sayen

English

Etymology

From Middle English seien, equivalent to say +‎ -en.

Verb

sayen

1. (obsolete) plural simple present of say
   • 1606, Nathaniel Baxter, Sir Philip Sydneys Ourania, that is, Endimions Song and Tragedie, containing all Philosophie:

     But divine Shepheards soothly sayen,
     In their high Layes with wordes plaine:

   • 1647, Henry More, The Praeexistency of the Soul:

     No more do souls of men. For stories sayen
     Well known 'mongst countrey folk, our spirits fly,

   • 1747, William Mason, Musaeus: a Monody to the Memory of Mr. Pope:

     That men sayen I make trewe melody,

Anagrams

• yeans

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *sāien, from Proto-West Germanic *sāan.

Verb

sâyen

1. to sow
2. to spread, to disperse

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: zaaien
• Limburgish: zèjje

Further reading

• “sayen (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “saeyen (II)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page saeyen

Middle English

Verb

sayen

1. Alternative form of assayen