maymen
Middle English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman mahaimer, alteration of Old French mahaignier, mehaignier after Frankish *hammjan (“to restrict”); thus equivalent to maym (“injury”) + -en (infinitival suffix). Forms with /n/, /ɳ/ continue the unaltered Old French form.
Pronunciation edit
- IPA(key): /ˈmæi̯mən/, /ˈmæi̯nən/, (possibly) /maˈæi̯mən/, /mæi̯ˈæi̯mən/
- (Northern) IPA(key): /ˈmæi̯ɳə/, /ˈmaɳə/, /ˈmɛɳə/
Verb edit
maymen (third-person singular simple present maymeth, present participle maymende, maymynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle maymed)
- To maim; to physically injure as to impair.
- (figuratively) To ruin or destroy.
Conjugation edit
Conjugation of maymen (weak in -ed)
1Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.
Descendants edit
References edit
- “maimen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.