dælan

Icelandic

Noun

dælan

1. definite nominative singular of dæla

Old English

Alternative forms

• delan — Kentish

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *dailijaną. Cognate with Old Frisian dēla, Old Saxon dēlian, Old High German teilen, Old Norse deila, Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (dailjan). The Indo-European root is also the source of Proto-Balto-Slavic *daili- (Lithuanian dailiti (“divide”)), Proto-Slavic *děliti (Old Church Slavonic дѣлити (děliti, “divide”), Russian дели́ть (delítʹ)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdæː.lɑn/

Verb

dǣlan

1. to share
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "On the Greater Litany"

     Sē rīċa and sē þearfa sind weġfērende on þisse weorolde. Sē rīċa birþ māre þonne hē behōfiġe tō his formetum, sē ōðer birþ ǣmtiġne pusan. For þȳ sċeal sē rīċa dǣlan his byrðenne wiþ þone þearfan: þonne wanaþ hē þā byrðenne his synna, and þām þearfan ġehilpþ.

     The rich and the poor are both wayfarers in this world. The rich carry more than they need for the journey, while the poor hold an empty sack. That's why the rich should share their burden with the poor. That way they can lighten the burden of their sins, and help the poor.

2. to give charitably
3. to spend
4. to divide or separate something

Usage notes

• Sharing 'with' somebody is expressed with wiþ + accusative, not with mid.

Conjugation

Conjugation of dǣlan (weak class 1)

infinitive	dǣlan	dǣlenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	dǣle	dǣlde
second person singular	dǣlest, dǣlst	dǣldest
third person singular	dǣleþ, dǣlþ	dǣlde
plural	dǣlaþ	dǣldon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	dǣle	dǣlde
plural	dǣlen	dǣlden
imperative
singular	dǣl
plural	dǣlaþ
participle	present	past
	dǣlende	(ġe)dǣled

Derived terms

• bedǣlan
• fordǣlan
• ġedælan
• tōdǣlan
• adælan

Descendants

• Middle English: delen
  • English: deal