wanian

Old English

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *wanōn, from Proto-Germanic *wanōną, *wanāną (“to lessen”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɑ.ni.ɑn/

Verb

wanian

2. (transitive, intransitive) to shrink or lessen
3. (transitive) to impair; infringe, annul

Conjugation

Conjugation of wanian (weak class 2)

infinitive	wanian	wanienne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	waniġe	wanode
second person singular	wanast	wanodest
third person singular	wanaþ	wanode
plural	waniaþ	wanodon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	waniġe	wanode
plural	waniġen	wanoden
imperative
singular	wana
plural	waniaþ
participle	present	past
	waniende	(ġe)wanod

Antonyms

• īeċan (“to increase”)
• weaxan (“to grow”)

Derived terms

• ġewanian

Descendants

• Middle English: wanien, wanen
  • English: wane
  • Scots: wan, wane

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *wainōn, from Proto-Germanic *wainōną (“to cry, weep”). Cognate with Old High German weinōn (“to weep”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɑː.ni.ɑn/

Verb

wānian

2. to complain, bewail, lament, bemoan

   Synonym: cwānian

Conjugation

Conjugation of wānian (weak class 2)

infinitive	wānian	wānienne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	wāniġe	wānode
second person singular	wānast	wānodest
third person singular	wānaþ	wānode
plural	wāniaþ	wānodon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	wāniġe	wānode
plural	wāniġen	wānoden
imperative
singular	wāna
plural	wāniaþ
participle	present	past
	wāniende	(ġe)wānod

Descendants

• Middle English: wanien, weinen, wonien, wonen
  • English: ween (Northern England)
  • Scots: ween

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *wānijan.

Verb

wānian

1. to believe
2. to imagine
3. to hope

Conjugation

Conjugation of wānian (weak class 1)

infinitive	wānian
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	wāniu	wānda
2nd person singular	wānis	wāndes
3rd person singular	wānid	wānda
plural	wāniad	wāndun
subjunctive	present	past
1st person singular	wānie	wāndi
2nd person singular	wānies	wāndis
3rd person singular	wānie	wāndi
plural	wānien	wāndin
imperative	present
singular	wāni
plural	wāniad
participle	present	past
	wāniandi	giwānid, wānid

Descendants

• Low German: wahnen