sayen

English

Etymology

From Middle English seien, equivalent to say + -en.

Verb

sayen

  1. (obsolete) plural simple present of say
    • 1606, N[athaniel] B[axter], Sir Philip Sydneys Ouránia, That Is, Endimions Song and Tragedie, Containing All Philosophie, London: [] Ed. Allde, for Edward White, [], →OCLC, signature [D4], verso:
      But diuine Shepheards ſoothly ſayen,
      In their high Layes with wordes plaine: []
    • 1647, Henry More, “[Philosophical Poems.] Antipsychopannychia or The Third Book of the Song of the Soul: Containing a Confutation of the Sleep of the Soul after Death. The Præexistency of the Soul, [].”, in Alexander B[alloch] Grosart, editor, The Complete Poems of Dr. Henry More (1614–1687) [] (Chertsey Worthies’ Library), [Edinburgh: [] Edinburgh University Press; Thomas and Archibald Constable, []] for private circulation, published 1878, →OCLC, stanza 78, page 126, column 1:
      No more do souls of men. For stories sayen
      Well known 'mongst countrey folk, our spirits fly, []
    • 1747, William Mason, Musaeus: a Monody to the Memory of Mr. Pope:
      That men sayen I make trewe melody,

Anagrams

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *sāien, from Proto-West Germanic *sāan.

Verb

sâyen

  1. to sow
  2. to spread, to disperse

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

  • Dutch: zaaien
  • Limburgish: zèjje

Further reading

Middle English

Verb

sayen

  1. Alternative form of assayen
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