liþen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• liðen, liððen

Etymology

From Old English līþan (“to go, travel, sail, be bereft of”), from Proto-West Germanic *līþan, from Proto-Germanic *līþaną (“to go, leave, suffer”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyt- (“to go, depart, die”).

Cognate with North Frisian lyen, lije (“to suffer”), Dutch lijden (“to suffer, dree, abide”), German leiden (“to suffer, brook, permit”). See also lode, lead.

Verb

liþen

1. (intransitive, Early Middle English, of a ship) to sail, travel by sea
2. (intransitive, Early Middle English) to journey, travel, depart
3. (intransitive, Early Middle English) to go, come, walk
4. (intransitive, Early Middle English, of projectiles) to fly
5. (intransitive, Early Middle English, of love) to come about, develop, exist

Conjugation

strong

Conjugation of liþen (strong class 1)

infinitive	(to) liþen, liþe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	liþe	laþ
2nd-person singular	liþest	liþe, laþ
3rd-person singular	liþeth	laþ
subjunctive singular	liþe	liþe1
imperative singular		—
plural2	liþen, liþe	liþen, liþe
imperative plural	liþeth, liþe	—
participles	liþynge, liþende	liþen, liþe, yliþen, yliþe

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

weak

Conjugation of liþen

infinitive	(to) liþen
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	liþ	liþede
2nd person singular	liþest	liþedest
3rd person singular	liþeþ, liþeth	liþede
plural	liþen	liþeden
subjunctive	present	past
singular	liþe	liþede
plural	liþen	liþeden
imperative	present
singular	liþe
plural	liþeþ, liþeth
participle	present	past
	liþende, liþinge	liþed, yliþed