See also: Spake

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English spake, spak, from Old Norse spakr (wise, gentle, quiet), from Proto-Germanic *spakaz (wise, clever), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peǵ- (to understand; intelligent, attentive). Cognate with Swedish spak (manageable), Danish spag (quiet, gentle, timid, tame).

Adjective

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spake (comparative more spake, superlative most spake)

  1. (obsolete) Quiet; tame.
  2. (obsolete) Ready; prompt.
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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From Middle English spak, from Old English spæc, first and third person singular past tense of specan (to speak). More at speak.

Verb

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spake

  1. (archaic) simple past of speak

References

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Anagrams

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Middle English

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Etymology 1

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Noun

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spake

  1. Alternative form of spoke

Etymology 2

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Verb

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spake

  1. first/third-person singular past indicative of speken
    • 1470–1483 (date produced), Thom̃s Malleorre [i.e., Thomas Malory], “[Morte Arthur]”, in Le Morte Darthur (British Library Additional Manuscript 59678), [England: s.n.], folio 449, verso, lines 15–18:
      Than ſpakeGawayne And ſeyde brothir · ẜ Aggravayne I pray you and charge you meve no ſuch · maters no more a fore me fro wyte you well I woll nat be of youre counceyle //
      Then spoke Sir Gawain, and said, “Brother, Sir Agrivain, I pray you and charge you move not such matters any more before me, for be ye assured I will not be of your counsel.”

Swedish

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Adjective

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spake

  1. definite natural masculine singular of spak