eldertongue

Old English · adverb

uton

Part of speech
adverb
IPA
/ˈu.ton/
Syllables
ˈu · ton (2 syllables)
Modern English
let's

Meaning

  1. let's

    Uton ealle bīeġan ūru cneowu.

    Let's all bend our knees.

    late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History

Etymology

Usually said to originate from a form of witan (“to know”). Ringe explains it as an allegro form of PWGmc 1pl. *(ga)wītum (“we're going, we'll go”) which escaped the North Sea Germanic displacement of 1pl. endings because speakers reinterpreted it as a separate word.

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