wepan

Old English

Alternative forms

• wœpan — Anglian

Etymology

From earlier wœpan, from Proto-West Germanic *wōpijan, Proto-Germanic *wōpijaną. Cognate with Old Frisian wēpa, Old Saxon wōpian, Old High German wuofan, Old Norse ǿpa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈweː.pɑn/

Verb

wēpan

1. to weep
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, Lives of Saints

     þā wēop sē cyning and þancode gode his gōdan wyllan.

     Then the king wept and thanked God for his good will.

2. to complain, bewail

Conjugation

Conjugation of wēpan (strong class 7)

infinitive	wēpan	wēpenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	wēpe	wēop
second person singular	wēpst	wēope
third person singular	wēpþ	wēop
plural	wēpaþ	wēopon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	wēpe	wēope
plural	wēpen	wēopen
imperative
singular	wēp
plural	wēpaþ
participle	present	past
	wēpende	(ġe)wōpen

Derived terms

• bewēpan
• ġewēpan

Descendants

• Middle English: wepen
  • Scots: wep , wepe, weip
  • English: weep