cyssan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *kussijan, from Proto-Germanic *kussijaną (“to kiss”). Cognate with Old Frisian kessa, Old Saxon kussian, Old Dutch *kussen, Old High German kussen, Old Norse kyssa. Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (kukjan) ← Proto-Germanic *kukjaną may be somehow related, though it differs from the expected cognate *kussjan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkys.sɑn/

Verb

cyssan

1. to kiss
   • 10th century, Exeter Book Riddle 30‎^[1], archived from the original on 21 May 2026:

     Ful oft mec ġesīþas sendað æfter hondum, þæt mec weras ond wīf wlonce cyssað.

     Very oft companions send me from hand to hand so that proud men and women kiss me.

Conjugation

Conjugation of cyssan (weak, class 1)

infinitive	cyssan	cyssenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	cysse	cyste
second person singular	cyssest, cyst	cystest
third person singular	cysseþ, cyst	cyste
plural	cyssaþ	cyston
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	cysse	cyste
plural	cyssen	cysten
imperative
singular	cyss
plural	cyssaþ
participle	present	past
	cyssende	(ġe)cyssed

Synonyms

• *cossettan
• cossian

Derived terms

• ġecyssan

Related terms

• coss

Descendants

• Middle English: kissen, kussen, kessen
  • English: kiss
    • → Esperanto: kisi
    • → Japanese: キス (kisu)
    • → Korean: 키스 (kiseu)
  • Scots: kis, kiss
• → Middle Welsh: cussan
  • Welsh: cusan