sprecan

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Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *sprekan.

Verb

sprecan

  1. to speak

Inflection

Conjugation of sprecan (strong class 4)
infinitive sprecan
indicative present past
1st person singular spreco, sprecon sprac
2nd person singular sprikis, sprikist sprāki, sprākis
3rd person singular sprikit sprac
1st person plural sprecon sprācun
2nd person plural spreket sprācut
3rd person plural sprecont sprācun
subjunctive present past
1st person singular spreke sprāki
2nd person singular sprekes, sprekest sprāki, sprākis
3rd person singular spreke sprāki
1st person plural spreken sprākin
2nd person plural spreket sprākit
3rd person plural spreken sprākin
imperative present
singular sprec, spric
plural spreket
participle present past
sprecandi sprocan, gisprocan

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Middle Dutch: sprēken
    • Dutch: spreken
    • Limburgish: spraeke

Further reading

  • “sprekan”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *sprekan.

Pronunciation

Verb

sprecan

  1. to speak, talk
    • The Dialogues of Solomon and Saturn
      Saga mē, hwylc man ǣrest wǣre wið hund sprecende?
      Tell me, who was the first man who spoke with a dog?
    • c. 890s, The Voyage of Ohthere and Wulfstan
      Þā Finnas, him þūhte, and þā Beormas sprǣcon nēah ān ġeþēode.
      The Sami, it seemed to him, and the Bjarmians spoke almost the same language.
    • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 4:27
      His leornungcneohtas wundrodon þæt hē wiþ wīf spræc, þēah heora nān ne cwæþ "Hwæt sēcst þū?" oþþe "Hwæt spricst þū wiþ hīe?"
      His disciples were amazed that he was talking to a woman, though none of them said "What are you looking for?" or "What are you saying to her?"
    • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Paul the Apostle"
      Petrus āna spræc for ealne þone hēap.
      Peter by himself spoke for the whole group.

Usage notes

  • To talk to or with someone was expressed using tō + dative or wiþ + accusative, not with mid.

Conjugation

Conjugation of sprecan (strong class 5)
infinitive sprecan sprecenne
indicative mood present tense past tense
first person singular sprece spræc
second person singular spricst sprǣce
third person singular spricþ spræc
plural sprecaþ sprǣcon
subjunctive present tense past tense
singular sprece sprǣce
plural sprecen sprǣcen
imperative
singular sprec
plural sprecaþ
participle present past
sprecende (ġe)sprecen

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

Wikious
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