Old English · verb

scrifan

Normalised sċrīfan

Part of speech: verb
Verb class: strong class I
IPA: /ˈʃriː.fɑn/
[ˈʃriː.vɑn]
Syllables: ˈʃriː · fɑn (2 syllables)
Modern English: shrive appoint prescribe absolution decree ordain

Meaning

to decree, appoint
to pass judgement, ordain, prescribe
to prescribe penance or absolution (of a priest)

Conjugation

Conjugation of scrifan
Indicative
	Present	Past
1st singular	sċrīfe	sċrāf
2nd singular	sċrīfst	sċrife
3rd singular	sċrīfþ	sċrāf
Plural	sċrīfaþ	sċrifon
Subjunctive
Singular	sċrīfe	sċrife
Plural	sċrīfen	sċrifen

Non-finite forms of scrifan
	Form
Infinitive	sċrīfan
Inflected infinitive	sċrīfenne
Imperative singular	sċrīf
Imperative plural	sċrīfaþ
Present participle	sċrīfende
Past participle	sċrifen ġesċrifen

Etymology

From West Proto-Germanic *skrībaną, a late borrowing from Latin scrībō (“write”). Cognate with Old Frisian skrīva (West Frisian skriuwe), Old Saxon skrīvan, skrīƀan (Low German schrieven), Old Dutch scrīvan (Dutch schrijven), Old High German scrīban (German schreiben).

Descendants

shrive

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