wrecan

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Old English

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *wrekaną (to pursue, to drive out).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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wrecan

  1. (transitive, intransitive) to punish (+ dative = a person) (+ accusative = a wrong)
    Sēo lǣrestre wræc hire leornerum þæt hīe yfelra worda brucon.
    The teacher punished her students for using bad words.
  2. (transitive, intransitive) to avenge or take revenge (+ accusative or with on + dative = "on someone")
    Iċ ġehēt mīnum fæder ġif hine man ofslōge, þæt iċ his dēaþ wrǣċe.
    I promised my father that if he was killed, I would avenge his death.
    Ġif ġē ūs priciaþ, ne blēdaþ wē? Ġif ġē ūs ċiteliaþ, ne hliehhaþ wē? Ġif ġē ūs ġeǣtriaþ, ne sweltaþ wē? And ġif ġē ūs yfeliaþ, ne wrecaþ wē?
    If you prick us, don't we bleed? If you tickle us, don't we laugh? If you poison us, don't we die? And if you wrong us, don't we take revenge?
  3. to unleash or take out (one's anger) (with on + dative = on someone)
    wræc his ierre on his bearnum.
    He took out his anger on his children.
  4. to drive, press
    (a) to drive out, expel
    (b) to drive words out, express, recite
    • 9th or 10th century, The Seafarer
      Mæġ iċ be mē selfum / sōðġiedd wrecan.
      I can recite a true story about myself.
    (c) to drive in, impress, inlay

Conjugation

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Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Middle English: wreken

References

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