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lýtel

Part of speech: adjective
(compar lǽssa; superl lǽst, lǽsest) 1. little, small, not large; 2. little, few, not many or much; 3. gram mean of an adv little, slightly, to a small extent or degree; 4. gram mean of a n a little, a few (of); a small number or amount (of something) (also lítel)
Etymology
[Mod E LITTLE; OE lǽssa, lǽsse, lǽs (compar) → Mod E LESS; OE lǽst (superl) → Mod E LEAST
← Prot-Germ *lūt(t)ilaz, *lut(t)ilaz; O Sax luttil; OHG luzzil (Mod G lützel dial); cf also Prot-Germ *lītilaz; Goth leitils; Icel lítill]
Paradigm

2. Anglo-Saxon strong and weak adjectives

2.1. Strong declension of adjectives

-a-, -ō- stemmed adjectives

(a) short-stemmed version

strong declension of -a-, -o- stemmed adjectives
ȝlæd
(glad, cheerful)
singular number
masculine gender feminine gender neuter gender
nominative ȝlæd ȝladu, ȝlado ȝlæd
genitive ȝlades ȝlædre ȝlades
dative ȝladum ȝlædre ȝladum
instrumental ȝlade - ȝlade
accusative ȝlædne ȝlade ȝlæd
plural number
masculine gender feminine gender neuter gender
nominative ȝlade ȝlada, ȝlade ȝladu, ȝlado
genitive ȝlædra ȝlædra ȝlædra
dative (instrumental) ȝladum ȝladum ȝladum
accusative ȝlade ȝlada, ȝlade ȝladu, ȝlado

(b) long-stemmed version

Differs from the short-stemmed version only by the absence of the endings -u and -o in Nom sing fem and in Nom and Acc pl neut.

strong declension of -a-, -o- stemmed adjectives
ȝód
(good)
singular number
masculine gender feminine gender neuter gender
nominative ȝód ȝód ȝód
genitive ȝódes ȝódre ȝódes
dative ȝódum ȝódre ȝódum
instrumental ȝóde - ȝóde
accusative ȝódne ȝóde ȝód
plural number
masculine gender feminine gender neuter gender
nominative ȝóde ȝóda, ȝóde ȝód
genitive ȝódra ȝódra ȝódra
dative (instrumental) ȝódum ȝódum ȝódum
accusative ȝóde ȝóda, ȝóde ȝód

(c) -ja-, -jō- stemmed adjectives

Adjectives of this type are characterized by the presence of the ending -e in Nom sing masc and neut.

strong declension of -ja-, -jō- stemmed adjectives
wilde
(wild)
singular number
masculine gender feminine gender neuter gender
nominative wilde wildu, wildo wilde
genitive wildes wildre wildes
dative wildum wildre wildum
instrumental wilde - wilde
accusative wildne wilde wilde
plural number
masculine gender feminine gender neuter gender
nominative wilde wilda, wilde wildu, wildo
genitive wildra wildra wildra
dative (instrumental) wildum wildum wildum
accusative wilde wilda, wilde wildu, wildo

In the OE, the declension of the adjectives, originally belonging to the -i- stemmed type (such as bryce (breakable; frail); swice (deceitful, fraudulent), etc) fully coincided with the declension of the -ja-, -jō- stemmed type. The adjectives historically belonging to the -u- stemmed type are represented only by the Nom sing forms of the adjectives wlacu (lukewarm, tepid) and cwucu (alive, quick).

The declension of possessive pronouns and some other adjectival pronouns (with the exception of demonstrative ones) belonged to the same type.

2.2. Weak declension of adjectives

The weak declension of adjectives is essentially the same as that of -n- stem nouns.

weak declension of adjectives
ȝóda
(good)
singular number
masculine gender feminine gender neuter gender
nominative ȝóda ȝóde ȝóde
genitive ȝódan ȝódan ȝódan
dative (instrumental) ȝódan ȝódan ȝódan
accusative ȝódan ȝódan ȝódan
plural number
all genders
nominative ȝódan
genitive ȝódra
dative (instrumental) ȝódum
accusative ȝódan

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