flowen - Wikiwand

Alternative forms

floȝen, flouen, flowe, flue, flwy
flowenn (Ormulum)

Etymology

Inherited from Old English flōwan, from Proto-West Germanic *flōan, from Proto-Germanic *flōaną. Compare flod.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈflɔu̯ən/

Verb

flowen (third-person singular simple present floweth, present participle flowende, flowynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle flowed)

To flow, stream, or issue; (to move as a fluid):
1. To gush or spurt; to move rapidly as a jet.
2. To spout or trickle; to flow downwards.
3. To act like a fluid; to be turbulent or impermanent.
4. (figurative) To flow (move smoothly like liquid)
5. (rare, of the sea) To become turbulent or rough.
To be flooded; to be overwhelmed by a flood or deluge.
(of the tide) To surge or rise; to become or be high.
To float; to be propelled by water or as if by water.
(rare, figurative) To macerate in joy or lucre.
(rare, figurative) To appear (of feelings)

Usage notes

This verb is mainly weak in Middle English, but some traces of its historic status as a class 7 strong verb still remain.

Conjugation

More information infinitive, present tense ...

Conjugation of *flowen* (weak in -ed or strong class 7)
infinitive	(to) flowen, flowe

	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	flowe	flowed, flew
2nd-person singular	flowest	flowedest, flewe¹
3rd-person singular	floweth	flowed, flew
subjunctive singular	flowe	flowed², flewe²
imperative singular	—

plural³	flowen, flowe	floweden, flowede, flewen, flewe
imperative plural	floweth, flowe	—

participles	flowynge, flowende	flowed, flowen, flowe, yflowed, yflowen

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

Related terms

Descendants

English: flow
Scots: flow, flou

References

“flouen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 12 November 2018.