fawnen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• fagnen, fauhnen, faunen, fawenen, fawne, fawnyn

Etymology

From Old English fagnian, fæġnian, from Proto-West Germanic *faganōn, from Proto-Germanic *faganōną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfau̯nən/

Verb

fawnen (third-person singular simple present fawneth, present participle fawnende, fawnynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle fawned)

1. (of animals) To express affection (e.g. a dog wagging its tail).
2. (of animals) To express affection towards (someone).
3. To fawn; to seek favour through flattery.
4. (rare) To stroke (a pet)

Conjugation

Conjugation of fawnen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) fawnen, fawne
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	fawne	fawned
2nd-person singular	fawnest	fawnedest
3rd-person singular	fawneth	fawned
subjunctive singular	fawne
imperative singular		—
plural1	fawnen, fawne	fawneden, fawnede
imperative plural	fawneth, fawne	—
participles	fawnynge, fawnende	fawned, yfawned

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

Derived terms

• fawnynge

Descendants

• English: fawn

References

• “faunen, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.