ræsan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *rāsijan, from Proto-Germanic *rēsijaną. Equivalent to rǣs +‎ -an. Cognate with Old Norse ræsa (Icelandic ræsa) and possibly Old Dutch *rāson (Dutch razen).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈræː.sɑn/, [ˈræː.zɑn]

Verb

rǣsan

1. to rush, move violently or impetuously
   • 10th century, The Blickling Homilies:

     Hundas rǣsdon on ðone apostol

     Dogs rushed at the apostle

2. to proceed against something with violence, to assault, to attack
3. to rush into anything
   • c. 897, Alfred the Great, translation of Pope Gregory's Pastoral Care

     Oft mon biþ suīðe rempende and rǣsþ suīðe dollīce on ǣlc weorc and hrædlīce

     One is often very impulsive, and rushes very foolishly and quickly into each task

Conjugation

Conjugation of rǣsan (weak class 1)

infinitive	rǣsan	rǣsenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	rǣse	rǣsde
second person singular	rǣsest, rǣst	rǣsdest
third person singular	rǣseþ, rǣst	rǣsde
plural	rǣsaþ	rǣsdon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	rǣse	rǣsde
plural	rǣsen	rǣsden
imperative
singular	rǣs
plural	rǣsaþ
participle	present	past
	rǣsende	(ġe)rǣsed

Derived terms

• ārǣsan
• berǣsan
• forþrǣsan
• ġerǣsan
• inrǣsan
• onrǣsan
• þurhrǣsan

Related terms

• rǣs

Descendants

• ⇒ Middle English: rasen (merged with Old Norse ræsa and/or Old Norse rás)
  • English: race
  • Scots: ras, rase, race

References

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