weyen

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English wegan, from Proto-West Germanic *wegan, from Proto-Germanic *weganą.

Notes on phonological development in Northern Middle English

The Northern form /wɛi̯/, /wɛ̞ː/ (inferrable from modern dialectal outcomes) may be from open-syllable lengthening in early Northern /ˈwɛɣə/ → /ˈwɛ̞ːɣə/, where the sequence /ɛ̞ːɣ/ developed like Old English /æːj/, or influence from weye (“weight”) (< Old English wǣge) or the Old English past plural stem wǣg-. However, there is no trace of this open-syllable lengthening in the modern reflexes of pleyen (< plegan), and Northumbrian Old English would traditionally be expected to have wēge and wēg- rather than wǣge and wǣg-. Nevertheless, responses to these objections are possible; pleyen's reflexes may be borrowings from the standard, while "West Saxon" reflexes of West Germanic -ā- as -ǣ- are not unknown in Scots and the traditional dialects of Northern England.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈwæi̯ən/
  • IPA(key): /wɛi̯/, /wɛ̞ː/ (Northern)

Verb

weyen (third-person singular simple present weyeth, present participle weyinge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle weyed)

  1. To weigh (to measure the weight of):
    1. To dispense a apportioned weight of; to weigh out.
    2. (figurative) To evaluate deeds at Judgement Day.
    3. (figurative, rare) To apportion or dispense.
  2. To weigh (have a certain weight):
    1. (of a measure) To have a certain value (in another measure)
    2. (with doun or up) To adjust a balance by having a certain weight.
    3. (figuratively) To have a given relevance or moral standing.
    4. (figuratively, rare) To be onerous; to weigh upon.
  3. To examine, evaluate or consider:
    1. To judge; to make a determination in examining.
    2. To compare; to evaluate multiple things.
    3. (rare) To value or prize.
  4. To go or move (especially transporting something):
    1. To lift or hoist; to hold up.
    2. To push or nudge.
Conjugation
Conjugation of weyen (weak in -ed or strong class 5/4)
infinitive (to) weyen, weye
present tense past tense
1st-person singular weye weyed, wey, weigh
2nd-person singular weyest weyedest, weye1
3rd-person singular weyeth weyed, wey, weigh
subjunctive singular weye weyed2, weye2
imperative singular —
plural3 weyen, weye weyeden, weyede, weyen, weye
imperative plural weyeth, weye —
participles weyynge, weyende weyed, weyen, weye, yweyed, yweyen, yweye

1 Later replaced by the 1st-/3rd-person singular or weyest, weighest.
2 Later replaced by the indicative.
3 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants
  • English: weigh (with -gh from the past weigh)
  • Middle Scots: wey
References

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old English wǣġan, from Proto-West Germanic *waigijan.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈwæi̯ən/

Verb

weyen (third-person singular simple present weyeth, present participle weyinge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle weyed)

  1. (rare) To deceive or delude.
Conjugation
Conjugation of weyen (weak in -ed)
infinitive (to) weyen, weye
present tense past tense
1st-person singular weye weyed
2nd-person singular weyest weyedest
3rd-person singular weyeth weyed
subjunctive singular weye
imperative singular —
plural1 weyen, weye weyeden, weyede
imperative plural weyeth, weye —
participles weyynge, weyende weyed

1 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

References
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