wynken

Middle English

Alternative forms

• wink, winke, wynk, wynke, wynkyn
• winkin (Early Middle English)

Etymology

From Old English wincian, from Proto-West Germanic *winkōn. Compare wyncen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwinkən/

Verb

wynken (third-person singular simple present wynketh, present participle wynkende, wynkynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle wynked)

1. To close the eyes; to blink.
2. To wink; to close an eye.
3. (with on) To signal or intimate.
4. (figuratively) To sleep or doze.

Conjugation

Conjugation of wynken (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) wynken, wynke
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	wynke	wynked
2nd-person singular	wynkest	wynkedest
3rd-person singular	wynketh	wynked
subjunctive singular	wynke
imperative singular		—
plural1	wynken, wynke	wynkeden, wynkede
imperative plural	wynketh, wynke	—
participles	wynkynge, wynkende	wynked

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

Derived terms

• wynke

Descendants

• English: wink
• Scots: wink

References

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