counten

Middle English

Alternative forms

• compt, compten, count, counte, cownt, cownte, cowntone, cowntyn, kownt

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman counter, conter, from Latin computō; equivalent to counte (“computation”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkuːntən/

Verb

counten (third-person singular simple present counteth, present participle countende, countynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle counted) (especially Late Middle English)

1. To count (enumerate; give the number of)
2. To count; to analyse or consider as a member of a group.
3. To consider important; to matter to.
4. To provide accounts or records of.
5. (rare) To narrate or recount.

Conjugation

infinitive	(to) counten, counte
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	counte	counted
2nd-person singular	countest	countedest
3rd-person singular	counteth	counted
subjunctive singular	counte
imperative singular		—
plural1	counten, counte	counteden, countede
imperative plural	counteth, counte	—
participles	countynge, countende	counted, ycounted

Conjugation of counten (weak in -ed)

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

Descendants

• English: count
• Scots: coont, count

References

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