bysen

Old English

Alternative forms

• bīsen

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *būsniz (“command, precept”), from *beudaną (“to ask, beg”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“to be awake, perceive fully”). Cognate with Old Saxon ambusan (“command, precept”), Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌱𐌿𐍃𐌽𐍃 (anabusns, “a command”), Old Norse býsn (“wonder, premonition”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbyː.sen/, [ˈbyː.zen]

Noun

bȳsen f

1. example

   bȳsne stellan ― to set an example

   bȳsne sellan ― to give an example

   tō bȳsne ― as an example, for example

   • c. 900, the Old English Boethius

     Ealla bēċ sind fulla þāra bȳsna þāra manna þe ǣr ūs wǣron.

     All books are full of the examples of the people who were before us.

2. parable
3. command

Declension

Declension of bȳsen (strong ō-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	bȳsen	bȳsna, bȳsne
accusative	bȳsne	bȳsna, bȳsne
genitive	bȳsne	bȳsna
dative	bȳsne	bȳsnum

Synonyms

• bisene

Derived terms

• forebȳsen (“example”)
• bisenian, bȳsnian (“exemplify, give or set an example”)

Descendants

• Middle English: bisne, bisen
  • English: bizen