wanian

Old English

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *wanōn, from Proto-Germanic *wanōną, *wanāną (“to lessen”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɑ.ni.ɑn/

Verb

wanian

2. (transitive, intransitive) to shrink or lessen
   • Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church

     Witodlīċe ūres andġites meriġen is ūre ċildhād, ūre cnihthād swylċe underntīd, on þām astihð ūre ġeogoð, swā swā sēo sunne deð ymbe þǣre ðriddan tīde; ūre fulfremeda wæstm swā swā middæġ, forðan ðe on midne dæġ bið sēo sunne on ðām ufemestum ryne stiġende, swā swā sē fulfremeda wæstm bið on fulre strencðe þēonde. Sēo nōntīd bið ūre yld, forðan ðe on nōntīde asihð sēo sunne, and ðǣs ealdiġendan mannes mæġen bið waniġende. Sēo endlyfte tīd bið sēo forwerode ealdnyss, þām dēaðe ġenēalǣċende, swā swā sēo sunne setlunge ġenēalǣhð on þǣs dæġes ġeendunge.

     Truly, the morning of our cognizance is our childhood, our youth is like the underntide, when our youth rises, just as the sun does around the third hour; our complete growth is like midday, since in the middle of the day the sun rises to the highest point in its course, just as our complete growth is flourishing in full strength. The noontide is our age, for at noontide the sun starts to go down, as the aging man's strength is waning. The eleventh hour is worn-out old age, approaching death, like the sun approaches its setting at the end of the day.

3. (transitive) to impair; infringe, annul

Conjugation

Conjugation of wanian (weak, class 2)

infinitive	wanian	wanienne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	waniġe	wanode
second person singular	wanast	wanodest
third person singular	wanaþ	wanode
plural	waniaþ	wanodon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	waniġe	wanode
plural	waniġen	wanoden
imperative
singular	wana
plural	waniaþ
participle	present	past
	waniende	(ġe)wanod

Antonyms

• īeċan (“to increase”)
• weaxan (“to grow”)

Derived terms

• ġewanian

Descendants

• Middle English: wanien, wanen
  • English: wane
  • Scots: wan, wane

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *wainōn, from Proto-Germanic *wainōną (“to cry, weep”). Cognate with Old High German weinōn (“to weep”).

Alternative forms

• wāniġean

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɑː.ni.ɑn/

Verb

wānian

2. to complain, bewail, lament, bemoan

   Synonym: cwānian

Conjugation

Conjugation of wānian (weak, class 2)

infinitive	wānian	wānienne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	wāniġe	wānode
second person singular	wānast	wānodest
third person singular	wānaþ	wānode
plural	wāniaþ	wānodon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	wāniġe	wānode
plural	wāniġen	wānoden
imperative
singular	wāna
plural	wāniaþ
participle	present	past
	wāniende	(ġe)wānod

Descendants

• Middle English: wanien, weinen, wonien, wonen
  • English: ween (Northern England)
  • Scots: ween

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *wānijan.

Verb

wānian

1. to believe
2. to imagine
3. to hope

Conjugation

Conjugation of wānian (weak class 1)

infinitive	wānian
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	wāniu	wānda
2nd person singular	wānis	wāndes
3rd person singular	wānid	wānda
plural	wāniad	wāndun
subjunctive	present	past
1st person singular	wānie	wāndi
2nd person singular	wānies	wāndis
3rd person singular	wānie	wāndi
plural	wānien	wāndin
imperative	present
singular	wāni
plural	wāniad
participle	present	past
	wāniandi	giwānid, wānid

Descendants

• Low German: wahnen