bethen
Middle English
Alternative forms
- beðen, beþien (early)
Etymology
Inherited from Old English beþian, beþþan, from Proto-West Germanic *baþþjan, from Proto-Germanic *baþjaną; compare bath (“bath”) and bathen (“to bathe”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbɛːðən/
Verb
bethen (third-person singular simple present betheth, present participle bethende, bethynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle bethed)
- (chiefly Early Middle English) To bathe; to immerse oneself in water.
- Synonym: bathen
- (rare) To immerse wood in a heated bath to soften it.
Conjugation
Conjugation of bethen (weak in -ed)
| infinitive | (to) bethen | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| present tense | past tense | ||
| 1st-person singular | bethe | bethed | |
| 2nd-person singular | bethest | bethedest | |
| 3rd-person singular | betheth | bethed | |
| subjunctive singular | bethe | ||
| imperative singular | — | ||
| plural1 | bethen, bethe | betheden, bethede | |
| imperative plural | betheth, bethe | — | |
| participles | bethynge, bethende | bethed, ybethed | |
1Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.
Descendants
- English: beath (dialectal)
References
- “bēthen, -ien, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.