þemagreint
þemagreint is an Old English word that has generated considerable scholarly interest due to its uncertain meaning and the limited textual evidence for its use. It appears primarily in two manuscripts, the Exeter Book and the Vercelli Book, both containing collections of Old English poetry. The word is found in the contexts of riddles, specifically Riddle 86 in the Exeter Book and Riddle 23 in the Vercelli Book, which are closely related and likely derive from a common source.
The literal translation of þemagreint is not straightforward, as it is a compound word whose components are
The difficulty in translating þemagreint stems from the rarity of the word and the enigmatic nature of