whynen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• whine, hwyne, whyne, whinen, hwinen, whynyn

Etymology

Inherited from Old English hwīnan, from Proto-West Germanic *hwīnan, from Proto-Germanic *hwīnaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhwiːnən/

Verb

whynen

1. To cry out in distress or sadness; to make sad sounds.
2. To make or imitate the sounds of animals.

Usage notes

It is entirely possible that this verb could have remained as a strong verb for some speakers, with a past singular *whone and a past participle *whynen, given that it is sparsely attested in the past tense.

Conjugation

Conjugation of whynen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) whynen, whyne
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	whyne	whyned
2nd-person singular	whynest	whynedest
3rd-person singular	whyneth	whyned
subjunctive singular	whyne
imperative singular		—
plural1	whynen, whyne	whyneden, whynede
imperative plural	whyneth, whyne	—
participles	whynynge, whynende	whyned, ywhyned

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

Descendants

• English: whine

References

• “whīnen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-22.