hwealfne	hwealfe	hwealf
Genitive	hwealfes	hwealfre	hwealfes
Dative	hwealfum	hwealfre	hwealfum
Instrumental	hwealfe	hwealfre	hwealfe
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	hwealfe	hwealfa, hwealfe	hwealf
Accusative	hwealfe	hwealfa, hwealfe	hwealf
Genitive	hwealfra	hwealfra	hwealfra
Dative	hwealfum	hwealfum	hwealfum
Instrumental	hwealfum	hwealfum	hwealfum

Declension of hwealf — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	hwealfa	hwealfe	hwealfe
Accusative	hwealfan	hwealfan	hwealfe
Genitive	hwealfan	hwealfan	hwealfan
Dative	hwealfan	hwealfan	hwealfan
Instrumental	hwealfan	hwealfan	hwealfan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	hwealfan	hwealfan	hwealfan
Accusative	hwealfan	hwealfan	hwealfan
Genitive	hwealfra, hwealfena	hwealfra, hwealfena	hwealfra, hwealfena
Dative	hwealfum	hwealfum	hwealfum
Instrumental	hwealfum	hwealfum	hwealfum

Related terms

• hwealfian

References

• John R. Clark Hall (1916) “hwealf”, in A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[1], 2nd edition, New York: Macmillan
• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “hwealf”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.