thornen

English

Etymology

From Middle English thornen, from Old English þyrnen (“thorny, of thorns”), from Proto-West Germanic *þurnīn, from Proto-Germanic *þurnīnaz (“of thorns”), equivalent to thorn +‎ -en.

Adjective

thornen (comparative more thornen, superlative most thornen)

1. (dialectal or obsolete) Made of or consisting of thorns.
   • 1897, Frederick Hancock, The parish of Selworthy in the county of Somerset, page 233:

     In that district it was a favourite remedy for scald head in a baby to hang cotton wool on a "thornen hedge" by moonlight.

Middle English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθしーたɔrnən/, /ˈθしーたoːrnən/

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English þyrnen, from Proto-West Germanic *þurnīn, from Proto-Germanic *þurnīnaz (“of thorns”), equivalent to thorn +‎ -en (“made of”).

Alternative forms

• thornnen, þeornen, þornen

Adjective

thornen

2. Composed of thorns or thorny plants; made of or consisting of thorns.

Descendants

• English: thornen (obsolete)

References

• “thornen, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-12.

Etymology 2

From thorn +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Alternative forms

• thorne, thorny, þornen

Verb

thornen (rare)

2. To thorn; to poke as with thorns.
3. To have or grow thorns.

Conjugation

Conjugation of thornen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) thornen, thorne
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	thorne	thorned
2nd-person singular	thornest	thornedest
3rd-person singular	thorneth	thorned
subjunctive singular	thorne
imperative singular		—
plural1	thornen, thorne	thorneden, thornede
imperative plural	thorneth, thorne	—
participles	thornynge, thornende	thorned, ythorned

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: thorn

References

• “thornen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-12.