gælan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gailijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic *gailō (“lane, passageway”). Compare Old Norse geil (“narrow glen, passage”), Middle English gale (“way, course”). Compare also assumed Old English *gāl ("obstacle, boundary, marker"; > Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”)).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈɡæː.lɑn/

Verb

gǣlan

  1. (transitive) to hinder, delay, impede
  2. (transitive) to suspend, keep in suspense; to dupe
    • "Gospel of Saint John", chapter 10, verse 24
      Ðā bestōdon þā Iudeas hyne ūtan, and cwǣdon tō him, Hū lange gǣlst þū ūre līf? Sege ūs openlīce hwæþer þū Crīst sȳ.
      Then the Jew surrounded him from outside and said to him, how long do you keep in suspense our lives? Tell us openly whether you be Christ.
  3. (intransitive) to hesitate, linger, stall
  4. (transitive or intransitive) to remit, relax; to neglect
  5. (transitive) to astound, astonish; to stun; to terrify, immobilise with fear

Conjugation
Conjugation of gǣlan (weak class 1)
infinitive gǣlan gǣlenne
indicative mood present tense past tense
first person singular gǣle gǣlde
second person singular gǣlest, gǣlst gǣldest
third person singular gǣleþ, gǣlþ gǣlde
plural gǣlaþ gǣldon
subjunctive present tense past tense
singular gǣle gǣlde
plural gǣlen gǣlden
imperative
singular gǣl
plural gǣlaþ
participle present past
gǣlende (ġe)gǣled

Derived terms
  • gǣling
  • āgǣlan
  • tōgǣlan
  • *gāl
  • hyġegǣls
  • hyġegǣlsa

Descendants
  • Middle English: gelen
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