þyncan

Old English

Alternative forms

• þinċan

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *þunkijaną. Cognate with Old Saxon thunkian, Old High German dunken, Old Norse þykkja, Gothic 𐌸𐌿𐌲𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (þugkjan).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθyn.t͡ʃɑn/

Verb

þynċan

1. to seem, (impersonal, with dative subject) to think
   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 8:53

     Hwæt þyncþ þē þæt þū sīe?

     Who do you think you are?

   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

     Hwȳ ne sċolde mē swā þynċan?

     Why shouldn't I think so?

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Saints Alexander, Eventius, and Theodosius"

     Þā cwæþ Aureliānus, "Eom iċ hund ġeþūht?"

     Then Aurelianus said, "Do I look like a dog?"

   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

     Tīen þūsenda ġēara, þēah hit lang þynċe, āsċortaþ.

     Ten thousand years, even if it seems long, runs out.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "On the Passion of the Apostles Peter and Paul"

     Simōn bræġd his hīw ætforan þām cāsere, swā þæt hē wearþ fǣrlīċe ġeþūht cnapa, and eft hārwenġe.

     Simon changed his appearance in front of the emperor, so that he suddenly looked like a boy, then like a bearded old man.

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Genesis 29:20

     Iacōb him hīersumode seofon ġēar for Rācēle, and hit þūhte him fēawa daga for þǣre lufe þe hē tō hire hæfde.

     Jacob served him for seven years for Rachael, but it seemed to him like a few days because of the love that he had for her.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "On the Festival of St. Peter the Apostle"

     Sē enġel cwæþ, "Begyrd þē and sċō þē and fylġ mē." Petrus þā him fylġde, and þūhte him swelċe hit swefn wǣre.

     The angel said, "Put on your belt and shoes and follow me." Peter followed him, and it felt to him like he was dreaming.

   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 23:27

     Ġē sind ġelīċe hwītum byrġenum, þā þynċaþ mannum ūtan wlitiga, and hīe sind innan fulla dēadra bāna and ealre fȳlðe.

     You're like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful from the outside, while on the inside they're full of dead people's bones and all kinds of filth.

   • c. 994, Ælfric, "Preface to Genesis"

     Þā unġelǣredan prēostas, ġif hīe hwæt lȳtles understandaþ of þām Lǣdenbōcum, þonne þyncþ him sōna þæt hīe mæġen mǣre lārēowas bēon.

     If uneducated priests understand anything at all from the Latin texts, they immediately think they can be famous teachers.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Octaves and Circumcision of our Lord"

     Þa gesceafta ðe sind þwyrlice ġeðūhte, hí sind to wrace gesceapene yfel-dædum.

     The creatures that are thought monstrous have been created for punishment of evil deeds.

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "The Seven Sleepers"

     ...and he, malchus, þa him swa wundorlice þuhte eall þæt he geseah and gehyrde...

     And he, Malchus, when everything that he saw and heard seemed so wonderful to him,...

2. to appear
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Andrew the Apostle"

     Gif se Hælend gecure æt fruman getinge láreowas, and woruldlice uðwitan, and ðyllice to bodigenne sende, þonne wære geðuht swilce se soða geleafa ne asprunge ðurh Godes mihte, ac of woruldlicere getingnysse.

     f Jesus had chosen at first eloquent teachers, and sent worldly philosophers, and the like to preach, then would it have appeared as if the true faith had not sprung up through God's might, but from worldly eloquence.

Usage notes

• The impersonal use "to think" refers to thinking as in having an opinion. For thinking as in having thoughts, þenċan is used.

Conjugation

Conjugation of þynċan (weak class 1)

infinitive	þynċan	þynċenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	þynċe	þūhte
second person singular	þynċest, þyncst	þūhtest
third person singular	þynċeþ, þyncþ	þūhte
plural	þynċaþ	þūhton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	þynċe	þūhte
plural	þynċen	þūhten
imperative
singular	þynċ
plural	þynċaþ
participle	present	past
	þynċende	(ġe)þūht

Derived terms

• ġeþyncan (“to seem, appear”)
• ofþyncan (“displease, seem ill”)

Descendants

• English: think, methinks