"fen" meaning in Middle English

See fen in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /fɛn/ Forms: fennes [plural], fenne [alternative], ven [alternative], feonn [alternative]
Etymology: From Old English fenn, from Proto-West Germanic *fani, from Proto-Germanic *fanją. Etymology templates: {{inh|enm|ang|fenn}} Old English fenn, {{inh|enm|gmw-pro|*fani}} Proto-West Germanic *fani, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*fanją}} Proto-Germanic *fanją Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} fen, {{enm-noun|fennes}} fen (plural fennes)
  1. fen, bog, swamp
    Sense id: en-fen-enm-noun-9AkzU0L8 Categories (other): Landforms Disambiguation of Landforms: 26 27 3 24 20
  2. mud, dirt, muddiness
    Sense id: en-fen-enm-noun-4stFb2gF Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Feces, Landforms Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 3 39 10 12 37 Disambiguation of Feces: 0 45 0 0 55 Disambiguation of Landforms: 26 27 3 24 20
  3. (rare) rubbish, refuse Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-fen-enm-noun-8-UlB171
  4. (rare) quagmire, lure Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-fen-enm-noun-uQ~xgjB3 Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Landforms Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 3 39 10 12 37 Disambiguation of Landforms: 26 27 3 24 20
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Noun

IPA: /fɛn/ Forms: fens [plural], fent [alternative], fente [alternative], fynt [alternative], fynte [alternative], fyens [alternative], fient [alternative]
Etymology: From Anglo-Norman fen, fin, fien, fein, and Old French fiente, from Vulgar Latin *femita, from Vulgar Latin *femus, from Latin fimus (“dung, excrement”). Etymology templates: {{bor|enm|xno|fen}} Anglo-Norman fen, {{bor|enm|fro|fiente}} Old French fiente, {{der|enm|la-vul|*femita}} Vulgar Latin *femita, {{der|enm|la-vul|*femus}} Vulgar Latin *femus, {{der|enm|la|fimus|t=dung, excrement}} Latin fimus (“dung, excrement”) Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} fen, {{enm-noun}} fen (plural fens)
  1. dung, faeces
    Sense id: en-fen-enm-noun-GNxZHK~Q Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Feces, Landforms Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 3 39 10 12 37 Disambiguation of Feces: 0 45 0 0 55 Disambiguation of Landforms: 26 27 3 24 20
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "fen"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fen"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "ven"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "fenn"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English fenn",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*fani"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *fani",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*fanją"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *fanją",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English fenn, from Proto-West Germanic *fani, from Proto-Germanic *fanją.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fennes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fenne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ven",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "feonn",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "fen",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fennes"
      },
      "expansion": "fen (plural fennes)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "26 27 3 24 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Landforms",
          "orig": "enm:Landforms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "fen, bog, swamp"
      ],
      "id": "en-fen-enm-noun-9AkzU0L8",
      "links": [
        [
          "fen",
          "fen#English"
        ],
        [
          "bog",
          "bog"
        ],
        [
          "swamp",
          "swamp"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 39 10 12 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 45 0 0 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Feces",
          "orig": "enm:Feces",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 27 3 24 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Landforms",
          "orig": "enm:Landforms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "mud, dirt, muddiness"
      ],
      "id": "en-fen-enm-noun-4stFb2gF",
      "links": [
        [
          "mud",
          "mud"
        ],
        [
          "dirt",
          "dirt"
        ],
        [
          "muddiness",
          "muddiness"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "rubbish, refuse"
      ],
      "id": "en-fen-enm-noun-8-UlB171",
      "links": [
        [
          "rubbish",
          "rubbish"
        ],
        [
          "refuse",
          "refuse"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) rubbish, refuse"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 39 10 12 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 27 3 24 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Landforms",
          "orig": "enm:Landforms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "quagmire, lure"
      ],
      "id": "en-fen-enm-noun-uQ~xgjB3",
      "links": [
        [
          "quagmire",
          "quagmire"
        ],
        [
          "lure",
          "lure"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) quagmire, lure"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/fɛn/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fen"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "fen"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglo-Norman fen",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "fiente"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French fiente",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la-vul",
        "3": "*femita"
      },
      "expansion": "Vulgar Latin *femita",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la-vul",
        "3": "*femus"
      },
      "expansion": "Vulgar Latin *femus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "fimus",
        "t": "dung, excrement"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin fimus (“dung, excrement”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Anglo-Norman fen, fin, fien, fein, and Old French fiente, from Vulgar Latin *femita, from Vulgar Latin *femus, from Latin fimus (“dung, excrement”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fens",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fent",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fente",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fynt",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fynte",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fyens",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fient",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "fen",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "fen (plural fens)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 39 10 12 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 45 0 0 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Feces",
          "orig": "enm:Feces",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 27 3 24 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Landforms",
          "orig": "enm:Landforms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "dung, faeces"
      ],
      "id": "en-fen-enm-noun-GNxZHK~Q",
      "links": [
        [
          "dung",
          "dung"
        ],
        [
          "faeces",
          "faeces"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/fɛn/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fen"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Anglo-Norman",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Anglo-Norman",
    "Middle English terms derived from Latin",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Middle English terms derived from Vulgar Latin",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Pages with 23 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Feces",
    "enm:Landforms"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "fen"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fen"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "ven"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "fenn"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English fenn",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*fani"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *fani",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*fanją"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *fanją",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Old English fenn, from Proto-West Germanic *fani, from Proto-Germanic *fanją.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fennes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fenne",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ven",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "feonn",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "fen",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fennes"
      },
      "expansion": "fen (plural fennes)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "fen, bog, swamp"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fen",
          "fen#English"
        ],
        [
          "bog",
          "bog"
        ],
        [
          "swamp",
          "swamp"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "mud, dirt, muddiness"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mud",
          "mud"
        ],
        [
          "dirt",
          "dirt"
        ],
        [
          "muddiness",
          "muddiness"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "rubbish, refuse"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "rubbish",
          "rubbish"
        ],
        [
          "refuse",
          "refuse"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) rubbish, refuse"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "quagmire, lure"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "quagmire",
          "quagmire"
        ],
        [
          "lure",
          "lure"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) quagmire, lure"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/fɛn/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fen"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Anglo-Norman",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Anglo-Norman",
    "Middle English terms derived from Latin",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Vulgar Latin",
    "Pages with 23 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Feces",
    "enm:Landforms"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "fen"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglo-Norman fen",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "fiente"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French fiente",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la-vul",
        "3": "*femita"
      },
      "expansion": "Vulgar Latin *femita",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la-vul",
        "3": "*femus"
      },
      "expansion": "Vulgar Latin *femus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "fimus",
        "t": "dung, excrement"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin fimus (“dung, excrement”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Anglo-Norman fen, fin, fien, fein, and Old French fiente, from Vulgar Latin *femita, from Vulgar Latin *femus, from Latin fimus (“dung, excrement”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fens",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fent",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fente",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fynt",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fynte",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fyens",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fient",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "fen",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "fen (plural fens)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "dung, faeces"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "dung",
          "dung"
        ],
        [
          "faeces",
          "faeces"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/fɛn/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fen"
}

Download raw JSONL data for fen meaning in Middle English (4.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-12-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-12-20 using wiktextract (cdfa371 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.