scyan

Old English

Alternative forms

• sċȳhan, sċȳn, sċīn

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *skiuhijan (“to put to flight, startle, frighten”), from Proto-Germanic *skeuhaz (“shy”). Cognate with Old English sċyhhan, Old High German *scūhen attested in scūhenti. Compare Middle Low German schü̂wen, schûwen, schûen (“to fear, shun, avoid”), Middle High German schiuhen, schiuwen, schūen, schūhen (“to fear, scare, frighten”).

Possibly related to Old English sċyndan from Proto-Germanic *skundijaną from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewt- (“to shake, rattle”). It may be backformed in the present tense from the alternative form scȳhtan (scȳhte in the preterite), from Proto-Germanic *skūhtijaną, either Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewt- (“to shake, rattle”), or from the from an unattested Proto-Germanic *skūhtiz (see tyht and tyhtan for a similar pattern).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃyː.ɑn/

Verb

sċȳan

1. to prompt, urge

   Ða ǣrestan synne se weriga gāst sċȳde

   The weary spirit urged the first sins

   Forðon mid ðȳ se weriga gāst ða synne sċȳþ on mōde

   Because by this the weary spirit urges those sins

2. to persuade, suggest

   Wē getǣceþ ł sċȳaþ him

   We teach / suggest to him

   Ōðer him ðās eorþan ealle sægde lǣne... Ōðer hine sċyhte ðæt hē sceaðena gemōt nihtes sōhte

   Some said to him the entire world to be transitory... others persuaded him that he sought a meeting of criminals at night

3. to sky, be afraid, flee

Conjugation

Conjugation of sċȳan (weak class 1)

infinitive	sċȳan	sċȳenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	sċȳe	sċȳde
second person singular	sċȳest, sċȳst	sċȳdest
third person singular	sċȳeþ, sċȳþ	sċȳde
plural	sċȳaþ	sċȳdon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	sċȳe	sċȳde
plural	sċȳen	sċȳden
imperative
singular	sċȳ
plural	sċȳaþ
participle	present	past
	sċȳende	(ġe)sċȳed

Synonyms

• tyhtan

Derived terms

• sċȳnnes (“suggestion, persuasion, incitement”)