bætan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *baitijan, from Proto-Germanic *baitijaną (“to cause to bite, bridle”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to cleave, split, separate”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbæː.tɑn/

Verb

bǣtan

1. to bridle
2. to rein in, restrain, curb
3. to bait, hunt (with dogs); to hound, worry
4. to beat, make way against a current or wind

Conjugation

Conjugation of bǣtan (weak class 1)

infinitive	bǣtan	bǣtenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	bǣte	bǣtte
second person singular	bǣtest, bǣtst	bǣttest
third person singular	bǣteþ, bǣtt, bǣt	bǣtte
plural	bǣtaþ	bǣtton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	bǣte	bǣtte
plural	bǣten	bǣtten
imperative
singular	bǣt
plural	bǣtaþ
participle	present	past
	bǣtende	(ġe)bǣted

Derived terms

• ġebǣtan
• ymbbǣtan

Related terms

• bāt
• bita
• bītan