snaperen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• snapperen, snapere, snapre

Etymology

Likely formed with the frequentative suffix -eren (compare Modern English -er). For the stem compare Norwegian Nynorsk snåva (“to stumble”), Swedish snava (“to stumble”), obsolete German schnappen (“to totter, to limp”), Middle High German snaben, Middle Low German snaven (“to stumble”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsnap(ə)rən/

Verb

snaperen (third-person singular simple present snapereth, present participle snaperende, snaperynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle snapered)

1. to stumble, to trip
2. (figuratively) to fall into error; to make a mistake, and especially to stumble morally
3. to fall in battle

Conjugation

Conjugation of snaperen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) snaperen, snapere
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	snapere	snapered
2nd-person singular	snaperest	snaperedest
3rd-person singular	snapereth	snapered
subjunctive singular	snapere
imperative singular		—
plural1	snaperen, snapere	snapereden, snaperede
imperative plural	snapereth, snapere	—
participles	snaperynge, snaperende	snapered, ysnapered

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

Descendants

• English: snapper

References

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