synken

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English sincan, from Proto-West Germanic *sinkwan, from Proto-Germanic *sinkwaną.

Verb

synken

1. to sink (to embed)
   • 14^th Century, Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Knight's Tales

     Lat oure sorwe synken into þin herte.

     Let our sorrow sink into your heart.

Conjugation

Conjugation of synken (strong class 3)

infinitive	(to) sinken, sinke
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	sinke	sank
2nd-person singular	sinkest	sunke, sanke, sank
3rd-person singular	sinketh	sank
subjunctive singular	sinke	sunke1, sanke1
imperative singular		—
plural2	sinken, sinke	sunken, sunke, sanken, sanke
imperative plural	sinketh, sinke	—
participles	sinkynge, sinkende	sunken, sunke, ysunken, ysunke

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

Descendants

• English: sink
• Scots: sink
• Yola: zunk (preterite)

References

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