pleyen

Middle English

Etymology 1

From a conflation of Old English pleġan and pleġian, from Proto-West Germanic *plehan and *plegōn. Equivalent to pleye +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Alternative forms

• pleien, pleiȝen, playen, pleȝen, plæien, plaien, pleye, plaȝen, plawen

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈplæi̯ən/

Verb

pleyen

2. To entertain; to play or engage in recreation or sports:
   1. To engage in a game or sport, especially for money.
   2. To entertain oneself; to play or engage in recreation with oneself
   3. To go on a holiday or a journey for the purpose of enjoyment.
   4. To jump satisfactorily; bounce gleefully.
   5. To copulate and/or engage in foreplay.
3. To frolic or bounce around.
4. To bet or wager something in a game.
5. To engage in social behaviour; to make small-talk.
6. To act in a certain manner; to act like (something or someone):
   1. To imitate or deceive; to recast or recreate a past event.
   2. To participate in a theatrical production.
7. To play music; to sing and/or play an instrument.
8. To plaw; to reach the boiling point.
9. (rare) To provide entertainment, happiness or fun; to participate in a performance that is neither theatrical or musical.
10. (rare) To work at; do something as one's job, career, or living.

Conjugation

infinitive	(to) pleyen, pleye
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	pleye	pleyed
2nd-person singular	pleyest	pleyedest
3rd-person singular	pleyeth	pleyed
subjunctive singular	pleye
imperative singular		—
plural1	pleyen, pleye	pleyeden, pleyede
imperative plural	pleyeth, pleye	—
participles	pleyynge, pleyende	pleyed, ypleyed

Conjugation of pleyen (weak in -ed)

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

Related terms

• playing
• pleiful
• pleye
• pleyer

Descendants

• English: play, plaw
• Scots: play

References

• “pleien, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-05-19.

Etymology 2

From ple (“plea”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Alternative forms

• ple, pleien

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈplæi̯ən/

Verb

pleyen

2. To support a legal plea or allegation.
3. To produce proof or evidence for a plea.

Conjugation

infinitive	(to) pleyen, pleye
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	pleye	pleyed
2nd-person singular	pleyest	pleyedest
3rd-person singular	pleyeth	pleyed
subjunctive singular	pleye
imperative singular		—
plural1	pleyen, pleye	pleyeden, pleyede
imperative plural	pleyeth, pleye	—
participles	pleyynge, pleyende	pleyed, ypleyed

Conjugation of pleyen (weak in -ed)

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

Related terms

• ple

Descendants

• English: plea
• Scots: plea

References

• “pleien, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-05-19.