glyffen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• glyffe, gliffen, gluffen

Etymology

Unknown; possibly from multiple similar-sounding words that coalesced. Compare Dutch glippen (“slip”) (first sense), Old Norse glípna (“to be downcast”) (third sense).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡlifən/

Verb

glyffen (third-person singular simple present glyffeth, present participle glyffende, first-/third-person singular past indicative glyfte, past participle glyft)

1. to slip [13th–14th c.]
2. to look to the side [from 14th c.]
3. (rare) to become frightened

Conjugation

Conjugation of glyffen (weak in -te)

infinitive	(to) glyffen, glyffe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	glyffe	glyfte
2nd-person singular	glyffest	glyftest
3rd-person singular	glyffeth	glyfte
subjunctive singular	glyffe
imperative singular		—
plural1	glyffen, glyffe	glyften, glyfte
imperative plural	glyffeth, glyffe	—
participles	glyffynge, glyffende	glyft, yglyft

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

Descendants

• >? English: gliff

References

• “gliffen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Gliffen”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volumes IV (F–G), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 218, column 2.