clingen

Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch *clingan, from Proto-Germanic *klinganą.

Verb

clingen

1. to sound, to resound

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Alternative forms

• clinken

Descendants

• Dutch: klingen, klinken
  • Afrikaans: klink
  • →⇒ French: clinquant
    • → English: clinquant
• Limburgish: klinge, klinke
• → Middle English: clinken
  • English: clink
  • Scots: clink

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch *clingan, from Proto-Germanic *klinganą.

Verb

clingen

1. to cling, to stick
2. to wither, to wilt

Inflection

Conjugation of clingen (weak)

infinitive	base form	clingen
	genitive	clingens
	dative	clingene
		indicative			subjunctive
		present	past		present	past
1st person singular		clinge	—		clinge	—
2nd person singular		clincs, clinges	—		clincs, clinges	—
3rd person singular		clinct, clinget	—		clinge	—
1st person plural		clingen	—		clingen	—
2nd person plural		clinct, clinget	—		clinct, clinget	—
3rd person plural		clingen	—		clingen	—
		imperative
singular		clinc, clinge
plural		clinct, clinget
		present	past
participle		clingende	—

Alternative forms

• clinken

Further reading

• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “clingen (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “clingen (II)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page II

Middle English

Alternative forms

• clyngyn, clyng, clynge, cling

Etymology

From Old English clingan, from Proto-Germanic *klinganą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklinɡən/

Verb

clingen

1. To solidify; to adhere as to form a mass.
2. To stick or cling; to be or make oneself adhesive onto something.
3. To reduce, to decrease in size or vitality; to shrivel or whither
4. To shrivel or reduce as to disappear or end.
5. To be scared or frightened; to be struck by terror.
6. (rare) To insert oneself into something.

Conjugation

Conjugation of clingen (strong class 3)

infinitive	(to) clingen, clinge
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	clinge	clang
2nd-person singular	clingest	clunge, clang
3rd-person singular	clingeth	clang
subjunctive singular	clinge	clunge1
imperative singular		—
plural2	clingen, clinge	clungen, clunge
imperative plural	clingeth, clinge	—
participles	clingynge, clingende	clungen, clunge, yclungen, yclunge

¹ Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
² Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Related terms

• clyngyng

Descendants

• English: cling
• Scots: cling

References

• “clingen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-09.