cweþan

Old English[edit]

cweþan (West Saxon)

to say
Hēo cwæþ þæt hēo wǣre lācnestre.
She said she was a doctor.

Cwæþ sē hræfn, "Nǣfre mā."
The raven said, "Never again."
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 9:12
  Þā cwǣdon hīe tō him, "Hwǣr is hē?" Þā cwæþ hē, "Iċ nāt."
  Then they said to him, "Where is he?" And he said, "I don't know."
to speak
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Swithhun, Bishop"
  ...he næfre ær naht cweðan ne mihte...
  ...he had never before been able to speak,...
to mention
- c. 992, Ælfric, "For Palm Sunday"
  Þam folce wearð cūð þæt se Hælend arærde lytle ær Lazarum of deaðe, seðe læg stincende feower niht on byrgene: þa comon þa togeanes Criste þe geleaffulle wæron, mid þam wurðmynte, swa we ǣr cwædon.
  It was known to the people that Christ a little before had raised Lazarus from death, who had lain stinking four nights in the grave: then those, who were believing, came to meet Christ with the honours which we have already mentioned.

Conjugation of cweþan (strong class 5)

Middle English: quethen, cwethen, cweþen, cweðen, queðen, qwethyn, qweþe, queþen, quethe, queþe, queden, cwæthen
- English: quethe (obsolete except in past tense quoth)
- Scots: quethe (noun)
- Yola: co, quo