Jump to content

sprecan

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Old Dutch

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Proto-West Germanic *sprekan.

Verb

[edit]

sprecan

  1. to speak

Inflection

[edit]

Derived terms

[edit]

Descendants

[edit]
  • Middle Dutch: sprēken
    • Dutch: spreken
    • Limburgish: spraeke

Further reading

[edit]
  • sprekan”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

[edit]

Alternative forms

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Proto-West Germanic *sprekan.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Verb

[edit]

sprecan

  1. to speak, talk
    • The Dialogues of Solomon and Saturn
      Saga mē, hwylc man ǣrest wǣre wið hund sprecende?
      Tell me, who was the first man who spoke with a dog?
    • c. 890s, The Voyage of Ohthere and Wulfstan
      Þā Finnas, him þūhte, and þā Beormas sprǣcon nēah ān ġeþēode.
      The Sami, it seemed to him, and the Bjarmians spoke almost the same language.
    • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 4:27
      His leornungcneohtas wundrodon þæt hē wiþ wīf spræc, þēah heora nān ne cwæþ "Hwæt sēcst þū?" oþþe "Hwæt spricst þū wiþ hīe?"
      His disciples were amazed that he was talking to a woman, though none of them said "What are you looking for?" or "What are you saying to her?"
    • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Paul the Apostle"
      Petrus āna spræc for ealne þone hēap.
      Peter by himself spoke for the whole group.

Usage notes

[edit]
  • To talk to or with someone was expressed using + dative or wiþ + accusative, not with mid.

Conjugation

[edit]

Synonyms

[edit]

Derived terms

[edit]
[edit]

Descendants

[edit]