beggen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• begg, begge, beggyn

Etymology

Either inherited from Old English *bedcian, *becgian, a syncopated variant of bedecian, or a back-formation from beggere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛɡən/

Verb

beggen (third-person singular simple present beggeth, present participle beggende, beggynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle begged)

1. To beg; to ask for charity.
2. To entreat or plead; to ask with fervour.
3. To live as a beggar; to continually beg.

Conjugation

Conjugation of beggen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) beggen, begge
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	begge	begged
2nd-person singular	beggest	beggedest
3rd-person singular	beggeth	begged
subjunctive singular	begge
imperative singular		—
plural1	beggen, begge	beggeden, beggede
imperative plural	beggeth, begge	—
participles	beggynge, beggende	begged, ybegged

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Related terms

• beggere

Descendants

• English: beg
  • → Volapük: begön
• Scots: beg

References

• “beggen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.