dreden

Middle English

Alternative forms

• dred, drede
• (early) drædenn

Etymology

From Old English drǣdan, late aphetic variant of ondrǣdan, from Proto-West Germanic *andarādan. Compare adreden and reden.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdrɛːdən/, /ˈdreːdən/

Verb

dreden

1. To fear or dread:
   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[1], published c. 1410, Joon 9:22, page 50r, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     his fadir ⁊ modir ſeiden þese þingis .· foꝛ þei dꝛedden þe iewis / foꝛ þanne þe iewis hadden conſpirid · þat if ony man knoulechide hym criſt .· he ſchulde be doon out of þe ſynagoge

     His parents said those things because they were scared of the Jews, as the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged (Jesus) as Messiah, they would be expelled from the synagogue.

   1. To be fearful or afraid.
      • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[2], published c. 1410, Apocalips 1:17, page 117v, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

        ⁊ whanne I hadde ſeyn hym .· I felde doun at his feet as deed / ⁊ he puttide his riȝthond on me .· ⁊ ſeide / nyle þou dꝛede I am þe firſte ⁊ þe laſte […]

        And when I saw him, I fell down at his feet like I was dead. But he placed his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid; I am the first and the last […]

   2. To regard with awe or reverence.
2. To avoid or reject.
3. To frighten or harass.

Conjugation

Conjugation of dreden (weak in -de/in -ed)

infinitive	(to) dreden, drede
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	drede	dredde, dradde, dreded
2nd-person singular	dredest	dreddest, draddest, drededest
3rd-person singular	dredeth, dret	dredde, dradde, dreded
subjunctive singular	drede
imperative singular		—
plural1	dreden, drede	dredden, dredde, dradden, dradde, drededen, dredede
imperative plural	dredeth, drede	—
participles	dredynge, dredende	dred, drad, dreded, ydred, ydrad, ydreded

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

Related terms

• dred
• dredful
• dredfully
• dredfulnesse
• dredles
• drednesse
• dredy
• ofdreden

 

Descendants

• English: dread
• Geordie English: dreed
• Scots: dreid, dreed

References

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