oferstigan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *uberstīganą. Cognate with Old High German obarstīgan, Old Norse yfirstíga, Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (ufarsteigan). Equivalent to ofer- +‎ stīgan, literally "to climb over or across."

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌo.ferˈstiː.ɡɑn/, [ˌo.verˈstiː.ɣɑn]

Verb

oferstīgan

1. climb over: surmount, rise above
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of the Holy Virgins"

     Eles ġecynd is þæt hē wile oferstīgan ǣlcne wǣtan.

     The nature of oil is that it will rise to the top of any liquid.

   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     Þā ġenam Catalīnus þrēo hund manna mid him and on ānre dēagolre stōwe þone munt oferstāg.

     Then Cataline took three hundred men with him and ascended the mountain at a secret place.

   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Pope Gregory's Pastoral Care

     Sume þā ȳðe beċiereþ sē stēora mid þȳ sċipe, sume hē oferstīġþ.

     Some of the waves the steersman avoids with the ship, some he climbs over.

2. to go past, cross
3. (figurative) (by extension) to be more or better: surpass, transcend, exceed
   • c. 992, Ælfric of Eynsham, "The Nativity of St. Andrew the Apostle"

     Fisċeras and unġetogene menn ġeċēas Dryhten him tō leornungcneohtum and hīe swā ġetēah þæt heora lār oferstāg ealne weoroldwīsdōm.

     The Lord chose fishermen and uneducated people to be his disciples and taught them so that their learning surpassed all secular knowledge.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost"

     On ðisum andweardan life sind þa gecorenan feawa geðuhte onġēan getel þæra wiðercorenra, ac þonne hí to ðam ecan life gegaderode beoð, heora tel bið swa menigfeald, þæt hit oferstīhð, be ðæs witegan cwyde, sand-ceosles gerím.

     In this present life the chosen appear few in comparison with the number of the reprobates, but when they shall be gathered to the eternal life, their number will be so manifold, that it will exceed, according to the prophet's saying, the number of the sand-grains.

Conjugation

Conjugation of oferstīgan (strong class 1)

infinitive	oferstīgan	oferstīgenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	oferstīge	oferstāg, oferstāh
second person singular	oferstīġst	oferstige
third person singular	oferstīġþ	oferstāg, oferstāh
plural	oferstīgaþ	oferstigon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	oferstīge	oferstige
plural	oferstīgen	oferstigen
imperative
singular	oferstīġ
plural	oferstīgaþ
participle	present	past
	oferstīgende	oferstiġen

Synonyms

• ofersteppan

Derived terms

• oferstīgendlīċ