blawan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *blāan, from Proto-Germanic *blēaną (“to blow”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“to swell, blow up”). Akin to Old High German blāen, Latin flō (“blow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈblɑː.wɑn/

Verb

blāwan

1. to blow; breathe
   • c. 994, Ælfric, On the Twelve Winds

     Fēower heafodwindas synd. Sē fyrmesta is ēasterne wind, subsolanus ġehāten, for þām ðe hē blæwð frām ðǣre sunnan upspringe, ⁊ ys swyðe ġemetegod. Sē ōðer heafodwind is sūðerne, auster ġehāten, sē āstyreð wolcnu, ⁊ ligettas, ⁊ mistlice cwyld blǣwð geond ðās eorðan.

     There are four headwinds. The first is the eastern wind, called subsolanus, because it blows from where the sun rises, and is very moderate. The second headwind is southern, called auster, which stirs up clouds, and lightnings, and blows various plagues around the earth.

2. to be blown
3. to sound
4. to inflate

Conjugation

Conjugation of blāwan (strong class 7)

infinitive	blāwan	blāwenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	blāwe	blēow
second person singular	blǣwst	blēowe
third person singular	blǣwþ	blēow
plural	blāwaþ	blēowon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	blāwe	blēowe
plural	blāwen	blēowen
imperative
singular	blāw
plural	blāwaþ
participle	present	past
	blāwende	(ġe)blāwen

Derived terms

• beblāwan
• forblāwan
• ġeondblāwan
• inblāwan
• þurhblāwan
• wiþblāwan

Descendants

• Middle English: blowen, blouen, blow, blowe, blowyn, blawe (Northern or Kent), blawen, bloawen (Early Middle English)
  • English: blow
  • Geordie English: blaw
  • Scots: blaw
  • Yola: blay