clethen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• cleyth, clethe, klethen

Etymology

From Northumbrian Old English clǣðdon, variant of *clǣþian, from clǣþ; equivalent to clethe +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklɛːðən/

Verb

clethen

1. (ambitransitive) To clothe; to put clothing on.
2. (reflexive) To wear; to put clothing on oneself.
3. (transitive) To give clothes or garments to.
4. (transitive) To enclose; to surround as to hide.
5. (rare, reflexive) To gain a trait; to immerse in an abstract quantity.
6. (rare, ambitransitive) To decorate or ornament.

Usage notes

This verb is primarily found in Northern Middle English.

Conjugation

Conjugation of clethen (weak in -de)

infinitive	(to) clethen, clethe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	clethe	cledde
2nd-person singular	clethest	cleddest
3rd-person singular	cletheth	cledde
subjunctive singular	clethe
imperative singular		—
plural1	clethen, clethe	cledden, cledde
imperative plural	cletheth, clethe	—
participles	clethynge, clethende	cled, ycled

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

Descendants

• English: clead (dialectal)
• Scots: cleed, cleid, cleethe

References

• “clēthen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 25 June 2018.