wenan

wenan

1. soft mutation of gwenan

• wœ̄nan — Anglian

From Proto-Germanic *wēnijaną. Cognate with Old Frisian wēna, Old Saxon wānian, Old High German wānen (German wähnen), Old Norse væna, Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wēnjan).

• IPA^(key): /ˈweː.nɑn/

wēnan (West Saxon)

1. to think (be of a certain opinion)

   Iċ wēne swā.

   I think so.

   Iċ wēne þæt iċ wite hwǣr þīna cǣġa sīen.

   I think I know where your keys are.

   Hwæt wēnaþ ġē be þām þe wē ealle hwǣrhwugu ġemēten?

   What do you guys think of us all meeting up somewhere?

2. to expect (+ genitive)
   • Early 11th century, Wulfstan, "Secundum Lucam"

     Uton helpan ūre selfra þā hwīle þe wē magon, þȳ lǣs wē forweorðen þonne wē lǣst wēnen.

     Let us help ourselves while we can, lest we perish when we least expect it.

3. (poetic) to hope

When used to express what is thought or expected, it is always in the subjunctive mood: Iċ wēne þæt þū sīe lēoflīċ ("I think you're lovely").

• forwēnan

• wēn (“expectation”)
• wēna (“opinion”)

• Middle English: wenen
  • Scots: wen, wene, ween
  • English: ween