"beginan" meaning in Old English

See beginan in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /beˈjiː.nɑn/
Etymology: From be- + ġīnan (“to yawn”). Etymology templates: {{af|ang|be-|ġīnan|t2=to yawn}} be- + ġīnan (“to yawn”) Head templates: {{ang-verb|beġīnan}} beġīnan, {{tlb|ang|rare}} (rare) Inflection templates: {{ang-conj|beġīnan<s1>}} Forms: beġīnan [canonical], strong [table-tags], beġīnan [infinitive], beġīnenne [infinitive], beġīne [first-person, present, singular], begān [first-person, past, singular], beġīnst [present, second-person, singular], beġine [past, second-person, singular], beġīnþ [present, singular, third-person], begān [past, singular, third-person], beġīnaþ [plural, present], beġinon [past, plural], beġīne [present, singular], beġine [past, singular], beġīnen [plural, present], beġinen [past, plural], beġīn [imperative, past, present, singular], beġīnaþ [imperative, past, plural, present], beġīnende [imperative, present], beġinen [imperative, past]
  1. to swallow Tags: rare
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "be-",
        "3": "ġīnan",
        "t2": "to yawn"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + ġīnan (“to yawn”)",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From be- + ġīnan (“to yawn”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "beġīnan",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "strong",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "table-tags"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ang-conj",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "inflection-template"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "I",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "class"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnan",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnan",
          "beginan#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "infinitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnenne",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnenne",
          "beginenne#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "infinitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīne",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīne",
          "begine#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "first-person",
        "present",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "begān",
      "links": [
        [
          "begān",
          "began#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "first-person",
        "past",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnst",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnst",
          "beginst#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "second-person",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġine",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġine",
          "begine#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "second-person",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnþ",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnþ",
          "beginþ#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "begān",
      "links": [
        [
          "begān",
          "began#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnaþ",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnaþ",
          "beginaþ#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġinon",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġinon",
          "beginon#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīne",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīne",
          "begine#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġine",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġine",
          "begine#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnen",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnen",
          "beginen#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġinen",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġinen",
          "beginen#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīn",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīn",
          "begin#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "imperative",
        "past",
        "present",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnaþ",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnaþ",
          "beginaþ#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "imperative",
        "past",
        "plural",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnende",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnende",
          "beginende#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "imperative",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġinen",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġinen",
          "beginen#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "imperative",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "beġīnan"
      },
      "expansion": "beġīnan",
      "name": "ang-verb"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "rare"
      },
      "expansion": "(rare)",
      "name": "tlb"
    }
  ],
  "inflection_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "beġīnan<s1>"
      },
      "name": "ang-conj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Old English",
  "lang_code": "ang",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 2 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              7,
              13
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              6,
              13
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Oft I swallow that pricks me again, then I should strike, girded by rings, toughly against hard ones, stabbed from behind, shove forth that shields mind-mirth of my lord at midnights.",
          "ref": "c. 980, Exeter Book Riddle 91:",
          "text": "Oft iċ beġīne þæt mē onġēan sticað, þonne iċ hnītan sċeal, hringum gyrded, hearde wið heardum, hindan þȳrel, forð āsċūfan þæt mīnes frēan mōd ᚹ freoþað middelnihtum.",
          "translation": "Oft I swallow that pricks me again, then I should strike, girded by rings, toughly against hard ones, stabbed from behind, shove forth that shields mind-mirth of my lord at midnights.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to swallow"
      ],
      "id": "en-beginan-ang-verb-3WRTF9Cv",
      "links": [
        [
          "swallow",
          "swallow"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/beˈjiː.nɑn/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "beginan"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "be-",
        "3": "ġīnan",
        "t2": "to yawn"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + ġīnan (“to yawn”)",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From be- + ġīnan (“to yawn”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "beġīnan",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "strong",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "table-tags"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ang-conj",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "inflection-template"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "I",
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "class"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnan",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnan",
          "beginan#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "infinitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnenne",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnenne",
          "beginenne#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "infinitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīne",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīne",
          "begine#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "first-person",
        "present",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "begān",
      "links": [
        [
          "begān",
          "began#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "first-person",
        "past",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnst",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnst",
          "beginst#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "second-person",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġine",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġine",
          "begine#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "second-person",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnþ",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnþ",
          "beginþ#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "begān",
      "links": [
        [
          "begān",
          "began#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnaþ",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnaþ",
          "beginaþ#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġinon",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġinon",
          "beginon#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīne",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīne",
          "begine#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġine",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġine",
          "begine#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnen",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnen",
          "beginen#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġinen",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġinen",
          "beginen#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīn",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīn",
          "begin#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "imperative",
        "past",
        "present",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnaþ",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnaþ",
          "beginaþ#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "imperative",
        "past",
        "plural",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġīnende",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġīnende",
          "beginende#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "imperative",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beġinen",
      "links": [
        [
          "beġinen",
          "beginen#Old_English"
        ]
      ],
      "source": "conjugation",
      "tags": [
        "imperative",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "beġīnan"
      },
      "expansion": "beġīnan",
      "name": "ang-verb"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "rare"
      },
      "expansion": "(rare)",
      "name": "tlb"
    }
  ],
  "inflection_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "beġīnan<s1>"
      },
      "name": "ang-conj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Old English",
  "lang_code": "ang",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Old English class 1 strong verbs",
        "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
        "Old English lemmas",
        "Old English rare terms",
        "Old English terms prefixed with be-",
        "Old English terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "Old English terms with quotations",
        "Old English verbs",
        "Pages with 2 entries",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              7,
              13
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              6,
              13
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Oft I swallow that pricks me again, then I should strike, girded by rings, toughly against hard ones, stabbed from behind, shove forth that shields mind-mirth of my lord at midnights.",
          "ref": "c. 980, Exeter Book Riddle 91:",
          "text": "Oft iċ beġīne þæt mē onġēan sticað, þonne iċ hnītan sċeal, hringum gyrded, hearde wið heardum, hindan þȳrel, forð āsċūfan þæt mīnes frēan mōd ᚹ freoþað middelnihtum.",
          "translation": "Oft I swallow that pricks me again, then I should strike, girded by rings, toughly against hard ones, stabbed from behind, shove forth that shields mind-mirth of my lord at midnights.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to swallow"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "swallow",
          "swallow"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/beˈjiː.nɑn/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "beginan"
}

Download raw JSONL data for beginan meaning in Old English (4.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Old English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (ccec6f1 and 4deed51). 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.