clothen

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old English *clāþian, from Proto-Germanic *klaiþōną, from Proto-Indo-European *gley-; equivalent to cloth +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈklɔːðən/, /ˈklɔːðiən/

Verb

clothen

  1. (ambitransitive, reflexive) To clothe; to put clothing on (oneself, another).
  2. (transitive, reflexive) To furnish with clothes.
  3. (transitive) To enclose or surround.
  4. (transitive) To secrete or hide; to stash away.
  5. (transitive) To disguise oneself; to hide one's nature.
  6. (reflexive) To gain a trait; to immerse in an abstract quantity.
    • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎[1], published c. 1410, Coꝛinthis ·i· 15:54, page 67v, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:
      / but whanne þis dedli þing ſchal cloþe vndedlyneſſe .· þanne ſchal þe woꝛd be doon þat is writen / deþ is ſopun up in victoꝛie
      But when this mortal thing acquires immortality, then the saying that's been recorded will happen: "Death has been swallowed up in victory!"
  7. (ambitransitive) To decorate or ornament.
  8. (rare, intransitive) To be furnished with clothes.
  9. (rare, transitive) To use or utilise.

Conjugation

Conjugation of clothen (weak in -de/in -ed)
infinitive (to) clothen, clothe
present tense past tense
1st-person singular clothe cladde, clothed
2nd-person singular clothest claddest, clothedest
3rd-person singular clotheth cladde, clothed
subjunctive singular clothe
imperative singular
plural1 clothen, clothe cladden, cladde, clotheden, clothede
imperative plural clotheth, clothe
participles clothynge, clothende clad, clothed, yclad, yclothed

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

Descendants

  • English: clothe

References