eldertongue

Old English · verb

clawan

Part of speech
verb
Verb class
strong class VI
IPA
/ˈklɑ.wɑn/
/ˈklɑː.wɑn/
Syllables
ˈklɑ · wɑn (2 syllables)
Modern English
scratchclaw

Meaning

  1. to claw or scratch

Conjugation

Conjugation of clawan
PresentPast
Indicative
1st singular claweclōw
2nd singular clæwstclōwe
3rd singular clæwþclōw
Plural clawaþclōwon
Subjunctive
Singular claweclōwe
Plural clawenclōwen
Non-finite forms of clawan
Form
Infinitive clawan
Inflected infinitive clawenne
Imperative singular claw
Imperative plural clawaþ
Present participle clawende
Past participle clæwenġeclæwenclawenġeclawen

All forms (16)

Etymology

A modification of earlier *clīeġan by analogy with the noun clawu and other verbs in strong class VI with short -a- in the present, such as dragan, from Proto-West Germanic *klauwjan, from Proto-Germanic *klawjaną (“to claw, scratch”). Cognates Cognate with Old Dutch *clōien, *clouen; Middle Dutch clôyen, clooien, clouwen; Dutch klauwen (remodelled after the noun) klooien; Old Saxon *clawian; Middle Low German klâwen; Old High German klawēn, chlawēn, klawjan; Middle High German kleuen, klæwen; German klauen (remodelled after the noun (compare dialectal or obsolete kläuen)); Old Norse klá, kley…

Descendants

claw

Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · en.wiktionary.org/wiki/clawan · CC BY-SA 4.0 licence · Attribution