writan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *wrītan, from Proto-Germanic *wrītaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwriː.tɑn/
• Rhymes: -iː.tɑn

Verb

wrītan

1. to write
   • 11th century, Against a dwarf:

     Wið dweorh man sċeal niman VII lȳtle oflǣtan, swylċe man mid ofrað, and wrītan þās naman on ǣlcre oflǣtan: Maximianus, …

     Against a dwarf, one should take seven little wafers, like those one makes offerings with, and write these names on each wafer: Maximianus, …

Conjugation

Conjugation of wrītan (strong, class I)

infinitive	wrītan	wrītenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	wrīte	wrāt
second person singular	wrītst	write
third person singular	wrītt, wrīt	wrāt
plural	wrītaþ	writon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	wrīte	write
plural	wrīten	writen
imperative
singular	wrīt
plural	wrītaþ
participle	present	past
	wrītende	(ġe)writen

Derived terms

• āwrītan
• bewrītan
• efenwrītan
• forewrītan
• forwrītan
• ġewrītan
• miswrītan
• tōwrītan
• þurhwrītan
• underwrītan
• wrīting
• ymbwrītan

Related terms

• ināwrītan
• inwritting
• ōāwrītan
• ofāwrītan
• onāwrītan
• onwrīting
• unāwriten
• writian

Descendants

• Middle English: writen; (ritten)
  • Scots: writ, wryte, wret; (rit)
  • English: write

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *wrītan, from Proto-Germanic *wrītaną.

Verb

wrītan (3 singular present wrītid, 3 singular preterite wrēt, preterite plural writun, past participle giwritan)

1. to write
2. to inscribe, engrave

Conjugation

Conjugation of wrītan (strong class 1)

infinitive	wrītan
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	wrītu	wrēt
2nd person singular	wrītis	writi
3rd person singular	wrītid	wrēt
plural	wrītad	writun
subjunctive	present	past
1st person singular	wrīte	writi
2nd person singular	wrītes	writis
3rd person singular	wrīte	writi
plural	wrīten	writin
imperative	present
singular	wrīt
plural	wrītad
participle	present	past
	wrītandi	giwritan, writan

Descendants

• Middle Low German: wrîten
  • Low German: rieten