cweþan

• cweðan — edh spelling
• cwoða — Northumbrian

From Proto-West Germanic *kweþan, from Proto-Germanic *kweþaną.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkwe.θɑn/,

cweþan (West Saxon)

1. to say

   Hēo cwæþ þæt hēo wǣre lācnestre.

   She said she was a doctor.

   Cwæþ sē hræfn, "Nǣfre mā."

   The raven said, "Never again."

   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 9:12

     Þā cwǣdon hīe tō him, "Hwǣr is hē?" Þā cwæþ hē, "Iċ nāt."

     Then they said to him, "Where is he?" And he said, "I don't know."

2. to speak
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Swithhun, Bishop"

     ...he næfre ær naht cweðan ne mihte...

     ...he had never before been able to speak,...

3. to mention
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "For Palm Sunday"

     Þam folce wearð cūð þæt se Hælend arærde lytle ær Lazarum of deaðe, seðe læg stincende feower niht on byrgene: þa comon þa togeanes Criste þe geleaffulle wæron, mid þam wurðmynte, swa we ǣr cwædon.

     It was known to the people that Christ a little before had raised Lazarus from death, who had lain stinking four nights in the grave: then those, who were believing, came to meet Christ with the honours which we have already mentioned.

• Middle English: quethen, cwethen, cweþen, cweðen, queðen, qwethyn, qweþe, queþen, quethe, queþe, queden, cwæthen
  • English: quethe (obsolete except in past tense quoth)
  • Scots: quethe (noun)
  • Yola: co, quo