angenga

Old English

Alternative forms

• āngenġea

Etymology

Equivalent to ān- +‎ *genġa, literally “someone who walks alone.” Compare German Einzelgänger (“loner”) and Icelandic einfari (“loner”), which are formed similarly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑːnˌɡen.jɑ/, [ˈɑːnˌɡen.d͡ʒɑ]

Noun

āngenġa m

1. lone traveler, solitary walker; loner
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Epiphany of the Lord"

     Þā tungolwītgan ġesāwon nīewne steorran beorhtne, nā on heofonum betwēox ōðrum tunglum, ac wæs āngenġa betwēox heofonum and eorðan.

     The astrologers saw a bright new star, not in the sky among the others, but a lone wanderer between heaven and earth.

2. a rogue or solitary animal
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "Dedication of the Church of St. Michael the Archangel"

     Hit ġelamp, þā þā sēo ormǣte miċelnes his orfes on þǣre dūne lǣswode, þæt sum mōdiġ fearr wearþ āngenġa and þǣre heorde drāfe oferhogode.

     One time, when his massive herd of cattle was grazing on the mountain, an unruly bull went rogue and scorned the herd.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "Dedication of the Church of St. Michael the Archangel"

     Hē þā mid graman wearþ āstyred, hwȳ sē fearr āngenġa his heorde forsāwe, and ġebende his bogan, and mid ġeǣttrode flāne hine ofsċēotan wolde.

     Swollen with anger that this rogue bull dared to break from his heard, he readied his bow to shoot it dead with a poison arrow.

Declension

Declension of angenga (weak)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	āngenġa	āngenġan
accusative	āngenġan	āngenġan
genitive	āngenġan	āngenġena
dative	āngenġan	āngenġum