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

• yeans

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
  • Afrikaans: saai
  • Berbice Creole Dutch: sai
  • Negerhollands: saai, saey, saej
  • → Aukan: sai
• Limburgish: zèjje

Further reading

• “sayen (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “saeyen (II)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page saeyen

Middle English

Verb

sayen

1. Alternative form of assayen