astonen

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Likely a back-formation from astoned, either a partial calque of Old French estoné (stunned), the past participle of estoner (to stun), with the Old French participial suffix replaced with -ed and prefixed with a- or less likely, a partial calque of an unattested *astoné, *atoné; compare Middle French attoné (shaken) and Orléanais attoner (to be worried, to want to know). By surface analysis, a- +‎ stonen (to stun).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /aˈstunən/

Verb

astonen (third-person singular simple present astoneth, present participle astonende, astonynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle astoned) (uncommon)

  1. To stun, daze; to subject to stupefaction.
  2. To astonish or surprise.
  3. To strike a blow (with a weapon).

Conjugation

Conjugation of astonen (weak in -ed)
infinitive (to) astonen, astone
present tense past tense
1st-person singular astone astoned
2nd-person singular astonest astonedest
3rd-person singular astoneth astoned
subjunctive singular astone
imperative singular
plural1 astonen, astone astoneden, astonede
imperative plural astoneth, astone
participles astonynge, astonende astoned

1 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

  • English: astun (obsolete)
  • English: astonish

References