sculan
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *skulaną (“to owe”), from Indo-European *(s)kel- ‘shall, must, owe’. Cognate with Old High German scolan (German sollen), Old Saxon skulan, Dutch zullen, Old Norse skulu (Swedish skola), Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌽.
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈʃulɑn/
Verb
sculan (preterite-present)
- (transitive) to owe
- (auxiliary) to be obliged, must, should
- Him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra ofer hronrade hyran scolde. All of the neighbouring tribes over the ocean had to listen to him. (Beowulf ll.9-10)
- (auxiliary) should, shall, expressing the speaker’s intention
- Þa cwæð he: Hwæt sceal ic singan? Then he said, ‘what shall I sing?’ (Bede)
- (auxiliary) shall, to be going or about (to do something)
Conjugation
Conjugation of sculan (preterite-present)
| indicative | present | preterite |
|---|---|---|
| 1st-person singular | sceal | sc(e)olde |
| 2nd-person singular | scealt | sc(e)oldest |
| 3rd-person singular | sceal | sc(e)olde |
| plural | sculon | sc(e)oldon |
| subjunctive | present | preterite |
| singular | scyle | sc(e)olde |
| plural | scylen | sc(e)olden |
| imperative | ||
| singular | scyle | |
| plural | scylaþ | |
| participle | present | past |
| sculende | sculen | |
Descendants
- English: shall