ceald
The English phrase cold is translated into Old English as ceald.
The word ceald is an adjective meaning having a low temperature. In more formal or specific contexts, the term Hyfercald can be used to describe a biting coldness, particularly the type of cold that penetrates one's bones.
Meaning: having a low temperature (adj)
Which one should you use?
ceald is the adjective used to describe a person or an object, whereas ċiele is the noun used to refer to the state or sensation of coldness itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective ceald follows the standard rules for strong and weak adjective declension in Old English, changing based on the gender, number and case of the noun it modifies.
Did you know?
- The word ceald shares a common ancestor with the Old Norse word kaldr, the language spoken by Vikings during their raids on England.
- The phrase ceald changed its form not just for gender, but also for the grammatical case, meaning the word for 'cold' changed if the object was the subject or the object of a sentence.
Examples in context
- Þæt wæter is eall ceald.The water is all cold.
Example conversation
A man and a woman stand near a frozen stream.
- WulfrunEala, þæt wæter is ceald, Æthelstan.Alas, the water is cold, Æthelstan.
- ÆthelstanIċ sēo þæt, Wulfrun.I see that, Wulfrun.
- WulfrunMīne handa sindon cealde.My hands are cold.
- ÆthelstanUton gān hām.Let us go home.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ceald, CC BY-SA 4.0.
