declinian

Old English

Upcoming FWOTD – 2 January 2026

Etymology

From Latin dēclīnāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdeˌkliː.ni.ɑn/

Verb

declīnian

1. (grammar) to inflect or decline
   • c. 995, Ælfric, Excerptiones de Arte Grammatica Anglice

     Wē habbaþ nū declīnod þā eahta frumcennedan pronomina.

     We have now declined the eight primitive pronouns.

Conjugation

Conjugation of declīnian (weak, class 2)

infinitive	declīnian	declīnienne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	declīniġe	declīnode
second person singular	declīnast	declīnodest
third person singular	declīnaþ	declīnode
plural	declīniaþ	declīnodon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	declīniġe	declīnode
plural	declīniġen	declīnoden
imperative
singular	declīna
plural	declīniaþ
participle	present	past
	declīniende	(ġe)declīnod

Synonyms

• ġebīeġan

Derived terms

• declīnung

References

• Joseph Bosworth; T. Northcote Toller (1898), “DECLĪNIAN”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, second edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.