swyngen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• swingen, swyng, swynge, swyngge, swyngyn
• squynge, suing (Northern)
• swingan, swingæn, swinꟑenn (Early Middle English)

Etymology

Inherited from Old English swingan, from Proto-West Germanic *swingan, from Proto-Germanic *swinganą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈswinɡən/

Verb

swyngen

1. To strike or land a blow:
   1. To flog, beat, or scourge.
      • a. 1327, “Specimens of Lyric Poetry”, in Council of the Percy Society, volume XXVIII, published 1841, page 84:

        Jhesu, that wes milde ant fre, wes with spere y-stonge; He was nailed to the tre, with scourges y-swongen.

        (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   2. To chastise; to injure as punishment.
2. (cooking) To beat or whip (eggs or milk)
3. To dash, rush or charge.
4. To (violently) hurl or fling.

Conjugation

Conjugation of swyngen (strong class 3)

infinitive	(to) swyngen, swynge
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	swynge	swang, swong
2nd-person singular	swyngest	swonge, swang, swong
3rd-person singular	swyngeth	swang, swong
subjunctive singular	swynge	swonge1
imperative singular		—
plural2	swyngen, swynge	swongen, swonge
imperative plural	swyngeth, swynge	—
participles	swyngynge, swyngende	swongen, swonge, yswongen, yswonge

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

Related terms

• swynge

Descendants

• English: swing
  • → Dutch: swingen
  • → Norman: souîndgi
• Scots: swing, sweeng

References

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