lystan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *lustijan, from Proto-Germanic *lustijaną, derived from the noun *lustuz (“pleasure, lust”) (Old English lust).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlys.tɑn/

Verb

lystan

1. to like or want (impersonal, with accusative of person) (+ genitive of object)
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

     Iċ onġiete þæt iċ þē hæbbe āþrotenne mid þȳ langan spelle, for þon þē lyst nū lēoða.

     I see I've bored you with that long argument, since you want poems now.

2. to desire
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     Hū be mete? hū swīðe lyst þē þæs?

     How about food? How much dost thou desire that?

   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     Ne lyst mē nāwiht ðāra metta þe ic forhātan habbe, ac mē lyst ðāra þe ic getiohhod habbe tō ætanne, ðonne ic hī gesēo.

     I desire none of those meats which I have renounced; I desire those which I have thought right to eat, when I see them.

3. to please
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     Gyf þonne ǣfre gebyreð þæt þū þē ful hālne and ful trumne ongytst, and hæafst æalle þīne frēond myd þē, ǣġðer ge on mōde ge on līchaman, and on ðām ilcan worce and on ðām ylcan willum ðe ðē best lyst dōn, hweðer þū ðonne wille bēon āwiht blīðe?

     If then it ever happen that thou shalt find thyself full whole and full strong, and hast all thy friends with thee, both in mind and in body, and in that same work and in that same will which pleaseth thee best to do, wilt thou then be happy at all?

Usage notes

• Used with the bare infinitive of a following verb: Hine lyst rǣdan ("He likes to read").

Conjugation

Conjugation of lystan (weak class 1)

infinitive	lystan	lystenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	lyste	lyste
second person singular	lyst	lystest
third person singular	lyst	lyste
plural	lystaþ	lyston
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	lyste	lyste
plural	lysten	lysten
imperative
singular	lyst
plural	lystaþ
participle	present	past
	lystende	(ġe)lysted

Derived terms

• ġelystan

Descendants

• Middle English: listen, lysten, lesten
  • English: list
  • Scots: list