answeren

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

    From Old English andswerian (from Proto-Germanic *andaswarjaną) and Old English andswarian (from Proto-Germanic *andaswarōną); equivalent to and- +‎ swaren or answere +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈan(d)ˌswɛ̞ːrən/, /ˈan(d)ˌswaːrən/

    Verb

    answeren (third-person singular simple present answereth, present participle answerende, answerynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle answered)

    1. To answer or respond; to offer a response:
      • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎[1], published c. 1410, Luke 1:35, folio 27, recto, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:
        and þe aũgel anſweride / ⁊ ſeide to hir / þe hoolı gooſt ſchal come fro aboue in to þee .· ⁊ þe v̇tu of þe hiȝeste ſchal ouerſchadewe þee / ⁊ þ̇foꝛ þat hoolı þıng þat ſchal be boren of þee .· ſchal be clepid þe ſone of god […]
        And the angel responded, saying to her, "The Holy Spirit will come from above onto you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy one that you'll give birth to will be called 'the Son of God'. […] "
      1. (especially law) To provide an explanation; to justify or refute.
      2. (religion) To explain oneself at the Last Judgement.
      3. (rare) To respond to a request for assistance.
      4. (rare) To provide one's choice as a response.
    2. To be responsible for (a task, another person):
      1. (religion) To be liable for; to suffer for.
      2. (rare) To be required to appear.
    3. To match or correspond to (in number or nature)
    4. (rare, of crops) To net; to provide sustenance.
    5. (rare) To pay a tariff or fee on goods.

    Conjugation

    Conjugation of answeren (weak in -ed/-de)
    infinitive (to) answeren, answere
    present tense past tense
    1st-person singular answere answered, answerde
    2nd-person singular answerest answeredest, answerdest
    3rd-person singular answereth answered, answerde
    subjunctive singular answere
    imperative singular —
    plural1 answeren, answere answereden, answerede, answerden, answerde
    imperative plural answereth, answere —
    participles answerynge, answerende answered, answerd, yanswered, yanswerd

    1 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • English: answer
    • Middle Scots: answer, ansuer, ansueir

    References

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