geflit
Old English
Etymology
ġe- + flit
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /jeˈflit/
Noun
ġeflit n
- argument, fight
- arguing, fighting
- contest, competition
Usage notes
- Ġeflit means an argument as in "a debate, dispute, quarrel." For the sense "line of reasoning," racu is used.
- Most often, ġeflit denotes verbal fighting and ġefeoht physical fighting, though this is only a generalization.
- The plural ending -u, attested in Alfred, Ælfric, and the translator of Bede, shows that the /i/ in this word is short, cf. pairs such as wrītan (“to write”) and ġewrit (“writing,” → Modern English writ). Bede's translator even spells the plural ⟨gefleoto⟩, showing back umlaut, which only occurs to short vowels. This means at least a form of the word must have had short /i/ at least since around 700, when back umlaut took place. Thus, the /aɪ/ of the modern noun flyte must be from the verb.
Declension
Declension of geflit (strong a-stem)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | ġeflit | ġeflitu |
| accusative | ġeflit | ġeflitu |
| genitive | ġeflites | ġeflita |
| dative | ġeflite | ġeflitum |
Related terms
- flītan
Descendants
- Middle English: flit