blætan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *blātijan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈblæː.tɑn/

Verb

blǣtan

1. to baa, bleat
   • 10th century, Exeter Book Riddle 24‎^[1]:

     Iċ eom wunderliċu wiht, wrǣsne mīne stefne, hwīlum beorce swā hund, hwīlum blǣte swā gāt, hwīlum grǣde swā gōs, hwīlum ġielle swā hafoc,…

     I am a wonderful thing, change my voice, sometimes bark like a hound, sometimes bleat like a goat, sometimes cry like a goose, sometimes yell like a hawk,…

Conjugation

Conjugation of blǣtan (weak class 1)

infinitive	blǣtan	blǣtenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	blǣte	blǣtte
second person singular	blǣtest, blǣtst	blǣttest
third person singular	blǣteþ, blǣtt, blǣt	blǣtte
plural	blǣtaþ	blǣtton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	blǣte	blǣtte
plural	blǣten	blǣtten
imperative
singular	blǣt
plural	blǣtaþ
participle	present	past
	blǣtende	(ġe)blǣted

Descendants

• Middle English: bleten, blete, bleyte, blætenn
  • English: bleat
  • Scots: blete, bleit, blate, blait
    • ⇒ Scots: blaitand (present participle)
      • → English: blatant