hincian
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *hinkaną. Cognate with Old High German hinchan, hinkan, German hinken; Old Dutch *hinkan, Dutch hinken; Old Norse hinka, Icelandic hinka. Attested in the agent noun hellehinca (“hell-hobbler”), and in single use as hincodon (they limped), however there is debate over the manuscript text which, according to Lindelöf, may read luncodon, and should therefore read *luncian, cognate with Swedish lunka, Norwegian lunke and Scots lunk in Shetland dialects. Related to Old English huncettan (“to cause to limp, halt”), from a related noun + *hunc + -ettan.
Verb
hincian
- to limp, hobble
Conjugation
Conjugation of hincian (weak class 2)
| infinitive | hincian | tō hincienne |
|---|---|---|
| indicative | present | past |
| 1st-person singular | hincie hinciġe | hincode |
| 2nd-person singular | hincast | hincodest |
| 3rd-person singular | hincaþ | hincode |
| plural | hinciaþ hinciġaþ | hincodon |
| subjunctive | present | past |
| singular | hincie hinciġe | hincode |
| plural | hincien hinciġen | hincoden |
| imperative | ||
| singular | hinca | |
| plural | hinciaþ hinciġaþ | |
| participle | present | past |
| hinciende hinciġende | (ġe)hincod | |
Derived terms
- hellehinca (“hell-hobbler, Satan”)
Descendants
- Middle English: *hinken, *hinchen
- Scots: hink (or possibly from Old Norse).