hincian

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *hinkaną. Cognate with Old High German hinchan, hinkan, German hinken; Old Dutch *hinkan, Dutch hinken; Old Norse hinka, Icelandic hinka. Attested in the agent noun hellehinca (“hell-hobbler”), and in single use as hincodon (they limped), however there is debate over the manuscript text which, according to Lindelöf, may read luncodon, and should therefore read *luncian, cognate with Swedish lunka, Norwegian lunke and Scots lunk in Shetland dialects. Related to Old English huncettan (“to cause to limp, halt”), from a related noun + *hunc +‎ -ettan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxin.ki.ɑn/, [ˈhiŋ.ki.ɑn]

Verb

hincian

1. to limp, hobble

Conjugation

Conjugation of hincian (weak class 2)

infinitive	hincian	hincienne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	hinciġe	hincode
second person singular	hincast	hincodest
third person singular	hincaþ	hincode
plural	hinciaþ	hincodon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	hinciġe	hincode
plural	hinciġen	hincoden
imperative
singular	hinca
plural	hinciaþ
participle	present	past
	hinciende	(ġe)hincod

Derived terms

• hellehinca (“hell-hobbler, Satan”)

Descendants

• Middle English: *hinken, *hinchen
  • Scots: hink (or possibly from Old Norse)