swopen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• swapen, swope, zuope

Etymology

From Old English swāpan, from Proto-West Germanic *swaipan, from Proto-Germanic *swaipaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈswɔ̝ːpən/, /ˈswoːpən/

Verb

swopen (third-person singular simple present swopeth, present participle swopynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative swep, past participle swopen)

1. To sweep debris or litter away.
2. (religion) To cleanse or purge evil influences.

Conjugation

Conjugation of swopen (strong class 7 or weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) swopen, swope
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	swope	swep, swoped
2nd-person singular	swopest	swepe1, swopedest
3rd-person singular	swopeth	swep, swoped
subjunctive singular	swope	swepe2, swoped2
imperative singular		—
plural3	swopen, swope	swepen, swepe, swopeden, swopede
imperative plural	swopeth, swope	—
participles	swopynge, swopende	swopen, swope, swoped, yswopen, yswope

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

Descendants

• English: swoop
• Scots: swap, swape, swaip

References

• “swōpen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 12 June 2018.