gælan

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Old English

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Etymology

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From Proto-West Germanic *gailijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic *gailō (lane, passageway). Compare Old Norse geil (narrow glen, passage), Middle English gale (way, course). Compare also assumed Old English *gāl ("obstacle, boundary, marker"; > Middle English gol (boundary, limit)).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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gǣlan

  1. (transitive) to hinder, delay, impede
  2. (transitive) to suspend, keep in suspense; to dupe
    • "Gospel of Saint John", chapter 10, verse 24
      Ðā bestōdon þā Iudeas hyne ūtan, and cwǣdon tō him, Hū lange gǣlst þū ūre līf? Sege ūs openlīce hwæþer þū Crīst sȳ.
      Then the Jew surrounded him from outside and said to him, how long do you keep in suspense our lives? Tell us openly whether you be Christ.
  3. (intransitive) to hesitate, linger, stall
  4. (transitive or intransitive) to remit, relax; to neglect
  5. (transitive) to astound, astonish; to stun; to terrify, immobilise with fear

Conjugation

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Middle English: gelen