How to Say “Win” in Old English

By Leigh Randy • Updated October 6, 2026

ġewinnan

The Old English for "to win" is ġewinnan, "to gain by fighting".

ġewinnan is used for winning a battle or gaining something by effort. To win a victory can also be siġe habban, "to have victory".

Meaning: transitive: achieve victory in (verb)

Which one should you use?

The plain verb winnan meant "to struggle, fight". The prefix ġe- adds the idea of success.

How do you pronounce it?

yeh-WIN-nan

Did you know?

Because winnan meant "to fight", the Old English noun ġewinn meant "struggle, war", not "a win".

Examples in context

He hæfþ þæt rice gewunnen.
He has won the kingdom.
Sige habban
To have victory
Hīe ġewunnon þæt ġefeoht.
They won the battle.

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About The Author

Leigh Randy

Hwæt! As Leigh, I'm fervid about bringing Old English words back to life. I've devoted countless hours to pen guides for phrases like "Are you awake?" or "Be quiet" in Old English. You could say, I'm a real enta geweorc, a work of art, in breaking down the barriers of this ancient language. When I'm not immersed in language, you'll catch me delighting in dragon tales, sipping a cup of coffee, or perhaps simply appreciating the allure of a hawk soaring. Let's embolden our speech together! Bring us, gelimpan, good luck, on this journey into our linguistic past.

Leigh RandyHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.

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