aþencan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *uzþankijan. Cognate with Old High German irdenken (German erdenken). Equivalent to ā- +‎ þenċan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑːˈθen.t͡ʃɑn/

Verb

āþenċan

1. to think of something (meaning "conceive of" or "invent," not "think about")
   • The Dialogues of Solomon and Saturn

     Hwelċ mann āþōhte ǣrest mid sylh tō erienne?

     Which person first thought of plowing the ground with a plow?

2. to make up something

   Mīn sōþung is þæt iċ hit āþōhte!

   My proof is that I made it up!

3. to intend

Conjugation

Conjugation of āþenċan (weak class 1)

infinitive	āþenċan	āþenċenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	āþenċe	āþōhte
second person singular	āþenċest, āþencst	āþōhtest
third person singular	āþenċeþ, āþencþ	āþōhte
plural	āþenċaþ	āþōhton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	āþenċe	āþōhte
plural	āþenċen	āþōhten
imperative
singular	āþenċ
plural	āþenċaþ
participle	present	past
	āþenċende	āþōht

Related terms

• orþanc

See also

• onfindan

References

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