wiflic

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wībalīkaz. Equivalent to wīf +‎ -līċ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwiːf.liːt͡ʃ/, [ˈwiːv.liːt͡ʃ]

Adjective

wīflīċ

1. female, feminine
2. (grammar) part of the feminine grammatical gender
   • c. 995, Ælfric, Excerptiones de Arte Grammatica Anglice

     Æfter ġecynde syndon twā cyn on naman, masculinum and femininum, þæt is, werlīċ and wīflīċ...

     Two nominal genders are named after natural genders, masculinum and femininum, that is, masculine and feminine...

Declension

Declension of wīflīċ — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	wīflīċ	wīflīċ, wīflīċu, wīflīċo	wīflīċ
Accusative	wīflīcne	wīflīċe	wīflīċ
Genitive	wīflīċes	wīflīcre	wīflīċes
Dative	wīflīċum	wīflīcre	wīflīċum
Instrumental	wīflīċe	wīflīcre	wīflīċe
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	wīflīċe	wīflīċa, wīflīċe	wīflīċ, wīflīċu, wīflīċo
Accusative	wīflīċe	wīflīċa, wīflīċe	wīflīċ, wīflīċu, wīflīċo
Genitive	wīflīcra	wīflīcra	wīflīcra
Dative	wīflīċum	wīflīċum	wīflīċum
Instrumental	wīflīċum	wīflīċum	wīflīċum

Declension of wīflīċ — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	wīflīċa	wīflīċe	wīflīċe
Accusative	wīflīċan	wīflīċan	wīflīċe
Genitive	wīflīċan	wīflīċan	wīflīċan
Dative	wīflīċan	wīflīċan	wīflīċan
Instrumental	wīflīċan	wīflīċan	wīflīċan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	wīflīċan	wīflīċan	wīflīċan
Accusative	wīflīċan	wīflīċan	wīflīċan
Genitive	wīflīcra, wīflīċena	wīflīcra, wīflīċena	wīflīcra, wīflīċena
Dative	wīflīċum	wīflīċum	wīflīċum
Instrumental	wīflīċum	wīflīċum	wīflīċum

Antonyms

• werlīċ

Descendants

• >? Middle English: wyfly, wifly, wyffely
  • English: wifely
  • Scots: wifely (obsolete)

References

• Joseph Bosworth, T. Northcote Toller (1898) “wíflíc”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, second edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.