All 9 Uses
loath
in
Beowulf - (translated by: Hall)
(Auto-generated)
- And no one was able
Nor lief nor loth one, in the least to dissuade you
Your difficult voyage; then ye ventured a-swimming,
15 Where your arms outstretching the streams ye did cover,
The mere-ways measured, mixing and stirring them,
Glided the ocean; angry the waves were,
With the weltering of winter.†*loth = reluctant or unwilling to do something - Soon in the waters the wonderful swimmer
Was straitened most sorely with sword-pointed boar-spears,
55 Pressed in the battle and pulled to the cliff-edge;
The liegemen then looked on the loath-fashioned stranger.† - Forth did she grab them, grappled the warrior
With horrible clutches; yet no sooner she injured
30 His body unscathed: the burnie out-guarded,
That she proved but powerless to pierce through the armor,
The limb-mail locked, with loath-grabbing fingers.† - The atheling of earlmen entered the building,
85 Deed-valiant man, adorned with distinction,
Doughty shield-warrior, to address King Hrothgar:
[57] Then hung by the hair, the head of Grendel
Was borne to the building, where beer-thanes were drinking,
Loth before earlmen and eke 'fore the lady:
90 The warriors beheld then a wonderful sight.† - Hrothgar discoursed, the hilt he regarded,
The ancient heirloom where an old-time contention's
Beginning was graven: the gurgling currents,
The flood slew thereafter the race of the giants,
40 They had proved themselves daring: that people was loth to
{It had belonged to a race hateful to God.† - "Then bruised in his bosom he with bitter-toothed missile
Is hurt 'neath his helmet: from harmful pollution
He is powerless to shield him by the wonderful mandates
Of the loath-cursed spirit; what too long he hath holden
5 Him seemeth too small, savage he hoardeth,
Nor boastfully giveth gold-plated rings,[1]
The fate of the future flouts and forgetteth
Since God had erst given him greatness no little,
Wielder of Glory.† - 45 Needeth not boast of that cry-in-the-morning,
Who longest liveth of the loth-going kindred,[3]
Encompassed by moorland.† - Long was he wretched,
So that sons of the Geatmen accounted him worthless,
40 And the lord of the liegemen loth was to do him
Mickle of honor, when mead-cups were passing;
They fully believed him idle and sluggish,
{He is requited for the slights suffered in earlier days.† - The messenger hastened,
Not loth to return, hurried by jewels:
Curiosity urged him if, excellent-mooded,
Alive he should find the lord of the Weders
35 Mortally wounded, at the place where he left him.†
Definitions:
-
(1)
(loath) reluctant or unwilling to do somethingWord Confusion: Do not confuse loath with loathe which sounds very similar or the same. Loath is typically used as an adjective while loathe is a verb that means "to dislike greatly".
- (2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)