hæfþ
In Old English, the English phrase 'has' is translated as hæfþ.
The word hæfþ is used to indicate that a third-person singular subject possesses or holds something.
Which one should you use?
The form used depends on the subject of the sentence. While hæfþ is used for the third-person singular, you would use Ic hæbbe for 'I have', þu hæfst for 'you have' (singular), ge habbaþ for 'you have' (plural) and hie/hīe habbaþ for 'they have'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The conjugation of this verb changes based on the person and number of the subject: Ic hæbbe (I have), þu hæfst (you have singular), hæfþ (he/she/it has), ge habbaþ (you have plural) and hie/hīe habbaþ (they have).
Did you know?
- In Old English, the verb habban (the root of hæfþ) was often used to express the idea of 'taking' or 'seizing' rather than just passive possession.
- The word hæfþ is part of a Germanic linguistic family, sharing roots with the German word 'haben'.
- The letter 'þ' used in hæfþ is called 'thorn', a character that was eventually replaced by 'th' in modern English.
Examples in context
- Hēo hæfþ catt. Se catt is hƿīte.She has a cat. The cat is white.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use hæfþ in a description of possession.Tatoeba #1346846 by SuleimanArkhyz, translation #316114 by CK
- Hē hæfþ mægen.He has strength.
- Sēo cwēn hæfþ mēodu.The queen has mead.
Example conversation
Eadric and Mildryth are talking about a shared friend.
- EadricHē hæfþ maniġe bēc.He has many books.
- MildrythIs hē gōd rǣdere?Is he a good reader?
- EadricĠēa, hē lufaþ spell.Yes, he loves stories.
- MildrythÞæt is gōd.That is good.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
