hwettan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *hwattjan, from Proto-Germanic *hwatjaną (“to incite, sharpen”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₁d- (“sharp”).

Cognate with Middle Dutch wetten (Dutch wetten), Old High German wezzan (German wetzen), Old Norse hvetja (Swedish vässa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxwet.tɑn/, [ˈʍet.tɑn]

Verb

hwettan

1. to sharpen
2. to incite, encourage

Conjugation

Conjugation of hwettan (weak class 1)

infinitive	hwettan	hwettenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	hwette	hwette
second person singular	hwetst	hwettest
third person singular	hwett, hwet	hwette
plural	hwettaþ	hwetton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	hwette	hwette
plural	hwetten	hwetten
imperative
singular	hwete
plural	hwettaþ
participle	present	past
	hwettende	(ġe)hweted, (ġe)hwett, (ġe)hwet

Derived terms

• hwetstān

Descendants

• Middle English: whetten, qwete, whett, whette, whettyn, whætte (Early Middle English)
  • English: whet
  • Scots: what
  • Yola: what