feohtan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *fehtan. Cognate with Old Frisian fiuhta, Old Saxon fehtan, Old Dutch fehtan, Old High German fehtan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfe͜ox.tɑn/

Verb

feohtan

1. to fight
   • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

     An. DCCX Hēr Beorhtfriþ ealdormon feaht wiþ Peohtas, ⁊ Īne ⁊ Nun his mæġ ġefuhton wiþ Gerente Wāla cyninge.

     Year 710 In this year Prince Brightfrith fought against the Picts, and Ine and his kinsman Nun fought against Gerent, king of the Welsh.

Usage notes

• Feohtan was generally not used transitively, as in *hēo feaht þone dracan ("she fought the dragon"). Instead it was used with a preposition such as on, onġeġn, or wiþ, all meaning "against": hēo feaht wiþ þone dracan (literally "she fought against the dragon").

Conjugation

Conjugation of feohtan (strong, class III)

infinitive	feohtan	feohtenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	feohte	feaht
second person singular	fiehst, fiehtst	fuhte
third person singular	fieht	feaht
plural	feohtaþ	fuhton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	feohte	fuhte
plural	feohten	fuhten
imperative
singular	feoht
plural	feohtaþ
participle	present	past
	feohtende	(ġe)fohten

Derived terms

• befeohtan
• feohtere
• ġefeoht
• ġefeohtan

Descendants

• Middle English: fighten, fehten, feghten, feighten, fihhtenn, fiȝten
  • English: fight
  • Scots: fecht, ficht