Old English edit

Etymology edit

From Proto-West Germanic *gamundi, from Proto-Germanic *gamundiz, ultimately from a prefixed form of Proto-Indo-European *men- (to think, remember), equivalent to ġe- +‎ mynd.

Cognate with Old High German gimunt, Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍃 (gamunds); and with Sanskrit मन (mana), Ancient Greek μέμονα (mémona), Latin mēns, Old Church Slavonic мьнѣти (mĭněti) (Russian мнить (mnitʹ)), Lithuanian miñti, Old Irish menmae, Tocharian A mnu.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

ġemynd f

  1. memory
    • c. 1005, Ælfric, Letter to Sigeweard[1]:
      Heora ġemynd is forġieten.
      The memory of them is forgotten.
    • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy
      Þæt is nū hraðost tō seċġenne þæt iċ wilnode weorþfullīċe tō libbenne þā hwīle þe iċ lifde, and æfter mīnum līfe þām mannum tō lǣfanne þe æfter mē wǣren mīne ġemynd on gōdum weorcum.
      In short, I wanted to live honorably as long as I lived, and to leave behind, for those who would come after me, the memory of me in good works.
    • c. 992, Ælfric, "Sermon on the Nativiity of Our Lord"
      Þyssera ðrēora hyrda ġemynd is ġehæfd be ēastan Bethleem āne mīle, on Godes cyrcan ġeswutelod, þām ðe ðā stōwe ġenēosiað.
      The memory of these three shepherds is preserved one mile to the east of Bethlehem, and manifested in God's church to those who visit the place.
  2. (poetic or in certain set phrases) mind

Usage notes edit

  • The regular prose word for "mind" is mōd.

Declension edit

Sometimes it occurs as neuter:

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Descendants edit

  • Middle English: ȝemunde, munde, minde