Old English · verb
geswerian
Normalised ġeswerian
- Part of speech
- verb
- Verb class
- strong class VI
- IPA
- /jeˈswer.jɑn/[jeˈswerˠ.jɑn]
- Syllables
- je · ˈswer · jɑn (3 syllables)
- Modern English
- swear
Meaning
-
to swear an oath, promise
On þām ġewinne, ⁊ on moneġum oþrum æfter þǣm, Hannibal ġecȳþde þone nīþ ⁊ þone hete þe hē beforan his fæder ġeswōr, þā hē nigonwintre cniht wæs, þæt hē næfre ne wurde Rōmana frēond.
In that battle, and in many others after that, Hannibal proved the hatred and hostility that he swore before his father when he was a nine-year-old boy, that he would never become a friend of the Romans.
late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans -
to confirm by oath
Conjugation
| Present | Past | |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative | ||
| 1st singular | ġeswerie | ġeswōr |
| 2nd singular | ġeswerest | ġeswōre |
| 3rd singular | ġeswereþ | ġeswōr |
| Plural | ġesweriaþ | ġeswōron |
| Subjunctive | ||
| Singular | ġeswerie | ġeswōre |
| Plural | ġeswerien | ġeswōren |
| Form | |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | ġeswerian |
| Inflected infinitive | ġeswerienne |
| Imperative singular | ġeswere |
| Imperative plural | ġesweriaþ |
| Present participle | ġesweriende |
| Past participle | ġesworen |
All forms (14)
Etymology
From ġe- + swerian. Cognate with Old Saxon giswerian, Old High German giswerian.
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · en.wiktionary.org/wiki/geswerian · CC BY-SA 4.0 licence · Attribution