wepen

Middle English

Etymology 1

    Inherited from Old English wǣpn, wēpn, from Proto-West Germanic *wāpn, from Proto-Germanic *wēpną; forms with /aː/, /a/ are possibly from or influenced by Old Norse vápn.

    The form wepne was originally a plural (from wǣpnu and dissimilation of wepnen), but is often used as a singular, though some instances can be interpreted in either way.

    Alternative forms

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈweːpən/, /ˈwɛ̝ːpən/, /-pnə/
    • IPA(key): /ˈwɛpən/, /ˈwɛpnə/ (with shortening before /pn/)
    • IPA(key): /ˈwaːpən/, /ˈwapən/ (Northern)

    Noun

    wepen (plural wepnes or wepen or (mostly early) wepnen)

    1. A weapon; an tool of violence:
      1. Something adopted as a weapon.
      2. (in the plural) Weaponry, armaments.
    2. (figuratively) A spiritual technique ("weapon")
    3. (figuratively, rare) The penis.
    Descendants
    • English: weapon
    • Middle Scots: wapyn, wapoun, wappin
    References

    Etymology 2

      Inherited from Old English wēpan, from Proto-West Germanic *wōpijan, from Proto-Germanic *wōpijaną.

      Forms with /øː/ are due to the rounding influence of /w/, levelled from the simple past (Old English wēop), or from a combination of both sources.

      Alternative forms

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /ˈweːpən/
      • IPA(key): /ˈwøːpən/ (Southern, Southwest Midland, less common)

      Verb

      wepen (third-person singular simple present wepeth, present participle wepynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative wep, past participle wopen)

      1. To weep (cry or produce tears):
        1. To weep in religious penitence.
        2. To emit water or drops of liquid.
        3. (pathology) To ooze; to produce secretions.
      2. To lament or complain (especially tearfully).
        1. To lament or weep about.
        2. To suffer (in worldly existence)
      3. (of tears) To run or flow.
      Conjugation
      Conjugation of wepen (weak in -ed/-te or strong class 7)
      infinitive (to) wepen, wepe
      present tense past tense
      1st-person singular wepe weped, wepte, wep
      2nd-person singular wepest wepedest, weptest, wepe1
      3rd-person singular wepeth weped, wepte, wep
      subjunctive singular wepe weped2, wepte2, wepe2
      imperative singular
      plural3 wepen, wepe wepeden, wepede, wepten, wepte, wepen, wepe
      imperative plural wepeth, wepe
      participles wepynge, wepende weped, wept, wopen, wope, yweped, ywept

      1 Later replaced by the 1st-/3rd-person singular or wepest.
      2 Later replaced by the indicative.
      3 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

      Descendants
      References