witen

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch wītan, from Proto-Germanic *wītaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwiːtən/

Verb

witen

1. to blame, to hold accountable
2. to cause harm

Inflection

Strong class 1
Infinitive	witen
3rd sg. past	wêet
3rd pl. past	wēten
Past participle	gewēten
Infinitive	witen
In genitive	witens
In dative	witene
Indicative	Present	Past
1st singular	wite	wêet
2nd singular	wijts, wites	wēets, wētes
3rd singular	wijt, witet	wêet
1st plural	witen	wēten
2nd plural	wijt, witet	wēet, wētet
3rd plural	witen	wēten
Subjunctive	Present	Past
1st singular	wite	wēte
2nd singular	wijts, wites	wētes
3rd singular	wite	wēte
1st plural	witen	wēten
2nd plural	wijt, witet	wētet
3rd plural	witen	wēten
Imperative	Present
Singular	wijt, wite
Plural	wijt, witet
	Present	Past
Participle	witende	gewēten

Descendants

• Dutch: wijten
• Limburgish: wiete

Further reading

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

Middle English

Alternative forms

• wete, weten, wetyn, wite, witenn, witten, wyett, wyt, wyte, wyten
• woten

Etymology

From Old English witan, weotan, from Proto-Germanic *witaną, from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“see, know”). Cognate with Dutch weten, German wissen, and Swedish veta.

Verb

witen (third-person singular simple present woot, present participle witynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative wiste, past participle witen)

1. to know (a fact with certainty):

   god wot ― God only knows

2. to be aware (of a situation, fact, etc.):
   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[1], published c. 1410, Joon 15:18, page 51v; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     if þe woꝛld hatiþ ȝou .· wite me þat it hadde me in hate raþer þan ȝou /

     If the world hates you, be aware that it had me hating it before you did.

   1. to have a full understanding (of something)
   2. to be aware (of someone's location)
3. to recognise; to comprehend (something):
   1. to perceive; to notice (something)
   2. to discern; to distinguish (something from another)
4. to experience, to be familiar with (something):

   for ought ich wot ― as far as I know

   1. to know (to do, to say)
   2. to know how (to do)
   3. to know (that something will happen)
5. to know about (a topic)
6. to find out; to become aware
7. to ask; to question
8. to be confident (something is the case or will happen)
9. (rare) to make known

Conjugation

Conjugation of witen (preterite-present)

infinitive	(to) witen, wite
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	woot	wiste
2nd-person singular	woost	wistest
3rd-person singular	woot	wiste
subjunctive singular	wite, wote
imperative singular		—
plural1	witen, wite, woten, wote	wisten, wiste
imperative plural	witeth, wite, woteth, wote	—
participles	witynge, witende	witen, wite, wist

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

Descendants

• English: wit, weet
• Scots: wit

References

• “witen, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.