Beowulf

== English == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Old English Bēowulf, probably equivalent to bee +‎ wolf, though the first element is uncertain. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbeɪ.əˌwʊlf/ === Proper noun === Beowulf (plural Beowulfs) A renowned Old English alliterative poem, preserved in a single manuscript within the Nowell Codex, composed sometime between 975 and 1025 AD. John Gardner’s retelling of Beowulf is titled Grendel. (poetic) An Anglo-Saxon personal name, usually with reference to the hero of the poem, or to the poem itself. ==== Derived terms ==== Beowulfian Beowulfiana ==== Translations ==== == Old English == === Alternative forms === Bīowulf === Etymology === Uncertain; traditionally derived from bēo (“bee”) +‎ wulf (“wolf”), used as a kenning for “bear” or “woodpecker”. Most recently analysed theophorically from Bēow (“Beow”) +‎ wulf (“wolf”). Probably cognate with Old Norse Bjólfr (from earlier *Bíolfr, *Béolfr). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbe͜oːˌwulf/, [ˈbe͜oːˌwuɫf] === Proper noun === Bēowulf m (poetic) Beowulf ==== Declension ==== Strong a-stem: === References ===