eschewen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• echue, eþchewe, escheewe, escheu, eschew, eschewe, eschu, eschue, eschuen, eschuie, eschuwe, eschywe, esshew, exchewe

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman eschiver, from Frankish *skiuhijan; a doublet of skewen (“to run diagonally”). Compare enchewen and, more distantly, schey.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ(s)ˈt͡ʃiu̯ən/, /ɛˈʃiu̯ən/
• (possibly) IPA^(key): /ɛˈskiu̯ən/

Verb

eschewen (third-person singular simple present escheweth, present participle eschewende, eschewynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle eschewed)

1. To avoid or eschew (a behaviour, person, place, or situation)
2. To escape or avoid attack, peril or harm.
3. (rare) To attempt to escape peril or harm.
4. (rare) To recommend or encourage a situation.

Conjugation

Conjugation of eschewen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) eschewen, eschewe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	eschewe	eschewed
2nd-person singular	eschewest	eschewedest
3rd-person singular	escheweth	eschewed
subjunctive singular	eschewe
imperative singular		—
plural1	eschewen, eschewe	escheweden, eschewede
imperative plural	escheweth, eschewe	—
participles	eschewynge, eschewende	eschewed, yeschewed

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

Descendants

• English: eschew

References

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