schrynken

Middle English

Alternative forms

• schrinke, schryngke, schrynke, schrynkyn, shrincke, shrinke, shrinken
• (early) scrinkin

Etymology

From Old English sċrincan, from Proto-West Germanic *skrinkwan, from Proto-Germanic *skrinkwaną. Forms in /sk/ are influenced by Old Norse.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃrinkən/, /ˈskrinkən/

Verb

schrynken (third-person singular simple present schrynketh, present participle schrynkynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative schrank, past participle schronken)

1. To shrivel up or wrinkle; to contract.
2. To pull together; to retract.
3. To flinch or cringe; to draw back.
4. (Late Middle English, rare, of money) To decrease.

Conjugation

Conjugation of schrynken (strong class 3)

infinitive	(to) schrynken, schrynke
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	schrynke	schrank
2nd-person singular	schrynkest	schronke, schranke, schrank
3rd-person singular	schrynketh	schrank
subjunctive singular	schrynke	schronke1, schranke1
imperative singular		—
plural2	schrynken, schrynke	schronken, schronke, schranken, schranke
imperative plural	schrynketh, schrynke	—
participles	schrynkynge, schrynkende	schronken, schronke, yschronken, yschronke

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: shrink
• Scots: scrink

References

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