singen

See also: Singen

Cimbrian

Verb

singen

  1. to sing

References

German

Etymology

From Middle High German singen, from Old High German singan, from Proto-West Germanic *singwan, from Proto-Germanic *singwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sengʷʰ-.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈzɪŋən/, [ˈzɪŋŋ̩]
  • IPA(key): /ˈsɪŋɛn/ (Austria)
  • Audio (Berlin):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪŋn̩

Verb

singen (class 3 strong, third-person singular present singt, past tense sang, past participle gesungen, past subjunctive sänge, auxiliary haben)

  1. to sing
    • 1931, Arthur Schnitzler, Flucht in die Finsternis, S. Fischer Verlag, page 38:
      Er ging rasch und sicher, trällerte vor sich hin, endlich begann er sogar zu singen mit einer schönen dunklen Stimme, die ihm selber fremd vorkam.
      He walked fast and firmly, trilled to himself, finally he even started to sing in a beautiful dark voice, which seemed unfamiliar to himself.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Further reading

  • singen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • singen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • singen” in Duden online
  • singen” in OpenThesaurus.de

Low German

Etymology

From Middle Low German singen, from Old Saxon singan.

Verb

singen (past singular sung, past participle sungen, auxiliary verb hebben)

  1. (Low Saxon) to sing

Conjugation

Conjugation of singen (class 3 strong verb)
infinitive singen
present preterite
1st person singular sing sung
2nd person singular sings(t) sungs(t)
3rd person singular sing(t) sung
plural singt, singen sungen
imperative
singular sing
plural singt
present past
participle singen (e)sungen, gesungen

Note: This conjugation is one of many.
Neither its grammar nor spelling apply to all dialects.

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch singan, from Proto-West Germanic *singwan.

Verb

singen

  1. to sing

Inflection

Conjugation of singen (strong class 3)
infinitive base form singen
genitive singens
dative singene
indicative subjunctive
present past present past
1st person singular singe sanc singe songe
2nd person singular sincs, singes soncs, songes sincs, singes songes
3rd person singular sinct, singet sanc singe songe
1st person plural singen songen singen songen
2nd person plural sinct, singet sonct, songet sinct, singet songet
3rd person plural singen songen singen songen
imperative
singular sinc, singe
plural sinct, singet
present past
participle singende gesongen

Descendants

  • Dutch: zingen
    • Afrikaans: sing
    • Berbice Creole Dutch: singgi
    • Jersey Dutch: sänge
    • Negerhollands: sing, siṅ
    • Sranan Tongo: singi
      • Caribbean Javanese: singi
  • Limburgish: zinge

Further reading

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English singan (to sing). Cognate with Middle Dutch singen, Middle High German singen, Old Swedish siunga, and Crimean Gothic singhen.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsinɡən/

Verb

singen

  1. To sing (something); to produce (certain) noises with one's voice:
    1. To produce chants or other sung verse (especially of a religious nature).
      • a. 1380, John Wycliffe, Of feyned contemplatif lif, of song, of þe ordynal of salisbury, & of bodely almes & worldly bysynesse of prestis; hou bi þes foure þe fend lettiþ hem fro prechynge of þe gospel[1]:
        Þan were matynys & masse & euen song, placebo & dirige & comendacion & matynes of oure lady ordeyned of synful men, to be songen wiþ heiȝe criynge to lette men fro þe sentence & vnderstondynge of þat þat was þus songen, & to maken men wery & vndisposid to studie goddis lawe for akyng of hedis []
        Then there were matins, mass, evensong, placebo, dirges, commendations, and matins of Our Lady, which originated from sinful men, to be sung with high-pitched shrieking to keep people from the meaning and understanding of that which was sung, as to make men weary and unsuited to study God's law because of headaches []
    2. To explicate or narrate in song.
    3. To cry in agony; to produce lamentations.
    4. To produce birdsong or a similar noise.
      • a. 1250, unknown, “Sumer is icumen in”‎[2]:
        Lhude sing cuccu / Groweþ sed / and bloweþ med
        Sing loudly, cuckoo! / seed grows / and fields bloom
  2. To talk, recite, or declare (especially in a particular way or manner):
    1. To recite a non-sung prayer or religious commendation.
    2. To perform the Eucharist (in a given way).
    3. To talk about; to explicate or narrate.
    4. (rare) To recite non-sung verse or poetry.
  3. To use or play a musical instrument.
  4. To make the sound of a musical instrument.
  5. To undergo agony or sorrow.
  6. (rare) To make an animal sound.
Conjugation
Conjugation of singen (strong class 3)
infinitive (to) singen, singe
present tense past tense
1st-person singular singe sang
2nd-person singular singest sunge, sange, sang
3rd-person singular singeth sang
subjunctive singular singe sunge1, sange1
imperative singular
plural2 singen, singe sungen, sunge, sangen, sange
imperative plural singeth, singe
participles singynge, singende sungen, sunge

1 Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
2 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Conjugation
Descendants

Etymology 2

Verb

singen

  1. alternative form of synnen

Middle High German

Etymology

Inherited from Old High German singan.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (before 13th CE) /ˈs̠ɪŋɡən/

Verb

singen (class 3 strong, third-person singular present singet, past tense sanc, past participle gesungen, past subjunctive sünge, auxiliary hān)

  1. to sing

Conjugation

Descendants

References

  • Benecke, Georg Friedrich, Müller, Wilhelm, Zarncke, Friedrich (1863) “singen”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel

Old English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsin.ɡen/, [ˈsiŋ.ɡen]

Verb

singen

  1. plural present subjunctive of singan