aliefan

Old English

Alternative forms

• ālȳfan — Late West Saxon
• ālēfan — Anglian

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *uʀlaubijan, from Proto-Germanic *uzlaubijaną, equivalent to ā- +‎ līefan (“to grant”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑːˈli͜yː.fɑn/, [ɑːˈli͜yː.vɑn]

Verb

ālīefan

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

     Nis nu ālȳfed cristenum mannum þæt hi þas ymbsnidennysse lichamlice healdan, ac þeah-hwæðere nan man ne bið soðlice cristen, buton he ða ymbsnidennysse on gastlicum ðeawum gehealde.

     It is not now allowed for Christian men to observe circumcision bodily, but, nevertheless, no man is truly a Christian, unless he observe circumcision in spiritual conduct.

2. to surrender, yield up

Conjugation

Conjugation of ālīefan (weak class 1)

infinitive	ālīefan	ālīefenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	ālīefe	ālīefde
second person singular	ālīefest, ālīefst	ālīefdest
third person singular	ālīefeþ, ālīefþ	ālīefde
plural	ālīefaþ	ālīefdon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	ālīefe	ālīefde
plural	ālīefen	ālīefden
imperative
singular	ālīef
plural	ālīefaþ
participle	present	past
	ālīefende	ālīefed

Derived terms

• ālīefednes

Descendants

• Middle English: alyfen