mowlen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• moule, moulen, mowle, mowlyn
• (early ME) muwlen, muhelin

Etymology

From Old Norse mygla, from Proto-Germanic *muglōną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmuːlən/, /ˈmɔu̯lən/

Verb

mowlen (third-person singular simple present mowleth, present participle mowlende, mowlynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle mowled)

1. To become moldy; to rot.
2. (figurative) To become vile or degenerate.

Conjugation

Conjugation of mowlen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) mowlen, mowle
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	mowle	mowled
2nd-person singular	mowlest	mowledest
3rd-person singular	mowleth	mowled
subjunctive singular	mowle
imperative singular		—
plural1	mowlen, mowle	mowleden, mowlede
imperative plural	mowleth, mowle	—
participles	mowlynge, mowlende	mowled, ymowled

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• Scots: moul
• >? Yola: masled (preterite)

References

• “mǒulen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.