lystan

From Proto-West Germanic *lustijan, from Proto-Germanic *lustijaną, derived from the noun *lustuz (“pleasure, lust”) (Old English lust).

• IPA^(key): /ˈlys.tɑn/

lystan

1. to like or want (impersonal, with accusative of person) (+ genitive of object)
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

     Iċ onġiete þæt iċ þē hæbbe āþrotenne mid þȳ langan spelle, for þon þē lyst nū lēoða.

     I see I've bored you with that long argument, since you want poems now.

2. to desire
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     Hū be mete? hū swīðe lyst þē þæs?

     How about food? How much dost thou desire that?

   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     Ne lyst mē nāwiht ðāra metta þe ic forhātan habbe, ac mē lyst ðāra þe ic getiohhod habbe tō ætanne, ðonne ic hī gesēo.

     I desire none of those meats which I have renounced; I desire those which I have thought right to eat, when I see them.

3. to please
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     Gyf þonne ǣfre gebyreð þæt þū þē ful hālne and ful trumne ongytst, and hæafst æalle þīne frēond myd þē, ǣġðer ge on mōde ge on līchaman, and on ðām ilcan worce and on ðām ylcan willum ðe ðē best lyst dōn, hweðer þū ðonne wille bēon āwiht blīðe?

     If then it ever happen that thou shalt find thyself full whole and full strong, and hast all thy friends with thee, both in mind and in body, and in that same work and in that same will which pleaseth thee best to do, wilt thou then be happy at all?

• Used with the bare infinitive of a following verb: Hine lyst rǣdan ("He likes to read").

• ġelystan

• Middle English: listen, lysten, lesten
  • English: list
  • Scots: list