healdan

Old English

Alternative forms

• haldan — Anglian

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *haldan, from Proto-Germanic *haldaną (“to watch, look after”).

Cognate with Old Frisian halda (West Frisian hâlde), Old Saxon haldan (Low German holen), Old Dutch haldan (Dutch houden), Old High German haltan (German halten), Old Norse halda (Swedish hålla, Danish holde), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌽 (haldan).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxæ͜ɑl.dɑn/, [ˈhæ͜ɑɫ.dɑn]

Verb

healdan (West Saxon)

1. to keep watch over (cattle etc.)
2. to hold fast, to grasp
3. to contain
4. to possess
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "Sermon on the Nativiity of Our Lord"

     Ðyllīce word María hēold ārǣfniġende on hire heortan.

     Such words Mary held, pondering them in her heart.

5. to keep, hold, preserve something in a specific position or state
6. to keep to, maintain, observe a custom or habit
7. (intransitive) to maintain one’s position against an enemy

Conjugation

Conjugation of healdan (strong class 7)

infinitive	healdan	healdenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	healde	hēold
second person singular	hielst, hieltst	hēolde
third person singular	hielt	hēold
plural	healdaþ	hēoldon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	healde	hēolde
plural	healden	hēolden
imperative
singular	heald
plural	healdaþ
participle	present	past
	healdende	(ġe)healden

Derived terms

• æthealdan
• anhealdan
• behealdan
• forhealdan
• oferhealdan
• ofhealdan
• tōhealdan
• ymbhealdan
• āhealdan
• ġehealdan
• ōþhealdan

 

Descendants

• Middle English: holden, halden, halde, halt
  • English: hold
  • Geordie English: ha'd
  • Scots: hald, hauld, haud, had
  • Yola: houle

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “healdan”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.