wrecan

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wrekaną (to pursue, to drive out).

Pronunciation

Verb

wrecan

  1. (transitive, intransitive) to punish (+ dative = a person) (+ accusative = a wrong)
    Sēo lǣrestre wræc hire leornerum þæt hīe yfelra worda brucon.
    The teacher punished her students for using bad words.
  2. (transitive, intransitive) to avenge or take revenge (+ accusative or with on + dative = "on someone")
    Iċ ġehēt mīnum fæder ġif hine man ofslōge, þæt iċ his dēaþ wrǣċe.
    I promised my father that if he was killed, I would avenge his death.
    Ġif ġē ūs priciaþ, ne blēdaþ wē? Ġif ġē ūs ċiteliaþ, ne hliehhaþ wē? Ġif ġē ūs ġeǣtriaþ, ne sweltaþ wē? And ġif ġē ūs yfeliaþ, ne wrecaþ?
    If you prick us, don't we bleed? If you tickle us, don't we laugh? If you poison us, don't we die? And if you wrong us, don't we take revenge?
  3. to unleash or take out (one's anger) (with on + dative = on someone)
    wræc his ierre on his bearnum.
    He took out his anger on his children.
  4. to drive, press
    (a) to drive out, expel
    (b) to drive words out, express, recite
    • 9th or 10th century, The Seafarer
      Mæġ iċ be mē selfum / sōðġiedd wrecan.
      I can recite a true story about myself.
    (c) to drive in, impress, inlay

Conjugation

More information infinitive, indicative mood ...
infinitive wrecan wrecenne
indicative mood present tense past tense
first person singular wrece wræc
second person singular wricst wrǣce
third person singular wricþ wræc
plural wrecaþ wrǣcon
subjunctive present tense past tense
singular wrece wrǣce
plural wrecen wrǣcen
imperative
singular wrec
plural wrecaþ
participle present past
wrecende (ġe)wrecen
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Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Middle English: wreken

References

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