læwede

Middle English

Adjective

læwede

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of lewed

Old English

Etymology

According to the OED, of uncertain origin, but likely from Vulgar Latin *laigo-, from Late Latin laicus (“of the people”) +‎ -ede, although the phonetic development is a difficulty.

Otherwise, formally resembling a derivative of the past participle of lǣwan (“to reveal, betray”) in the sense of "exposed as being unlearned" or "easily betrayed, clueless", from Proto-West Germanic *lāwijan (“to betray”), fitting a scenario where the word was influenced in meaning by similar sounding Latin laicus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlæː.we.de/

Adjective

lǣwede

1. lay; non-clerical

Declension

Declension of lǣwede — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	lǣwede	lǣwedu, lǣwedo	lǣwede
Accusative	lǣwedne	lǣwede	lǣwede
Genitive	lǣwedes	lǣwedre	lǣwedes
Dative	lǣwedum	lǣwedre	lǣwedum
Instrumental	lǣwede	lǣwedre	lǣwede
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	lǣwede	lǣweda, lǣwede	lǣwedu, lǣwedo
Accusative	lǣwede	lǣweda, lǣwede	lǣwedu, lǣwedo
Genitive	lǣwedra	lǣwedra	lǣwedra
Dative	lǣwedum	lǣwedum	lǣwedum
Instrumental	lǣwedum	lǣwedum	lǣwedum

Declension of lǣwede — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	lǣweda	lǣwede	lǣwede
Accusative	lǣwedan	lǣwedan	lǣwede
Genitive	lǣwedan	lǣwedan	lǣwedan
Dative	lǣwedan	lǣwedan	lǣwedan
Instrumental	lǣwedan	lǣwedan	lǣwedan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	lǣwedan	lǣwedan	lǣwedan
Accusative	lǣwedan	lǣwedan	lǣwedan
Genitive	lǣwedra, lǣwedena	lǣwedra, lǣwedena	lǣwedra, lǣwedena
Dative	lǣwedum	lǣwedum	lǣwedum
Instrumental	lǣwedum	lǣwedum	lǣwedum

Descendants

• Middle English: lewede, lewed, lewd, lewid, lewde
  • English: lewd
  • Middle Scots: lawit, lewit, lewd

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “lǽwede”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[1], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.