sighen

Middle Dutch

Verb

sighen

1. Alternative spelling of sigen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• sighe, sighʒe, sighgen, sighien, sigen, siʒhen, siʒen, siʒʒe, sihen, sihghen, sien, seighen, seien

Etymology

Back-formation from sighte, siȝhte, past tense forms of siken, from Old English sīcan, from Proto-West Germanic *sīkan, perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seykʷ- (“to pour out”).

Verb

sighen (third-person singular simple present sigheth, present participle sighende, sighynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle sighed)

1. (intransitive) to sigh; to moan
2. to sigh for; to sigh in regret for

Conjugation

Conjugation of sighen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) sighen, sighe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	sighe	sighed
2nd-person singular	sighest	sighedest
3rd-person singular	sigheth	sighed
subjunctive singular	sighe
imperative singular		—
plural1	sighen, sighe	sigheden, sighede
imperative plural	sigheth, sighe	—
participles	sighynge, sighende	sighed, ysighed

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

Descendants

• English: sigh

References

• “sī̆ghen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.