þurfan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *þurban (“to need”).

Germanic cognates include Old Frisian *thurva, Old Saxon thurƀan, Old Dutch thurvan, Old High German durfan, Old Norse þurfa, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌱𐌰𐌽 (þaurban).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθur.fɑn/, [ˈθurˠ.vɑn]

Verb

þurfan

1. to need [with genitive]
2. to be obliged (to do something)

Usage notes

• Þurfan is not used in the passive voice, i.e. to express that something "is/was needed", as it lacks an attested past participle. Instead, one would say that there "is/was need of it" using the related noun þearf, along with the genitive of the thing needed, the dative of the one experiencing the need, and the verb "to be": Ūs wæs þīnes þearf ("You were needed by us", or more literally, "To us, there was need of you").

Conjugation

Conjugation of þurfan (preterite-present)

infinitive	þurfan	þearfenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	þearf	þorfte
second person singular	þearft	þorftest
third person singular	þearf	þorfte
plural	þurfon	þorfton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	þyrfe	þorfte
plural	þyrfen	þorften
imperative
singular	þyrfe
plural	þurfaþ
participle	present	past
	þearfende	—

Descendants

• Middle English: tharen
  • English: thair
  • Middle Scots: thar
    • Scots: thair