writen

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *wrītan

Verb

writen

1. to turn, to twist
2. to wrap

Inflection

Conjugation of writen (strong class 1)

infinitive	base form	writen
	genitive	writens
	dative	writene
		indicative			subjunctive
		present	past		present	past
1st person singular		write	wrêet		write	wrēte
2nd person singular		wrijts, writes	wrēets, wrētes		wrijts, writes	wrētes
3rd person singular		wrijt, writet	wrêet		write	wrēte
1st person plural		writen	wrēten		writen	wrēten
2nd person plural		wrijt, writet	wrēet, wrētet		wrijt, writet	wrētet
3rd person plural		writen	wrēten		writen	wrēten
		imperative
singular		wrijt, write
plural		wrijt, writet
		present	past
participle		writende	gewrēten

Descendants

• Dutch: wrijten

Further reading

• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “writen”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Alternative forms

• wryten, write

Etymology

From Old English wrītan. Cognate to Middle Low German writen and Middle High German rīzen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwriːtən/

Verb

writen (singular simple past wroot, plural simple past wroten)

1. To write (draw letters on paper to form words); note the following common specialised senses:
   • 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, pages 40–41:

     And thei sauouriden so his loore that thei wroten it bisili and enforsiden hem to rulen hem theraftir… Maister Ion Aston taughte and wroot acordingli and ful bisili, where and whanne and to whom he myghte, and he vsid it himsilf, I gesse, right perfyghtli vnto his lyues eende.”

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   1. To record in writing; to produce or add to a written document.
   2. To act as a notary or a scribe; to transcribe into or note with writing.
   3. To write about; to cover, discuss, or report on in writing.
   4. To create a written or literary work; to author.
   5. To send a letter or document one wrote off.
   6. To convert into another language; to make a translation of.
2. To engrave, carve, or scratch
3. To form words or letters via means other than drawing or engraving.
4. (rare) To make one's signature or identifying symbol.
5. (rare) To represent via means other than writing.

Conjugation

Conjugation of writen (strong class 1)

infinitive	(to) writen, write
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	write	wrot
2nd-person singular	writest	wrote1, write1
3rd-person singular	writeth	wrot
subjunctive singular	write	wrote2, write2
imperative singular		—
plural3	writen, write	wroten, wrote, writen, write
imperative plural	writeth, write	—
participles	writynge, writende	writen, write

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

Related terms

• writer

Descendants

• English: write
• Scots: writ, wryte, wret

References

• “wrīten, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 30 April 2018.

Middle Low German

Etymology

From Old Saxon writan (“to write, carve”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wriːtən/

Verb

wrîten

1. to write
2. to carve, to scratch

Conjugation

Conjugation of writen as a class 1 strong verb

plain infinitive	wrîten
full infinitive (gerund)	tô wrîtene or tô wrîtende
verbal noun	wrîten or wrîtent
participles			imperative
present	wrîtende		singular	wrît
past	gewrēten		plural	wrîtet
	indicative		subjunctive
	present	preterite	present	preterite
1st person singular	wrîte	wrêt	wrîte	wrēte
2nd person singular	wrîtest or wrîtst	wrētest	wrîtest	wrētest
3rd person singular	wrîtet or wrît	wrêt	wrîtet	wrēte
plural	wrîten (wrîtet?)	wrēten	wrîten	wrēten

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwriː.ten/
• IPA^(key): /ˈwri.ten/

Verb

wrīten

1. plural present subjunctive of wrītan

Verb

writen

1. plural preterite subjunctive of wrītan

Participle

writen

1. past participle of wrītan