ær (comparative form, from â): 1) adv., _sooner, before, beforehand_, 15, 656, 695, 758, etc., _for a long time_, 2596; eft swâ ær, _again as formerly_, 643; ær ne siððan, _neither sooner nor later_, 719; ær and sîð, _sooner and later_ (all times), 2501; nô þý ær (_not so much the sooner_), _yet not_, 755, 1503, 2082, 2161, 2467.--2) conjunct., _before, ere_: a) with the ind.: ær hió tô setle geóng, 2020. b) w. subjunc.: ær ge fyr fêran, _before you travel farther_, 252; ær he on hwurfe 164, so 677, 2819; ær þon däg cwôme, _ere the day break_, 732; ær correlative to ær adv.: ær he feorh seleð, aldor an ôfre, ær he wille ..., _he will sooner_ (rather) _leave his life upon the shore, before_ (than) _he will_ ..., 1372.--3) prepos. with dat., _before_ ær deáðe, _before death_, 1389; ær däges hwîle, _before daybreak_, 2321; ær swylt-däge, _before the day of death_, 2799. æror, comp. adv., _sooner, before-hand_, 810; _formerly_, 2655. ærra, comp. adj., _earlier_; instr. pl., ærran mælum, _in former times_, 908, 2238, 3036. ærest, superl.: 1) adv., _first of all, foremost_, 6, 617, 1698, etc.--2) as subst. n., _relation to, the beginning_: acc. þät ic his ærest þe eft gesägde (_to tell thee in what relation it stood at first to the coat of mail that has been presented_), 2158. See Note. ær-däg, st. m. (_before-day_), _morning-twilight, gray of morning_: dat. sg. mid ærdäge, 126; samod ærdäge, 1312, 2943. ærende, st. n., _errand, trust_: acc. sg., 270, 345. ær-fäder, st. m., _late father, deceased father_: nom sg. swâ his ærfäder, 2623. ær-gestreón, st. n., _old treasure, possessions dating from old times_: acc sg., 1758; gen. sg. swylcra fela ærgestreóna, _much of such old treasure_, 2233. See gestreón. ær-geweorc, st. n., _work dating from old times_: nom. sg. enta ær-geweorc, _the old work of the giants_ (of the golden sword-hilt from Grendel's water-hall), 1680. See geweorc. ær-gôd, adj., _good since old times, long invested with dignity_ or _advantages_: äðeling ærgôd, 130; (eorl) ærgôd, 1330; îren ærgôd (_excellent sword_), 990, 2587. ær-wela, w. m., _old possessions, riches dating from old times_: acc. sg. ærwelan, 2748. See wela. æs, st. n., _carcass, carrion_: dat. (instr.) sg. æse, of Äschere's corpse, 1333. æt, st. m., _food, meat_: dat, sg., hû him ät æte speów, _how he fared well at meat_, 3027. ættren (see âttor), adj., _poisonous_: wäs þät blôd tô þäs hât, ættren ellorgâst, se ær inne swealt, _so hot was the blood, (and) poisonous the demon_ (Grendel's mother) _who died therein_, 1618 B bana, bona, w. m., _murderer_, 158, 588, 1103, etc.: acc. sg. bonan Ongenþeówes, of Hygelâc, although in reality his men slew Ongenþeów (2965 ff.), 1969. Figuratively of inanimate objects: ne wäs ecg bona, 2507; wearð wracu Weohstânes bana, 2614.--Comp.: ecg-, feorh-, gâst-, hand-, mûð-bana. bon-gâr, st. m. _murdering spear_, 2032. ge-bannan, st. v. w. acc. of the thing and dat. of the person, _to command, to bid_: inf., 74.