læwan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *lāwijan, from Proto-Germanic *lēwijaną. Cognate with Old High German firlāwen, gilāwen (“to betray”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (lēwjan, “to betray”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlæː.wɑn/

Verb

lǣwan

1. to betray

Conjugation

Conjugation of lǣwan (weak class 1)

infinitive	lǣwan	lǣwenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	lǣwe	lǣwde
second person singular	lǣwest, lǣwst	lǣwdest
third person singular	lǣweþ, lǣwþ	lǣwde
plural	lǣwaþ	lǣwdon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	lǣwe	lǣwde
plural	lǣwen	lǣwden
imperative
singular	lǣw
plural	lǣwaþ
participle	present	past
	lǣwende	(ġe)lǣwed

Derived terms

• belǣwan
• lǣwa
• lǣwede (possibly)

Descendants

• Middle English: *læwen, *lewen
  • ⇒ Middle English: lewede, lewed (< Old English lǣwede)
    • Scots: lawit, lewit, lewd (past participle)
    • English: lewd (past participle)
  • ⇒ Middle English: lewe (adjective)
  • ⇒ Middle English: beleawen, belewen

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “lǣwan”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[1], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.