Ofereode

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Old English past tense meaning moved across or past a place ; came to an end or faded away as time went on
2. A past-tense Old English verb for crossing over a boundary or distance ; ceasing to exist or passing out of existence
3. Crossed beyond a point in Old English verse ; was brought to a close or vanished, as a storm or sorrow might

Etymology: "Ofereode" is the past tense of "oferēodan," an Old English verb meaning "to pass over," "to go across," or "to cross." It is built from the prefix "ofer" ("over," cognate with modern "over") and "gān," "to go," so the literal sense is "go over." Its most famous appearance is in the Old English poem "The Wanderer," where the refrain "Ofereode, þisse swa þēos" ("That has passed over, so may this") reflects on the transience of worldly glory. Old English verbs formed this way with "ofer" are common, and this one simply carried the ordinary sense of crossing from one side to the other, or of time and hardship passing away. The verb did not survive into Middle or Modern English. Its descendant is the everyday English "overgo," an obsolete form, while the modern word "overcome" comes from a different Old English verb, "ofercuman." Because "ofereode" appears in a few surviving manuscripts, editors encounter it mainly in poetry, which is why it still feels rare today.

Synonyms: passed over, overpassed