gnawen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• gnaȝen, gnauen, gnauyn, gnawe, gnawyn
• knauyn, knawen, knawyn

Etymology

From Old English gnagan, from Proto-West Germanic *gnagan, Proto-Germanic *gnaganą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡnau̯ən/, /ˈknau̯ən/

Verb

gnawen (third-person singular simple present gnaweth, present participle gnawynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative gnew, past participle gnowen)

1. To gnaw; to persistently bite or chew.
2. To eat or eliminate through gnawing.
3. To impale or wound; to pierce the skin.
4. To wear; to cause corrosion or wastage.
5. (rare) To anguish or worry; to cause concern.
6. (rare) To mock, insult or slight; to speak negatively of.
7. (rare) To feel anguish, worry, or concern.
8. (rare) To ruin or ravage.

Usage notes

• This verb is occasionally weak in Middle English, but usually remains strong.

Conjugation

Conjugation of gnawen (strong class 6/7)

infinitive	(to) gnawen, gnawe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	gnawe	gnow, gnogh, gnew
2nd-person singular	gnawest	gnowe, gnewe, gnow, gnogh, gnew
3rd-person singular	gnaweth	gnow, gnogh, gnew
subjunctive singular	gnawe	gnowe1, gnewe1
imperative singular		—
plural2	gnawen, gnawe	gnowen, gnowe, gnewen, gnewe
imperative plural	gnaweth, gnawe	—
participles	gnawynge, gnawende	gnawen, gnawe, ygnawe

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

Related terms

• gnawynge

Descendants

• English: gnaw, knaw
• Scots: gnaw, knaw
• Yola: gnafeen (ppl.) (<gnaȝen)

References

• “gnauen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-10-14.