wolcn

Old English

Alternative forms

• weolcen, wolc, wolcen

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *wolkn, from Proto-Germanic *wulkną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wolkn/, [woɫkn]
• Rhymes: -olkn

Noun

wolcn n

1. cloud
   • c. 994, Ælfric, On the Twelve Winds

     Fēower heafodwindas synd. Sē fyrmesta is ēasterne wind, subsolanus ġehāten, for þām ðe hē blæwð frām ðǣre sunnan upspringe, ⁊ ys swyðe ġemetegod. Sē ōðer heafodwind is sūðerne, auster ġehāten, sē āstyreð wolcnu, ⁊ ligettas, ⁊ mistlice cwyld blǣwð geond ðās eorðan.

     There are four headwinds. The first is the eastern wind, called subsolanus, because it blows from where the sun rises, and is very moderate. The second headwind is southern, called auster, which stirs up clouds, and lightnings, and blows various plagues around the earth.

   Næs þā nān wolcn on þǣre lyfte.

   There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

   Sēo sunne flīeġþ hēah ofer þā wolcnu.

   The sun flies high above the clouds.

2. (in the plural) the sky, the heavens

   Þā wolcnu sweartodon.

   The skies darkened.

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	wolcn	wolcnu
accusative	wolcn	wolcnu
genitive	wolcnes	wolcna
dative	wolcne	wolcnum

Descendants

• Middle English: welkne (from plural wolcnu)
  • English: welkin (literary)
• Middle Scots: walk, wak (from wolc)