swippen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• swype

Etymology

Inherited from Old English swipian, from Proto-West Germanic *swippjan; compare swepen and swopen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈswipən/

Verb

swippen (third-person singular simple present swippeth, present participle swippynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative swipte, past participle swipt)

1. (with preposition) To strike, hit or attack.
2. (transitive, religion) To move with haste; to speed.

Usage notes

• Before Late Middle English, this verb is only found in the past tense.

Conjugation

Conjugation of swippen (weak in -te)

infinitive	(to) swippen
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	swippe	swipte
2nd-person singular	swippest	swiptest
3rd-person singular	swippeth	swipte
subjunctive singular	swippe
imperative singular		—
plural1	swippen, swippe	swipten, swipte
imperative plural	swippeth, swippe	—
participles	swippynge, swippende	swipt, yswipt

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

Descendants

• English: swip
  • >? English: swipe
• Scots: soop

References

• “swippen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.