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Experiment etymology

English word experiment comes from Latin ex (out of, from) and Latin *perior, which is likely a derived form from Proto-Indo-European *per- (try, dare, risk)

Etymology of experiment

Detailed word origin of experiment.

Dictionary entry Language Definition
per- Proto-Indo-European try, dare, risk
*perior Latin
Latin out of, from
Latin I do.. I experience.. I find out.. I test, put to the test.. I try, attempt, prove.
Latin Experience. Test, trial, experiment.
experiment Old French (842-ca. 1400)
experiment English (intransitive) To conduct an experiment.. (transitive, obsolete) To experience; to feel; to perceive; to detect.. (transitive, obsolete) To test or ascertain by experiment; to try out; to make an experiment on. (obsolete) Experience, practical familiarity with something.. A test under controlled conditions made to either demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or [...]

Words with the same origin as experiment

Descendants of de.

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( k-sp r -m nt) A test under controlled conditions that is made to demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy of something previously untried. The process of conducting such a test; experimentation. An innovative act or procedure: The result of experimentation: only experiment" (-m nt ) , , To conduct an experiment. To try something new, especially in order to gain experience: Old French, from Latin mentum, from r , to try; see per- .] i·ment er n.

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old english word for experiment

The American Heritage Children's Dictionary

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  • 1.1 Etymology
  • 1.2 Pronunciation
  • 1.3.1 Derived terms
  • 1.3.2 Translations
  • 1.4.1 Derived terms
  • 1.4.2 Translations
  • 1.4.3 References
  • 2.1 Etymology
  • 2.2 Pronunciation
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  • 3.1 Etymology
  • 3.2 Pronunciation
  • 3.3.1 Declension
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  • 4.1 Etymology
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  • 5.1 Etymology
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From Middle English experiment , from Old French esperiment ( French expérience ), from Latin experimentum ( “ experience, attempt, experiment ” ) , from experior ( “ to experience, to attempt ” ) , itself from ex + *perior , in turn from Proto-Indo-European *per- .

Pronunciation

  • ( UK ) IPA ( key ) : /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ɪ.mənt/ , /ɛkˈspɛɹ.ɪ.mənt/
Audio ( ): ( )
  • Hyphenation: ex‧per‧i‧ment

experiment ( plural experiments )

  • 1837 , L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon ], “The Laboratory”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides.   [ … ] , volume II, London: Henry Colburn ,   [ … ] , →OCLC , page 327 : From her childhood she had been accustomed to watch, and often to aid, in her uncle's chemical experiments ; she was, therefore, not at a loss, as a complete novice in the science would have been.
  • 1590 , Edmund Spenser , “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene.   [ … ] , London: [ … ] [ John Wolfe ] for William Ponsonbie , →OCLC : Pilot [...] Vpon his card and compas firmes his eye, The maisters of his long experiment , And to them does the steddy helme apply [...].

Derived terms

  • blue bottle experiment
  • control experiment
  • double-slit experiment
  • experimental
  • factorial experiment
  • forbidden experiment
  • ganzfeld experiment
  • gedanken experiment
  • Hughes-Drever experiment
  • Michelson-Morley experiment
  • Milgram experiment
  • noble experiment
  • science experiment
  • sexperiment
  • Stern-Gerlach experiment
  • thought experiment
  • Valsalvian experiment
  • Wizard of Oz experiment

Translations

      (tajriba),   (iḵtibār)   (pʻorj),   (pʻorjarkum)   , (təjribə)   (ekspjerymjént),   (eksperymént),   (dósljed),     (vópyt),   (próba)   (porikkha)     (ópit),     (eksperimént)   (a.cam:),   (a.cam:a.sap)     (sat jim )   (shíyàn)     ,       ,       ,             (eksṗerimenṭi)     ,         (peírama)   (peîra)   (nisúi)     (prayog),   (tajurbā),     (parīkṣā)   ,         ,         (じっけん, jikken) (täjıribe), (éksperiment) (paʼreksaa),   (pisaot)   (silheom)   (tajrıyba),   (eksperiment)   (kān thot lǭng)   ,       ,       (opit),   (eksperimént),   (ogled)   ,   ,     ,           (āzmāyeš),     (tajreba)   (âzmâyeš),   (tajrobe)         ,     ,         (Brazil),     (Portugal)   (parīkhiā)         (eksperimént),     (ópyt),     (próba)   ,       ,       ,         ,             ,     ,     (ozmoyiš),   (tajriba), (tajruba)   (täcribä), (eksperiment)   (prayōgamu)   (gaan-tót-lɔɔng)   (n),   ,   ,   (eksperymént),     (dóslid),     (dósvid),   (spróba)   (tajriba) (tejribe)   ,       (eksperiment)
)   , )   )  

experiment ( third-person singular simple present experiments , present participle experimenting , simple past and past participle experimented )

  • 1951 October, “Models Assist Rolling Stock Design”, in Railway Magazine , page 647 : As well as demonstrating operating facilities, full-size car body models are used for experimenting with new types of interior finish, systems of lighting, positioning of route diagrams and advertisements, and the best form of windscreens at doorways, and the height and location of handgrips and handrails.
  • 1978 August 19, David Brill, “California Here I Come!”, in Gay Community News , volume 6, number 5, page 10 : Bob is a shameless tourist: Coit Tower, Fisherman's Wharf, Twin Peaks, ad infinitum. I think walking the streets with a map in hand looks dumb; experimenting is much more fun.
  • 1662 Thomas Salusbury, Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (Dialogue 2): The Earth, the which may have carried us about perpetually ... without our being ever able to experiment its rest.
  • 1481 , The Mirrour of the World , William Caxton, 1.5.22 : Til they had experimented whiche was trewe, and who knewe most.
  • experimenter
  (jarraba)   (pʻorjarkel)   (ekspjerymjentavácʹ)   or (eksperimentíram)   ,   (shíyàn)         ,       (peiramatízomai)     (じっけんする, jikken suru)   (pisaot)   (silheomhada)     or (eksperimentíra)     ,         (eksperimentírovatʹ),   (proizvodítʹ ópyt),   (proizvestí ópyt),   (stávitʹ ópyt),   (postávitʹ ópyt)         (tót-lɔɔng)   (eksperymentuváty)
 
)   )
  • John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner , editors ( 1989 ), “experiment”, in The Oxford English Dictionary , 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press , →ISBN .

Borrowed from Latin experīmentum . First attested in 1460. [ 1 ]

  • IPA ( key ) : ( Central ) [əks.pə.ɾiˈmen]
  • IPA ( key ) : ( Balearic ) [əks.pə.ɾiˈment]
  • IPA ( key ) : ( Valencia ) [eks.pe.ɾiˈment]

experiment   m ( plural experiments )

  • experimentar
  • ^ “ experiment ”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana , Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana , 2024

Further reading

  • “experiment” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició , Institut d’Estudis Catalans .
  • “experiment” in Diccionari normatiu valencià , Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua .
  • “experiment” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear , Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Borrowed from Latin experīmentum .

  • IPA ( key ) : [ˈɛkspɛrɪmɛnt]

experiment   m   inan

  • experiment Synonym: pokus provést experiment ― to perform an experiment
singular plural
nominative
genitive
dative
accusative
vocative
locative
instrumental

Related terms

  • experimentální
  • experimentovat
  • “ experiment ”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935-1957
  • “ experiment ”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
  • “ experiment ”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

From Middle Dutch experiment , from Old French experiment , from Latin experimentum .

  • IPA ( key ) : /ˌɛks.peː.riˈmɛnt/
Audio: ( )
  • Hyphenation: ex‧pe‧ri‧ment
  • Rhymes: -ɛnt

experiment   n ( plural experimenten , diminutive experimentje   n )

  • experiment Synonyms: proef , test
  • experimentatie
  • experimenteel
  • experimenteren

Descendants

From Latin experīmentum .

experiment   m ( plural experiments )

Borrowed from Latin experimentum .

experiment   n ( plural experimente )

singular plural
indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) (niște)
genitive/dative (unui) (unor)
vocative

Borrowed from Latin experīmentum , attested from 1682. [ 1 ]

  • IPA ( key ) : /ɛksp(ɛ)rɪˈmɛnt/

experiment   n

Declension of  
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative
Genitive
  • experimentell
  • ^ experiment in  Svensk ordbok .
  • experiment in Svenska Akademiens ordlista ( SAOL )
  • experiment in Svenska Akademiens ordbok ( SAOB )

old english word for experiment

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| The Art of Living for Students of Life

Things vs Experiments? Turns out “Experience” & “Experiment” are the Same Word

By Kyle Kowalski · 2 Comments

Sloww Experience Experiment Etymology

The debate between things vs experiences becomes a lot more interesting when its things vs experiments .

My mind was blown—for many reasons—while listening to this podcast:  Dr. Andrew Weil — Optimal Health, Plant Medicine, and More (#350) .

Dr. Andrew Weil is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine; he received a degree in biology (botany) from Harvard College and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. If that wasn’t overachieving enough, he’s also a New York Times  best-selling author and has published 15 books on health and well-being.¹

He breezed through this in the podcast, but it really stuck with me:

In all languages derived from Latin—unfortunately not English—the word for ‘experience’ and the word for ‘experiment’ are the same…So your own experience is a form of experimentation that produces useful information.

Interesting!

Experience & Experiment  Etymologies

Not to get too deep in the weeds here, but etymology is the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary:

Etymologies are not definitions; they’re explanations of what our words meant and how they sounded 600 or 2,000 years ago.

So, what are the etymologies of experience and experiment, and what do they have in common (emphasis added in bold )?

Experience (n.)²

  • “ observation as the source of knowledge ; actual observation; an event which has affected one,”
  • from Old French esperience “ experiment , proof, experience” (13c.),
  • from Latin experientia “a trial , proof, experiment; knowledge gained by repeated trials,”
  • from experientem (nominative experiens) “experienced, enterprising, active, industrious,” present participle of  experiri “to try, test,” from ex- “out of” (see ex-) + peritus “experienced, tested,” from PIE *per-yo-, suffixed form of root *per- (3) “to try, risk.” 

Experiment (n.)³

  • “action of observing or testing; an observation , test, or trial;” also “piece of evidence or empirical proof; feat of magic or sorcery,”
  • from Old French esperment “practical knowledge , cunning; enchantment, magic spell; trial, proof, example; lesson, sign, indication,”
  • from Latin experimentum “a trial , test, proof, experiment,” noun of action from  experiri “to try, test,” from ex- “out of” (see ex-) + peritus “experienced, tested,” from PIE *per-yo-, suffixed form of root *per- (3) “to try, risk.”

Experience & Experiment in Layman’s Terms

OK, if you’re like me then you only understood part of that above. How about an attempt in layman’s terms:

  • “The words  experiment  and  experience  have the same Latin root: they both come from the word  experior,  which means to gain knowledge through repeated trials. Let us think about the word  trial  for a minute, because for most of us, this word represents the difficult, even horrendous, experiences we have in life. But in the scientific world, the word  trial  has positive connotations . It refers to experiments repeated in order to learn something valuable . For example, a clinical trial can be used to study the effects of a new drug or medical procedure. In science, then, the word  trial  is not associated with the difficult parts of the experiment; it  is  the experiment.” 4

It all comes back to perspective. Here’s to trialing your next experiment!

Sloww Tolle Experience Quote

  • https://tim.blog/2018/12/06/dr-andrew-weil/
  • https://www.etymonline.com/word/experience
  • https://www.etymonline.com/word/experiment
  • https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jennifer-b-nielson_experiment-and-experience/

' src=

About Kyle Kowalski

👋 Hi, I'm Kyle―the human behind Sloww . I'm an ex-marketing executive turned self-education entrepreneur after an existential crisis in 2015. In one sentence: my purpose is synthesizing lifelong learning that catalyzes deeper development . But, I’m not a professor, philosopher, psychologist, sociologist, anthropologist, scientist, mystic, or guru. I’m an interconnector across all those humans and many more—an "independent, inquiring, interdisciplinary integrator" (in other words, it's just me over here, asking questions, crossing disciplines, and making connections). To keep it simple, you can just call me a "synthesizer." Sloww shares the art of living with students of life . Read my story.

Sloww participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When you purchase a book through an Amazon link, Sloww earns a small percentage at no additional cost to you. This helps fund the costs to support the site and the ad-free experience.

Reader Interactions

' src=

October 24, 2019 at 10:39 PM

Interesting article and nice in theory. The claim that all Latin languages have the same word for experience and experiment is, well, just plain wrong.

' src=

November 1, 2019 at 10:03 AM

Perhaps what Dr. Weil said was just a generalization. Either way, something interesting to ponder.

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experimental adjective & noun

  • Hide all quotations

What does the word experimental mean?

There are 17 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word experimental , seven of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the word experimental ?

How is the word experimental pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the word experimental come from.

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the word experimental is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for experimental is from around 1449, in the writing of Reginald Pecock, bishop of Chichester and religious author.

experimental is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: experiment n. , ‑al suffix 1 .

Nearby entries

  • experient, adj. & n. ?1440–
  • experiential, adj. 1658–
  • experientialism, n. 1865–
  • experientialist, n. 1866–
  • experientially, adv. 1647–
  • experiential philosopher, n. 1866–
  • experiential philosophy, n. 1848–
  • experiently, adv. 1473–1849
  • experiment, n. a1382–
  • experiment, v. 1481–
  • experimental, adj. & n. c1449–
  • experimental archaeology | experimental archeology, n. 1961–
  • experimental farm, n. 1739–
  • experimentalism, n. 1808–
  • experimentalist, n. & adj. 1677–
  • experimentalize, v. 1751–
  • experimentalizer, n. 1831–
  • experimentalizing, n. 1809–1929
  • experimentally, adv. a1460–
  • experimental method, n. 1676–
  • experimentalness, n. 1695–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for experimental, adj. & n..

experimental, adj. & n. was revised in March 2024.

experimental, adj. & n. was last modified in June 2024.

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Citation details

Factsheet for experimental, adj. & n., browse entry.

old english word for experiment

Old English Vocabulary: Your First 700 Words

This is a list of approximately 700 of the most common or useful Old English words, given in normalized Early West Saxon forms. The goal of this list is to provide you with a relatively small core vocabulary to study so that you can move on to reading texts quickly. I recommend you use a spaced repetition system such as Anki to familiarize yourself with these words as quickly as possible. You do not need to be able to go from Present-Day English to Old English (at first, anyway) – just concentrate on being able to recognize the meanings of the Old English words. When you get to original texts, you will find them much less painful to read if you know these 500 words already. You'll cut your trips to the dictionary in half!

My eventual goal is to use this list to produce more graded reader-style Old English material which assumes you know this core vocabulary.

Abbreviations

Some abbreviations worth knowing:

  • PoS: Part of Speech
  • Decl/Conj: Declension class (for nouns) / Conjugation class (for verbs)
  • 1: 1st declension nouns, i.e. masculine a -stem nouns, e.g. stān .
  • 2: 2nd declension nouns, i.e. neuter a -stem nouns, e.g. sċip .
  • 3: 3rd declension nouns, i.e. feminine ō -stem nouns, e.g. ġiefu .
  • 4: 4th declension nouns, i.e. weak nouns, e.g. nama .
  • 5: 5th declension nouns, i.e. u -stem nouns, e.g. sunu .
  • 6: 6th declension nouns, i.e. consonant-stem nouns, e.g. mann .
  • w1, 2, 3: 1st, 2nd, 3rd conjugation weak verbs.
  • s1, 2, 3...: 1st, 2nd, 3rd... conjugation strong verbs.

This is version 0.2 of this list. On the roadmap:

  • Divide the list into different grades based on frequency.
  • Add quotations to show usage
  • Add cognates to help learning.
  • Add inflected forms, where they are very different from the dictionary form.
  • Add major spelling/dialect variants.
  • Correct the inevitable errors.
  • Find better ways to display them than a table.

v0.2 (2022-02-26)

  • Break out gender from part of speech.
  • Add conjugation/declension class.
  • Make separate entries for each part of speech a word is used as.
  • Add entries for the 3rd person singular and plural present tense inflected forms of common storytelling verbs.
  • Add entries for all forms of the demonstrative sē/þæt/sēo .
  • Correct a few spelling errors (mostly missing palatal diacritics).

v0.1 (2021-11-19)

  • First edition of the list.
Word PoS Gender Decl/Conj Meaning
ā adv. always, forever
ābūtan adv. about, around
ac conj. but, however
ācennan v. w1 produce, bring forth, give birth to
ācwellan v. w1 kill
ādl n. f. 3 sickness, disease
ǣ n. f. indecl. law
æcer n. m. 1 cultivated field
ǣfæst adj. pious
ǣfen n. m. 1 evening
ǣfre adv. ever, forever, always
æfter prep. after
æfterfylġan v. w1 follow
ǣġhwā pron. everyone, everything
ǣġhwǣr adv. everywhere
ǣġhwæþer pron. each (of two)
ǣht n. f. 3 possession, property; power
ǣl n. m. 1 eel
ǣlċ adj. every, each
ǣlċ pron. every one, each one
ælmihtiġ adj. all-powerful
ǣmettiġ adj. empty
ǣniġ adj. any
ǣniġ pron. any one
ǣr adv. before, previously
ǣr þām (þe) conj. before
ǣrende n. n. 2 message; errand
ǣrest adj. first
ærnan v. w1 run
æsċ n. m. 1 ash-tree; spear
ǣstel n. m. 1 tablet
æt prep. at
ætgædere adv. together
ætīewan v. w1 appear; show
ætsomne adv. together
æþele adj. noble
æþeling n. m. 1 prince
æþelu n. f./n. 5 nobility; origin, descent
āgan v. pp possess, own
āgen adj. own
āhebban v. s6 raise, lift
āhwǣr adv. anywhere, everywhere
āleċġan v. w1 lay, put; set aside
ālīefan v. w1 allow
āmierran v. w1 hinder; distract; destroy
ān num. one
and conj. and
anda n. m. 4 envy; hatred
andġit n. n. 2 intelligence; meaning; sense
andsaca n. m. 4 enemy
andswarian v. w2 answer
andweard adj. present
andwlita n. m. 4 appearance; face
andwyrdan v. w1 answer
ānfeald adj. simple; sole, single
angel n. m. 1 hook
angelcynn n. n. 2 the English people
anġinn n. n. 2 beginning
anlīcnes n. f. 3 likeness; image
ānrǣd adj. unanimous; resolute, persevering
ānweald n. m. 1 sole power, dominion
ānwealda n. m. 4 ruler, sovereign
ār n. f. 3 honour, glory
ār oar
ār n. 2 copper; brass
āriht adv. properly
ārīsan v. s1 arise
ārlēas adj. disgraceful, dishonourable
ārlīċe adv. honourably
arod adj. quick; prepared
ārweorþ adj. honourable
āscian v. w2 ask (a question)
āseċġan v. w3 say; tell
āstyrian v. w1 remove; move, disturb
atelīċ adj. terrible, dreadful
ātēon v. s2 draw out, lead out; deal with
āttor n. n. 2 poison, venom
āwiht n. n. 2 anything
āwrītan v. s1 write
āþ n. m. 1 oath
bæc n. n. 2 back
bæcere n. m. 1 baker
bærnan v. w1 burn
bæþ n. n. 2 bath
bān n. n. 2 bone
bār n. m. 1 boar
bāt n. m./f. 1/3 boat
baþian v. w2 bathe
be prep. by, near; about; according to
bēacn n. n. 2 sign; beacon
bēag n. m. 1 ring, bracelet, armband
bealdlīċe adv. boldly
bēam n. m. 1 tree; beam of wood, gallows, cross
bearm n. m. 1 bosom, lap
bearn n. n. 2 child
bearu n. m. 1w grove
bebēodan v. s2 command
becuman v. s4 arrive at, reach; happen, occur
bedǣlan v. w1 deprive
bēġen adj. both
bēġen pron. both
beġeondan prep. beyond
beġietan v. s5 get
beġinnan v. s3 begin
begnornian v. w2 lament
behēafdian v. w2 behead
behrēowsian v. w2 repent, make amends
benċ n. f. 3 bench
bēodan, (ġe-) v. s2 offer; proclaim
bēon v. irreg. be
beorg n. m. 1 mountain; hill, mound
beorgan v. s3 save; guard, protect
beorht adj. bright
bēot n. n. 2 threat; vow, boast
beran, (ġe-) v. s4 carry, bear; wear; sustain; give birth to
berstan v. s3 break, burst
beswīcan v. s1 deceive, trick; cheat
bet adv. better
betwēonum prep. between
betwēox prep. between
bewindan v. encircle; wrap in/with
bīdan, (ġe-) v. s1 wait (for); experience
biddan v. s5 ask for, beg
bifian v. w2 tremble
bigang n. m. 1 course, way; worship; undertaking, business
bindan, (ġe-) v. s3 bind
bisċop n. m. 1 bishop
bisiġ adj. busy
bisiġu n. f. 3 business, occupation
bismer n. n. 2 mockery, blasphemy
bītan v. s1 bite
blāc adj. pale
blæc adj. black
blǣd n. m. 1 splendour, glory, fame
blāwan v. s7 blow
blētsian v. w2 bless, consecrate
bliss n. f. 3 bliss
blōd n. n. 2 blood
bōc n. f. 6 book
bodian v. w2 announce; preach; foretell
bolster n. m. 1 pillow
bord n. n. 2 board; shelf
brād adj. 1 broad
brecan, (ġe-) v. s4 break
breġdan, (ġe-) v. s3 pull, draw; shake
bringan, (ġe-) v. wi bring
brōga n. m. 4 terror; danger
brōþor n. m. irreg brother
brūcan v. s2 use; enjoy; benefit from
brūn adj. brown; dark; red
bryċġ n. f. 3 bridge
būan v. w1 dwell, inhabit
būgan, (ġe-) v. s2 turn aside; bow; bend
burɡ n. f. 6 city, town; castle
būtan adv. merely, only, just (NPI)
būtan conj. unless
būtan prep. without; except, besides
byrġan v. w1 bury
byrne n. f. 4 coat of mail
cāsere n. m. 1 emperor
ċeald adj. cold
ċēapian, (ġe-) v. w2 buy
ċeaster n. f. 3 city, town
cempa n. m. 4 soldier, warrior
ċeorl n. m. 1 peasant; freeman
ċicen n. n. 2 chicken
ċīese n. m. 1 cheese
ċiriċe n. f. 4 church
clipian v. w2 call, call out
clyppan v. w1 hug; cherish
cniht n. m. 1 boy; servant
cræft n. m. 1 skill; virtue
cringan v. s3 fall in battle
cuman v. s4 come
cunnan v. pp know; can
cunnian v. w2 find out
cwellan v. w1 kill
cwēn n. f. 3 queen; woman
cweþan, (ġe-) v. s5 say, speak
cwic adj. alive; intelligent
cyning n. m. 1 king
cynn n. n. 2 kind; family; nation
cȳþan, (ġe-) v. w1 reveal; proclaim, announce
dǣd n. f. 3 deed
dæġ n. m. 1 day
dǣl n. f. 3 part
dǣlan, (ġe-) v. w1 divide; share
dēad adj. dead
dēagol adj. secret, hidden
dēaþ n. m. 1 death
dēma n. m. 4 judge
Dene n. mpl. 1i Danes
dēofol n. m./n. 1/2 devil
dēop adj. deep
dēor n. n. 2 wild animal
deorc adj. dark
dīere adj. dear, expensive; precious
dierne adj. secret, hidden
dohtor n. f. irreg daughter
dōm n. m. 1 law; judgement
dōn, (ġe-) v. irreg. do; make, cause; put; treat (someone) as
draca n. m. 4 dragon
drēam n. m. 1 music; joy; ecstasy
drēogan, (ġe-) v. s2 perform; endure, suffer
drēor n. m. 1 gore, blood
drīfan v. s1 drive
dryhten n. m. 1 lord
dugan v. pp be of use, serve; be fit, be strong
duguþ n. f. 3 band of warriors; prosperity, benefit
durran v. pp dare
duru n. f. 5 door
dysiġ adj. foolish
ēa n. f. irreg river
ēac adv. also, too
ēadiġ adj. happy, prosperous
ēaġe n. n. 4 eye
ēalā interj. alas!
eald adj. old
ealdor n. m. 1 lord, prince
ealdor n. 2 life; age, eternity
ealdormann n. n 6 ruler, nobleman
eall adj. all; each
eall adv. entirely
ealles adv. all, entirely
earfoþ n. n. 2 hardship, trouble; work
earm adj. poor, miserable
ēċe adj. eternal
eċġ n. f. 3 edge (of a tool or weapon)
efne adv. indeed; once
eft adv. again; back
eġe n. m. 1 fear
eġeslīċ adj. terrible
ellen n. m./n. 1/2 courage
ende n. m. 1 end, edge
enġel n. m. 1 angel
englisċ adj. English
ent n. m. 1 giant
eode v. vform went
eorl n. m. 1 nobleman, warrior
eorþe n. f. 4 earth
ēower adj. your (pl)
etan, (ġe-) v. s5 eat
fæder n. m. irreg. father
fǣġe adj. doomed
fæġer adj. beautiful, pleasant
fǣhþu n. f. irreg. feud
fǣmne n. f. 4 virgin, young woman
fæst adj. secure, fixed
fæste adv. firmly
fāh adj. decorated, shining
faran v. s6 go, travel; fare
feallan, (ġe-) v. s7 fall
feax n. n. 2 hair (of the head)
fela adj. many, much
fela pron. many, much
feoh n. n. 2 riches, money
feohtan, (ġe-) v. fight; get by fighting (with ġe-)
fēond n. m. 6 enemy
feor adj. far, distant
feor adv. long ago
feorh n. m./n. 1/2 life; living being
feorran adv. from far away
fēran v. w1 go, travel
fīf adj. five
findan v. s3 find; get
firen n. f. 3 crime, wickedness
flēogan v. s2 fly
flōd n. m. 1 water; tide
folc n. n. 2 people
fōn v. s7 catch, seize
for prep. for, because of, in place of
for þām adv. therefore
for þām (þe) conj. because
forġiefan v. s5 grant; forgive
forġieldan v. s3 pay for, repay
forhtian v. w2 be afraid
forlǣtan v. s7 leave, abandon; allow
forma adj. first
forst n. m. 1 frost
fram prep. from; by
frēa n. m. 4 lord; husband
fremde adj. strange; foreign
fremman, (ġe-) v. w1 perform, carry out, do
frēond n. m. 6 friend
friġnan, (ġe-) v. s3 ask, hear of
friþ n. n. 3 peace
frōfor n. f. 3 consolation, relief, comfort
fruma n. m. 4 beginning; prince
fugol n. m. 1 bird
ful adv. very, fully
fultum n. m. 1 help, support; army
furþum adv. even
fūs adj. eager
fȳr n. n. 2 fire
gafol n. n. 2 tribute
galan v. sing; cry, call
gān v. go
gangan, (ġe-) v. s7 go, walk
gāst n. m. 1 spirit; ghost; breath
ġe conj. and, both
ġē pron. you (pl.)
ġēar n. n. 2 year
ġeard n. m. 1 enclosure; yard, garden; court
ġearu adj. ready
ġebed n. n. 2 prayer
ġebēorsċipe n. m. 1 drinking party, feast
ġebētan v. w1 repair; cure
ġebiddan v. s5 pray; worship; request
ġecnāwan v. s7 perceive, understand; be familiar with
ġedwild n. n. 2 error; heresy
ġefēra n. m. 4 comrade
ġehwā pron. everyone; everything
ġehwelċ pron. each, every
ġelēafa n. m. 4 faith
ġelōme adv. often
ġemǣne adj. common, universal
ġemynd n. f. 3 memory
ġenōg adj. enough
ġeoguþ n. f. 3 youth; young person
ġeond prep. through; throughout
ġeong adj. young
ġeorn adj. eager
ġeorne adv. eagerly; thoroughly
ġereord n. n. 2 language; speech, voice
ġesib adj. related, familiar
ġesihþ n. f. 3 sight
ġesund adj. healthy
ġeweald n. n. 2 control
ġewinn n. n. 2 war; battle
ġewinnan v. s3 conquer, win
ġewītan v. s1 leave, depart
ġeþēode n. n. 2 language
ġiedd n. n. 2 story, song, poem
ġiefan v. s5 give
ġiefu n. f. 3 gift
ġieldan v. s3 pay; repay
ġielp n. m. 1 boast
ġierwan, (ġe-) v. w1 adorn; prepare
ġīese adv. yes
ġīet adv. still; (with negatives) yet; (with comparatives) even
ġif conj. if
gnornian v. w2 mourn; regret; complain
god n. m./n. 1/2 god; God
gōd adj. good
gōd n. n. 2 good
gold n. n. 2 gold
grǣdiġ adj. hungry; greedy
grētan, (ġe-) v. w1 greet; approach
griþ n. n. 2 truce, peace
habban v. w3 have
hǣlan v. w1 heal; save
hǣlend n. m. 1 healer, saviour
hæleþ n. m. 1 man, hero, warrior
hǣþen adj. pagan, heathen
hāl adj. healthy, intact; whole
hāliġ adj. holy
hām n. m. 1 home; village
hand n. f. 5 hand
hār adj. grey; grey-haired
hāt adj. hot
hātan, (ġe-) v. s7 call, name; be named; order, command
pron. he, it (for masculine nouns)
hēafod n. n. 2 head
hēah adj. high, tall
healdan, (ġe-) v. s7 hold, keep; protect
healf n. f. 3 half
heard adj. hard, stern
hearg n. m. 1 altar; sacred place; idol
helm n. m. 1 helmet; protection
hēo pron. she
heofon n. m. 1 heaven, sky
heorot n. m. 1 deer, stag
heorte n. f. 4 heart
hēr adv. here
here n. m. irreg. army (esp. of enemies)
hergian v. s2 pillage, plunder
hīe pron. they
hierde n. m. 1 herdsman; guardian
hit pron. it
hlǣw n. n. 2 mountain, hill; cave
hlāf n. m. 1 bread; loaf
hlāford n. m. 1 lord
hlēow n. n. 2 shelter
hlīsa n. m. 4 fame
holt n. n. 2 wood, woodland
hord n. n. 2 hoard
hraþe adv. quickly, soon
hreþer n. m./n. 1/2 breast, heart
conj. how; adv
hund n. m. 1 dog
hūru adv. certainly, indeed
hūs n. n. 2 house
hwā pron. who; anyone, someone
hwǣr adv. where; anywhere
hwæt interj. lo!
hwæt pron. what
hwæþer conj. whether
hwæþre adv. yet, however
hwelċ adj. some; someone, anyone; something, anything
hwelċ pron. which, what kind of
hweorfan, (ġe-) v. s3 turn; change
hwīl n. f. 3 while, period of time
hwīlum adv. sometimes; formerly
hyċġan v. w3 think; consider
hyht n. m. 1 hope
hȳran, (ġe-) v. w1 hear, listen to
prep. I
ielde n. mpl. 1i men
iermþu n. f. 3 poverty, misery
ierre n. n. 2 anger
ilca adj. the same
ilca pron. the same
in adv. inland
in prep. in; into
innan adv. within
inne adv. inside, within
is v. vform is
īsern n. n. 1 iron
interj. oh!
lāc n. n./f. 3/2 gift; play; battle
lǣdan, (ġe-) v. w1 lead, bring
lǣne adj. transitory, temporary
lǣran, (ġe-) v. w1 teach
lǣstan, (ġe-) v. w1 follow; perform, carry out
lǣtan v. s7 allow; cause
lāf n. f. irreg.? remains; legacy; widow
lagu n. f. 5 law
land n. n. 2 land
lang adj. long, long-lasting
lange adv. for a long time
lār n. f. 3 teaching
lāþ adj. loathsome, hateful, unpleasant
lēas adj. devoid of, free from
leax n. m. 1 salmon
lēode n. mpl. 1i people
lēof adj. dear, beloved
lēoht n. n. 2 light
leornian, (ġe-) v. w2 learn
lēoþ n. n. 2 poem; song
libban v. w3 live; remain
līċ n. n. 1 dead body, corpse
liċġan v. s5 lie; lie down
līchama n. m. 4 body
līf n. n. 2 life
limpan, (ġe-) v. s3 happen, befall
lof n. n. 2 praise
lōfġeorn adj. eager for praise
lufian v. w2 love
lufu n. f. 3 love
lyft n. f. 3 air; sky
lȳtel adj. little
n. n. indecl. more
mǣġ n. m. 1 kinsman
mæġden n. n. 2 maiden
mæġen n. n. 2 strength, power; army
mæġþ n. f. 3 family, nation; generation
mæġþ 6 girl, maiden
mǣre adj. famous
mǣrþ n. f. 3 fame, glory
magan v. pp can, be able
man pron. one
mān n. n. 2 crime
mancynn n. m. 1 mankind
maniġ adj. many
mann n. m. 6 person; humanity (in general)
maþm n. m. 1 precious object, treasure
mearc n. f. 3 boundary, limit; mark, sign
mearh n. m. 1 horse
medu n. m. 5 mead
meniġu n. f. 3 multitude
mere n. m. 1 lake, pool
miċel adj. big, great; much
miċele adv. much
mid prep. with; among
middanġeard n. m. 1 the world
miht n. f. 3 might, strength, power
mīl n. f. 3 mile
mīn adj. my
mōd n. n. 2 mind; courage; state of mind
mōdiġ adj. proud; reckless
mōdor n. f. irreg. mother
mōna n. m. 4 moon
mōr n. m. 1 moor
morgen n. n 2 morning; tomorrow
morþor n. n. 2 murder; crime
mōtan v. pp may, be allowed to
mund n. f. 3 hand; protection
mynster n. n. 2 monastery, cathedral
adv. not at all; never
nǣdre n. f. 4 snake
nǣfre adv. never
nǣniġ pron. none; no one
næss n. m. headland, promontory
nama n. m. 4 name
nān adj. no
ne adv. not
ne conj. neither, nor
nēah adj. near
nēah adv. nearby
nealles adv. not at all
neorxnawang n. m. 1 paradise, heaven
niht n. f. 6 night
niman, (ġe-) v. s4 take
nīþ n. m. 1 envy; hatred
adv. now
nytt n. f. 3 use, benefit
of prep. from; out of; by (i.e. done by)
ofer prep. across, over
offrian v. w2 offer
ofslēan v. s6 kill, slay
oft adv. often
on prep. on, in, at, among; to, into
onfōn v. s7 receive, accept; perceive
onġēan adv. back, again
onġēan prep. against, opposite
onġietan v. s5 see, perceive, understand; seize
onġinnan v. s3 begin; attempt
ord n. m. 1 point (of weapon); front, vanguard
prep. until, up to
oþ þæt conj. until
ōþer adj. other
ōþer pron. other one; the rest
oþþe conj. or
pæþ n. m. 1 path
penning n. m. 1 penny
prēost n. m. 1 priest
rǣd n. m. 1 advice; decision; plan
rǣdan v. s7/w1 read; advise
rēċan v. w1 care
rīċe adj. rich; powerful
rīċe n. n. 2 kingdom
rīdan v. s1 ride
riht, (ġe-) n. n. 2 law; what is right; privilege
rōd n. f. 3 cross
rodor n. m. 1 sky, heaven
rūn n. f. 3 mystery, secret
sacu n. f. 3 dispute, strife; crime
n. f. 3 sea
samod adv. together; at the same time
sār adj. sore
sāriġ adj. sorry
sāwol n. f. 3 soul
sċeadu n. f. 3 shadow; shade
sċealc n. m. 1 servant; man, soldier
sċēat n. m. 1 corner, angle; area, region
sċeatt n. m. 1 treasure, money; coin
sċēawian v. w2 watch, look at; examine
sċeþþan v. s6 injure, harm
sċieppan v. s6 create; shape
sċīnan v. s1 shine
sċip n. n. 2 ship
sċulan v. pp should, must, have to; will, shall
det. nm. that, the; which, who
sēċan, (ġe-) v. w1 look for, seek
seċġan, (ġe-) v. say, tell
self pron. oneself
sellan, (ġe-) v. w1 give, sell; betray
sendan, (ġe-) v. w1 send
seofon adj. seven
sēon, (ġe-) v. s5 see
sibb n. f. 3 kinship; peace
siġe n. m. 1 victory
simle adv. always, constantly
sind(on) v. vform are
singal adj. constant, perpetual
singan v. s3 sing
sittan, (ġe-) v. sit
sīþ n. m. 1 time (instance); journey
siþþan adv. afterwards; since; ago
conj. after, since
slēan, (ġe-) v. s6 hit, beat; slay; get by fighting (with ġe-)
smēaġan v. w2 consider; examine
sōna adv. immediately
sorg n. f. 3 worry; sorrow
sōþ n. n. 2 truth
sōþlīċe adv. truly; indeed; amen
spēd n. f. success
spell n. n. story; news
sprecan, (ġe-) v. s5 speak, talk
stān n. m. 1 stone
standan, (ġe-) v. s6 stand
stefn n. f. 3 voice
stōw n. f. 3 place
strǣl n. m./f. 1/3 arrow
sum adj. some; a certain
sum pron. some
sunne n. f. 4 sun
sunu n. m. 5 son
swā adv. thus, in that way; so, very
swā conj. as; while, when; so, with the result that; on condition that
swā hwæt (etc.) swā adv. whatever, (whoever, whenever, etc.)
swā swā conj. as, just as
swā þēah adv. nevertheless
swā... swā... adv. the ...-er, the ...-er; as... as...
sweart adj. black
swefn n. n. 2 dream
swelċ adj. such a, that kind of
swelċe adv. likewise; approximately
swelċe conj. as if
sweltan v. s3 die
sweord n. n. 2 sword
sweostor n. f. irreg. sister
sweotol adj. clear, distinct
swincan v. s3 toil, struggle
swīþe adv. very
symbel n. n. 2 feast
synn n. f. 3 sin
tellan, (ġe-) v. w1 count; tell
tēon v. s2 draw, drag, pull; bring, lead
tīd n. f. 3 time
til adj. good
tīr n. m. 1 fame, glory, honour
adv. too
prep. to, for, from, in, as
trēow n. f. 3 loyalty; grace; promise, covenant
trēow n. 2 tree
tūn n. m. 1 enclosure; homestead; town
tungol n. n. 2 star; planet
twēġen adj. two
twēo n. m. 4 doubt; ambiguity
ūhta n. m./f. 4 period just before dawn
uncūþ adj. unknown; unfamiliar, strange
under prep. under
unnan, (ġe-) v. pp grant, bestow; wish
ūp adv. up
ūre adj. our
ūt adv. out
uton misc. let's
wæl n. n. 2 slaughter, carnage
wæstm n. m. 1 fruit; result
wæter n. n. 2 water
pron. we
wealdan, (ġe-) v. s7 control; wield; rule
wealdend n. m. 1 ruler, lord
weall n. m. 1 wall
weallan v. s7 well up, boil over
weard n. m. 1 guard
weaxan, (ġe-) v. s7 grow
weġ n. m. 1 way, road
wel adv. well
wēn n. f. 3 expectation, likelihood
wēnan v. expect, believe
wendan, (ġe-) v. w1 change; turn; go
weorc n. n. 2 work
weorold n. f. 3 world
weorþan, (ġe-) v. s3 be; become; happen
weorþian, (ġe-) v. w2 honour, worship
wer n. m. 1 man, husband
werod n. n. 2 troop, company
wesan v. irreg. be
wīċ n. n. 2 village
wīde adv. widely
wīf n. n. 2 woman; wife
wīġend n. m. 1 warrior
wiht n. f./n. 2/3 thing; creature
willa n. m. 4 will, purpose, desire; pleasure
willan v. irreg. want
wilnian v. w2 desire; seek out
wind n. m. 1 wind
winnan v. s3 struggle, contend
winter n. m. 1 winter
wīs adj. wise
wīsdōm n. m. 1 wisdom
wita n. m. 4 wise person; advisor
witan, (ġe-) v. pp know, be aware of
wīte n. n. 2 punishment; penalty, fine
wiþ prep. with
wlanc adj. proud
wolcen n. n. 2 cloud; (in plural) heavens
word n. n. 2 word
wrāþ adj. angry; hostile
wrecan, (ġe-) v. s5 take revenge, avenge
wreċċa n. m. 4 exile, outcast
wrītan v. s1 write
wudu n. m. 5 wood; forest; tree
wuldor n. n. 2 glory
wund n. f. 3 wound
wundor n. n. 2 wonder, marvel, miracle
wunian, (ġe-) v. w2 live, dwell, stay
wynn n. f. 3 joy
wyrċan, (ġe-) v. w1 make, work, do
wyrd n. f. 3 fate; event
wyrm n. m. 1 worm; snake, dragon
wyrt n. f. 3 plant, herb
yfel adj. bad; evil
ymb prep. around; about
yrre n. n. 2 anger
ȳþ n. f. 3 wave (of water)
þā adv. then
þā conj. when
þā þā conj. when
þǣr adv. there
þǣr conj. where
þæs þe conj. after; because
þæt conj. that; so that
þæt det. nn./an. that; the
þætte conj. that; so that
þanc, (ġe-) n. m./n. 1/2 thought; thanks
þe rel. that, who, which
þēah adv. though, nevertheless
þēah conj. although
þēah þe conj. although, even if
þearf n. f. 3 need
þēaw n. m. 1 habit, custom
þeġn n. m. 1 servant; warrior
þenċan, (ġe-) v. w1 think of, imagine
þenden conj. while
þēod n. f. 3 nation
þēow n. m. 1 slave, servant
þes pron. this
þider adv. thither, to there
þīn adj. your (sg)
þing n. n. 2 thing; reason
þolian, (ġe-) v. w2 suffer, endure
þonne adv. then
þonne conj. when
þrīe adj. three
þrōwian v. w2 suffer, endure
þrymm n. m. 1 glory; force
þū pron. you (sg.)
þurfan v. pp need; be obliged
þurh prep. through; by means of
þus adv. thus
þūsend n. f./n./indecl. 3/2/0 thousand
þȳ adv. therefore
þynċan v. w1 seem (to someone)

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Old English Core Vocabulary

The list below presents some 500 Old English words which could be regarded as literary core vocabulary - perhaps the most important words in Old English, a language spoken and written in England ca. 450-1100. Some of the words listed here are among the most frequent in Old English literature; some are of particular importance on account of their literary or linguistic usage.

This list of Old English Core Vocabulary is intended as a teaching and learning aid. The idea is that students (or other language enthusiasts) learn this list of words by heart. It can be used in undergraduate or postgraduate Old English teaching, either for compulsory or optional assessments, or just for background. Tests can be made easier or harder, depending on whether the examined translation is from Old English to Modern English, or vice versa, or both, and depending on how much time students are allowed to memorise the vocabulary. Here is a sample test paper .

I have also provided soundfiles for a few representative words; click on those to hear how the words should be pronounced. More soundfiles of Old English texts being read aloud, plus the pronunciation rules, can be found on this page .

I am an academic staff member specialising in Old English and working for the University of St Andrews in Scotland. I do answer questions from members of the public. So if you have any questions or comments regarding this vocabulary or the Old English language, feel free to contact me by emailing [email protected] , and I will try to answer your questions as quickly and thoroughly as I can. I do not charge a fee for helping you with language queries. If you found the list below or my advice useful (if you emailed me), you may perhaps like to make a small donation to the University of St Andrews (Student Support Fund) , to help those of our students who are in need.

News: In December 2024, a slightly updated vocabulary list will be posted here. (A few words will be deleted from the list, and a number of technical terms relating to Anglo-Saxon history will be added, to make the list more historian-friendly). We will also be offering a deck of official, digital flashcards for the vocabulary list which users will be able to access for free. There are no plans for moving this page to another address.

Christine Rauer, University of St Andrews

Last updated 24/06/2024

Languages are abbreviated as follows: OE = Old English; MnE = Modern English; MnG = Modern German; MnDu = Modern Dutch; MnDa = Modern Danish; MnScots = Modern Scots; MnSw = Modern Swedish; L = Latin; MedL = Medieval Latin; MedGr = Medieval Greek. The reference ‘poet.’ signals predominant usage of a word in poetry. The cognates (i.e. related words) in a number of other languages are intended to make memorisation of the words easier. A word signalled as ‘hapax legomenon’ is found only once in the entire Old English corpus, and was possibly coined for the passage in question.

Old English Core Vocabulary abutan , adv., about, around [ play soundfile ] ac , conj., but, however acennan , verb, bring forth, give birth to acwellan , verb, to kill adl , noun, f., sickness, disease agen , adj., own aglæca , noun, m., monster, combatant, the terrible one (poet.) [ play soundfile ] ahwær , adv., anywhere alimpan , verb, befall, come to pass alyfan , verb, to permit, allow amyrran , verb, to wound (cp. MnE to mar) an , numeral, a, an, one and , conj., and anda , noun, m., malice, hostility andgit , noun, n., meaning, sense andsaca , noun, m., enemy, adversary (cp. MnG Widersacher) andswarian , verb, to answer andweard , adj., present andwlita , noun, m., face (cp. MnG Antlitz) andwyrdan , verb, to answer (cp. MnG antworten) anfeald , adj., simple, onefold (cp. MnG einfältig) anfloga , noun, m., solitary flier (hapax legomenon, The Seafarer ) angel , noun, m., hook (cp. MnE angle) anginn , noun, n., beginning anhaga , noun, m., solitary one, one who dwells alone (poet.) anlicnes , noun, f., image anræd , adj., resolute [ play soundfile ] anwealda , noun, m., ruler, Lord (poet.) ar , noun, n., copper (cp. MnE ore) ar , noun, f, honour, mercy, favour, prosperity ar , noun, f., oar ariht , adv., properly arisan , verb, to arise arleas , adj., dishonourable arlice , adv,. honourably, kindly arod , adj., bold arweorþe , adj., honourable asecgan , verb, to say, tell astyrian , verb, to remove, to move (cp. MnE to stir) atelic , adj., horrible, dreadful ateon , verb, to draw, unsheathe atol , adj., terrible, hateful (poet.) attor , noun, n., venom (cp. MnG Eiter) aþ , noun, m., oath awiht , noun, n., anything (cp. MnE aught) [ play soundfile ] axian , verb, to ask æ , noun, f., law (cp. MnG Ehe) æcer , noun, m., cultivated field (cp. MnE acre) æfæst , adj., pious æfen , noun, m., evening (cp. MnE even, eve) æfre , adv., forever, always, ever æfter , prep., after æfterfylgan , verb, to follow, to come after æghwa , pron., everyone, everything [ play soundfile ] æghwær , adv., everywhere ægþer , pron., each, both, either æht , noun, f., possessions, property æl , noun, m., eel ælc , pron., adj., each, every ælfscyne , adj., beautiful as a fairy (3 occurrences, poet.) ælmihtig , adj., almighty æmettig , adj., empty ænig , adj., any ær , adv., before, previously (cp. MnE ere) ærende , noun, n., message (cp. MnE errand) ærest , adj., first ærgewinn , noun, n., ancient hostility (hapax legomenon, The Dream of the Rood ) ærgod , adj., good from old times (5 occurrences, only in Beowulf ) ærnan , verb, to run æsc , noun, m., ash tree, spear [ play soundfile ] æscplega , noun, m., spear-fight, battle (hapax legomenon, Judith ) æscrof , adj., brave in battle æstel , noun, m., ?pointer used to keep one’s place as one reads (4 occurrences) æt , prep., at ætgædere , adv., together [ play soundfile ] ætsomne , adv., together ætywan , verb, to appear, to show æþele , adj., noble æþeling , noun, m., prince, atheling æþelo , noun, n. pl., origin, descent, noble lineage baldlice , adv., boldly bana , noun, m., slayer (cp. MnE bane, poet.) banhus , noun, n., body (‘bone-house’, 6 occurrences, poet.) banloca , noun, m., ‘bone-enclosure’, ?muscles, ?body (5 occurrences, poet.) bar , noun, m., boar bat , noun, m., boat baþian , verb, to bathe bæc , noun, n., back bæcere , noun, m., baker bæl , noun, n., fire, funeral pyre (poet.) bærnan , verb, to burn bæþ , noun, n., bath be , prep., about, concerning beacen , noun, n., beacon, sign beadu , noun, m., battle (15 occurrences, poet.) beadurinc , noun, m., warrior (3 occurrences, poet.) [ play soundfile ] beadurof , adj., bold in battle (8 occurrences, poet.) beag , noun, m., circular ornament (around neck, wrist, finger etc.), ring (cp. MnE bagel) beaggyfa , noun, m., ring-giver, lord (7 occurrences, poet.) beaggyfu , noun, f., ring-giving, generosity (hapax legomenon, poet.) beaghord , noun, n., ring-hoard, treasure (3 occurrences, all in Beowulf ) bealdor , noun, m., lord (10 occurrences, poet.) bealu , noun, n., misery, harm, injury, enmity bealuhygdig , adj., intending evil, hostile (hapax legomenon, Beowulf ) bealusiþ , noun, m., painful journey, bitter experience (2 occurrences, poet.) beam , noun, m., tree, cross bearm , noun, m., bosom, lap bearn , noun, n., child, son (cp. MnE dialect bairn) bearu , noun, m., grove bebeodan , verb, to command gebed , noun, n., prayer bedælan , verb, to deprive begen , adj. and pron., both begeondan , prep., beyond begietan , verb, to get, to acquire beginnan , verb, to begin begnornian , verb, to lament beheafdian , verb, to behead, decapitate behreowsian , verb, to repent benc , noun, f., bench benn , noun, f., wound (9 occurrences, poet.) beon , verb, to be [ play soundfile ] beor , noun, n., beer beorg , noun, m., hill, mound, mountain (cp. MnG Berg) beorgan , verb, to save, protect beorht , adj., bright beorn , noun, m., man, warrior (poet.) gebeorscipe , noun, m., beer party beot , noun, n., vow, boast beran , verb, to carry, bear berstan , verb, to burst beswican , verb, to deceive, ensnare bet , adv., better gebetan , verb, to improve, remedy betweonan , prep., between (cp. MnE between) betweox , prep., between bidan , verb, to await, experience biddan , verb, to ask, bid gebiddan , verb, to pray bifian , verb, to shake (cp. MnG beben) bigong , noun, m., worship bill , noun, n., sword (poet., cp. MnG Beil) bisgu , noun, f., occupation (cp. MnE busy) bitan , verb, to bite blac , adj., pale (cp. MnE bleak) blawan , verb, to blow blæc , adj., black blæd , noun, m., glory bletsian , verb, to bless [ play soundfile ] blod , noun, n., blood boc , noun, f., book bodian , verb, to preach (cp. MnE to bode) bolster , noun, n., pillow (cp. MnE bolster) bricg , noun, f., bridge brim , noun, n., sea (poet.) broga , noun, m., terror, danger broþor , noun, m., brother brucan , verb, to use, enjoy, benefit from (cp. L fruor, MnG gebrauchen) brun , adj., brown, black, purple, red (cp. MnE brown) brytta , noun, m., distributor, one who hands out (poet.) [ play soundfile ] burh , noun, f., stronghold, enclosure (cp. MnE borough, MnG Burg) butan , prep., without, except, but byrgan , verb, to bury bysig , adj., busy bysmor , noun, m., disgrace, mockery casere , noun, m., emperor (cp. MnE Caesar, MnG Kaiser) ceald , adj., cold geceapian , verb, to buy (cp. MnE cheap) ceaster , noun, f., town (cp. L castrum, MnE -chester, eg. Manchester, Winchester) cempa , noun, m., warrior cicen , noun, n., chicken cirice , noun, f., church (cp. MedGr kuriakon) clipian , verb, to call clyppan , verb, to embrace (cp. MnE paperclip) gecnawan , verb, to recognise, perceive, understand cniht , noun, m., boy, youth cringan , verb, to fall, perish (poet., cp. MnE cringe) cuman , verb, to come cunnan , verb, to know cunnian , verb, to find out cwellan , verb, to kill cwen , noun, f., woman, queen (cp. MnE gynaecology) cwic , adj., alive (cp. MnE quick) cyning , noun, m., king [ play soundfile ] cyse , noun, m., cheese (cp. L caseum) cyþan , verb, to make known, inform, reveal dæd , noun, f., deed dæg , m., day dæl , noun, m., part, portion (cp. MnE deal) dema , noun, m., judge (cp. MnE to deem) deofol , noun, m. or n., devil deop , adj., deep deor , noun, n., wild animal (cp. MnE deer, MnG Tier) deorc , adj., dark digol , adj., secret dom , noun, m., judgement (cp. MnE doom) don , verb, to do dream , noun, m., joy, delight dreogan , verb, to suffer (cp. MnScots adj. driech) dreor , noun, m. or n., dripping blood (11 occurrences, poet., cp. MnE dreary) drihten , noun, m., lord [ play soundfile ] dugan , verb, to be of use (MnG taugen, tüchtig) duguþ , noun, f., troop of seasoned retainers, mature men (MnG taugen, tüchtig, Tugend) durran , verb, to dare duru , noun, f., door gedwyld , noun, n., heresy, error dyre , adj., dear (cp. MnG teuer) dyrne , adj., secret dysig , adj., foolish (cp. MnE dizzy) ea , noun, f., river (cp. L aqua) eac , adv., also eadig , adj., blessed, happy (Ead-, cp. Christian names Edward, Edwin) eald , adj., old ealdor , noun, m., leader, prince (cp. MnE alderman) ealdor , noun, n., life, age eallwealda , noun, m., all-ruler, the Lord (poet.) earfoþ , noun, n., work, hardship (MnE robot, MnG Arbeit) earm , adj., poor (MnG arm) ece , adj., eternal ecg , noun, f., edge, sword [ play soundfile ] eft , adv., again ege , noun, m., fear ellen , noun, n., courage, strength engel , noun, m., angel ent , noun, m., giant (cp. Tolkien’s Ents) eorl , noun, m., nobleman faran , verb, to go, travel (cp. MnE farewell) fæder , noun, m., father fæger , adj., beautiful, pleasant (cp. MnE fair) fæmne , noun, f., virgin, woman feax , noun, n., hair (cp. Tolkien’s Shadowfax) fela , pron., many feond , noun, m., enemy feor , adj., far feorh , noun, n., life ferhþ , noun, m., spirit, mind (poet.) fleogan , verb, to fly folde , noun, f., earth, ground folme , noun, f., hand (MnE palm) fon , verb, to catch, seize forhtian , verb, to fear forlætan , verb, to abandon, let go, neglect forma , adj., first forst , noun, m., frost frætwe , noun, f. pl., ornaments (poet.) frea , noun, m., lord (poet., cp. MnG Frau) fremde , adj., strange (cp. MnG fremd) fremman , verb, to do, perpetrate (cp. MnG fromm) friþ , noun, m., peace (cp. MnG Frieden) frod , adj., old, wise (poet., cp. Tolkien’s Frodo) frofor , noun, f., consolation fruma , noun, m., beginning fugol , noun, m., bird (cp. MnE fowl) fultum , noun, m., help, support [ play soundfile ] fus , adj., eager fyr , noun, n., fire fyren , noun, f., crime, wickedness galan , verb, to sing (cp. MnE nightingale, to yell) gamol , adj., old, ancient (poet.) (cp. MnDa gammel, MnG vergammeln) gan , verb, to go gar , noun, m., spear (poet., cp. Hrothgar in Beowulf ) gast , noun, m., spirit, soul, angel, ghost gear , noun, n., year geard , noun, m., yard, enclosure (cp. Tolkien’s Isengard) geomor , adj., sad (poet., cp. MnG Jammer) geond , prep., through, throughout geong , adj., young georn , adj., eager (cp. MnE to yearn, MnG gerne) giedd , noun, n., word, speech, riddle (poet., cp. MnE to gather) giefu , noun, f., gift [ play soundfile ] giet , adv., yet, still gif , conj., if giogu þ , noun, f., youth, young people gnornian , verb, to mourn god , adj., good god , noun, m., God grædig , adj., greedy gri þ , noun, n., truce guma , noun, m., man (poet., cp. MnE ?bridegroom, MnG Bräutigam) [ play soundfile ] gu þ , noun, f., battle, war (poet.) [ play soundfile ] gylp , noun, m., boast, pride (cp. MnE to yelp) gyse , adv., yes habban , verb, to have hal , adj., safe, unhurt (cp. MnE whole) halig , adj., holy ham , noun, m., home hat , adj., hot hatan , verb, to command, order, call, name (cp. MnG heissen) hælan , verb, to heal Hælend , noun, m., Saviour (cp. MnG Heiland) [ play soundfile ] hæleþ , noun, m., hero (poet., cp. MnG Held) hæþen , adj., heathen heafod , noun, n., head heah , adj., high hearh , noun, m., heathen shrine (cp. place-name Harrow) heaþorinc , m., warrior (poet.) helm , noun, m., protection, cover, helmet heofon , noun, m., heaven heorot , noun, m., deer, stag (cp. MnE hart, Heorot in Beowulf ) here , noun, m., army (cp. MnG Heer) hergian , verb, to ravage (cp. MnE to harry) hild , noun, f., battle (cp. Christian name Hilda) hlaf , noun, m., bread (cp. MnE loaf) hlaford , noun, m., lord (cp. OE hlaf, bread, hlaford=hlafweard, the one in charge of the bread) [ play soundfile ] hlæw , noun, m., mound, barrow (cp. place-names Lewes, Wilmslow, Ludlow) hleo , noun, n., protection, shelter holt , noun, n., wood, forest (cp. MnG Holz) hord , noun, n., hoard hu , adv., how hund , noun, m., dog (cp. MnE hound) hus , noun, n., house hwa , pron., who hwæt , pron., what hwær , adv., where hwæþer , conj., whether hwelc , pron. and adj., which hwil , noun, f., while hycgan , verb, to think, plan hyge , noun, m., mind, heart, courage (poet., cp. MnDu geheugen, Hygelac in Beowulf ) hyht , noun, m., joy, bliss, hope hyrde , noun, m., guardian, keeper (cp. MnE shepherd) hyse , noun, m., warrior (poet.) ic , pron., I [ play soundfile ] ides , noun, f., lady (poet.) ilca , adj. and pron., same (cp. MnE ilk) isen , noun, n., iron (cp. MnG Eisen, Tolkien’s Isengard) lac , noun, n., play, sacrifice, offering (cp. MnE to lark) laf , noun, f., remnant, what is left (cp. MnE to leave) lagu , noun, f., law lar , noun, f., teaching (cp. MnE lore) laþ , adj., hateful, hostile (cp. MnE loathsome, Tolkien's Lathspell) læne , adj., temporary, transitory, granted, lent leas , adj., devoid of (cp. MnE -less) leax , noun, m., salmon (cp. MnSw gravad lax) leode , noun, pl., people (cp. MnG Leute) leof , adj., beloved, dear (cp. MnE love, MnG lieb) leoht , noun, n., light leoþ , noun, n., song, poem, poetry (cp. MnG Lied) lic , noun, n., body (cp. MnG Leiche) lichama , noun, m., body (cp. MnG Leichnam) lif , noun, n., life lind , noun, f., shield (of lindenwood) lof , noun, n., praise (cp. MnG Lob) lofgeorn , adj., eager for praise (cp. Beowulf 3182) lufu , noun, f., love lyft , noun, f., air, sky, breeze (cp. MnG Luftwaffe) magan , verb, to be able, can, be competent (cp. MnE may) man , n., crime manig , adj., many mann , n., person, human being maþelian , verb, to speak (poet.) maþm , m., treasure mæg , noun, m., kinsman mægen , n., strength, power, army (cp. MnE main) mægþ , noun, f., maiden mære , adj., famous, glorious, notorious (cp. MnG Märchen) [ play soundfile ] mearc , noun, f., boundary, region, border (cp. MnE Denmark) mearh , m., horse (cp. MnE mare) mece , noun, m., sword (poet.) meodo , noun, m., mead (cp. Tolkien’s Meduseld) meotod , noun, m., creator (poet., literally ‘the measurer’, cp. MnE meted out) mere , noun, m., pool, lake micel , adj., great, large, much mid , prep., with, amid, among middangeard , noun, m., world, middle earth (cp. Tolkien’s middle earth) miht , noun, f., might mod , noun, n., spirit, courage, mind (cp. MnE mood) modig , adj., brave, bold, arrogant (cp. MnE moody) modor , noun, f., mother mona , noun, m., moon morþor , noun, n., crime, violence, torment (cp. MnE murder, Tolkien’s Mordor) motan , verb, to may, be allowed to (cp. MnE must) mund , noun, f., hand, protection (cp. MnG Vormund) gemynd , noun, n., mind, remembrance mynster , noun, n., monastery, church (cp. MnE minster)] nædre , noun, f., snake, serpent næss , noun, m., headland, bluff (cp. Fife Ness) neah , adj., near neorxnawang , noun, m., Paradise (OE wang, noun, m., field) [ play soundfile ] niman , verb, to take (cp. MnE numb, MnG nehmen) niþ , noun, m., hatred, malice, trouble (cp. MnG Neid) genog , adj., enough nu , adv., now nytt , noun, f., use, utility (cp. MnG Nutzen, MnDu nuttig) ofer , prep., over ofermod , noun, n., pride, arrogance, overconfidence (cp. The Battle of Maldon 89) offrian , verb, to offer oft , adv., often onfon , verb, to receive, accept, take up (cp. MnG empfangen) ongean , adv., back, again ongietan , verb, to understand, perceive onginnan , verb, to begin ord , noun, m., point, spear, vanguard oþer , adj., other oþ þæt , conj., until oþþe , conj., or pæþ , noun, m., path penig , noun, m., penny preost , noun, m., priest (cp. MedL presbyter) rand , noun, m., shield, shield-boss (poet.) ræd , noun, m., advice (cp. MnG Rat) rædan , verb, to read, instruct, give counsel, rule gereord , noun, n., speech, voice rice , noun, n., kingdom (cp. MnE bishopric, MnG Reich) [ play soundfile ] rice , adj., powerful, great (cp. MnE rich) rinc , noun, m., man, warrior (poet.) rod , noun, f., rood, cross rodor , noun, m., sky, heaven run , noun, f., secret meditation (cp. MnG raunen) sacu , noun, f., battle samod , adv., together, too, at the same time sar , adj., sore sarig , adj., sorrowful (cp. MnE sorry) sawol , noun, f., soul sæ , noun, f. and m., sea sceadu , noun, f., shadow scealc , noun, m., man, warrior (cp. MnE marshal=officer of state) sceat , noun, m., surface, region (cp. MnE sheet) sceatt , noun, m., money, payment (cp. MnE scotfree) sceþþan , verb, to injure (cp. MnE scathing) sceawian , verb, to see, look at (cp. MnE to show, MnG schauen) scieppan , verb, to create (cp. MnG schöpfen) [ play soundfile ] sculan , verb, to must, have to (cp. MnE shall, should) se , seo, þæt, pron., the secan , verb, to seek secg , noun, m., man, warrior (poet.) secgan , verb, to say [ play soundfile ] sefa , noun, m., heart (poet.) sele , noun, m., hall, house (poet.) sellan , verb, to give, sell sendan , verb, to send, throw, hurl, cause to go seon , verb, to see gesib , adj., related (cp. MnE sibling) sibb , noun, f., peace (cp. MnE gossip) sige , noun, m., victory (cp. Christian name Siegfried, MnG Sieg) simle , adv., always sinc , noun, n., treasure singal , adj., perpetual siþ , noun, m., journey, fate, lot, venture [ play soundfile ] siþþan , adv., since, afterwards, later slean , verb, to strike, beat (cp. MnE slay) smeagan , verb, to think, examine snottor , adj., wise (poet.) sona , adv., immediately, soon sorg , noun, f., sorrow, grief, trouble soþ , adj., true (cp. MnE sooth) sped , noun, f., success, quickness (cp. MnE good speed, Godspeed, MnG sputen) spell , noun, n., story, message (cp. MnE gospel, OE god + spel=good message, Tolkien's Lathspell) sprecan , verb, to speak (cp. MnG sprechen) stan , noun, m., stone stefn , noun, f., voice (cp. MnG Stimme) stow , noun, f., place (cp. place-names Felixstowe, Walthamstow) stræl , noun, m. or f., arrow (cp. MnG Strahl) sum , adj. and pron., a, a certain, some gesund , adj., unharmed, whole, uncorrupted (cp. MnE sound) sunne , noun, f., sun sunu , noun, m., son swa , adv., so, thus sweart , adj., dark, black (cp. MnE swarthy) swefn , noun, n., dream swelc , adj., such sweord , noun, n., sword sweostor , noun, f., sister sweotol , adj., clear, manifest swincan , verb, labour, toil, struggle [ play soundfile ] swiþe , adv., very, greatly symbel , noun, n., feast syn , noun, f., crime, sin teon , verb, to draw, drag (cp. MnG ziehen) tid , noun, f., time (cp. MnE tide) til , adj., good tir , noun, m., glory (cp. MnG Zier) torht , adj., bright treow , noun, n., tree treow , noun, f., faith, trust, loyalty (cp. MnE truth) tun , noun, m., town, village tungol , noun, n., star twegen , num., two (cp. MnE twain, Mark Twain) tweo , noun, m., doubt, uncertainty þa , adv. and conj., then, when þær , adv. and conj., there, where þeah , adv., though þeaw , noun, m., custom, practice þegn , noun, m., thane, nobleman, retainer, warrior þeod , noun, f., people, nation (cp. MnG Deutsch, Dietrich) [ play soundfile ] geþeode , noun, n., language þeoden , noun, m., prince, lord (cp. Tolkien’s king of Rohan) þeow , noun, m., slave, servant (cp. Wealhtheow in Beowulf) þolian , verb, to suffer þonne , adv., then þrowian , verb, to suffer þrym , noun, m., glory þurfan , verb, to need þurh , prep., through uhta , noun, m. or f., period just before dawn (cp. MnDu ochtend) uncuþ , adj., unknown, strange (cp. MnE uncouth) ut , adv., out wæl , noun, n., slaughter, carnage (cp. MnE Valkyrie) wæstm , noun, m., fruit wealdan , verb, wield, control (cp. MnE to wield, MnG Walter, Gewalt) wealdend , noun, m., ruler, Lord weard , noun, m., guardian (cp. MnE ward) weaxan , verb, to grow (cp. MnE to wax) wen , noun, f., expectation, hope (cp. MnG Wahnsinn) wendan , verb, to go, turn, translate, change (cp. MnE to wend one’s way, Butts Wynd) weorþan , verb, to become, happen (cp. MnG werden) wer , noun, m., man (cp. MnE werewolf, L vir) werod , noun, n., troop, company wic , noun, n., abode (cp. place-names Ipswich, Norwich, Greenwich) wif , noun, n., woman, wife wig , noun, n., war, battle wiga , noun, m., warrior (poet.) wiht , noun, f. and n., creature, being (cp. MnG Wicht) willan , verb, to want wine , noun, m., friend, lord (poet., cp. names Edwin, Godwin) gewinn , noun, n., war, battle, strife winnan , verb, to struggle, fight gewinnan , verb, to conquer, win wita , noun, m., wise man, counsellor (cp. OE witenagemot, Anglo-Saxon national assembly) [ play soundfile ] witan , verb, to know wite , noun, n., punishment wiþ , prep., against, from, with wlanc , adj., proud wolcen , noun, n. or m., cloud, sky (cp. MnG Wolke) woruld , noun, f., world wraþ , adj., hostile (cp. MnE wroth) wræcca , noun, m., wanderer, exile [ play soundfile ] wrecan , verb, to avenge writan , verb, to write (cp. MnG ritzen) wudu , noun, m., wood, forest, tree wuldor , noun, n., glory wundor , noun, n., wonder, miracle wunian , verb, to dwell (cp. MnG wohnen) wynn , noun, f., joy (cp. MnE winsome) [ play soundfile ] wyrcan , verb, to make, form, produce wyrd , noun, f., fate, event (cp. MnE weird) wyrm , noun, m., worm, serpent wyrt , noun, f., herb, plant, vegetable (cp. MnE wort) yfel , adj., evil (cp. MnG übel) ymb , prep., about, concerning yrmþu , noun, f., hardship yrre , noun, n., anger yþ , noun, f., wave [ play soundfile ]

Etymology

experience (n.)

late 14c., "observation as the source of knowledge; actual observation; an event which has affected one," from Old French esperience "experiment, proof, experience" (13c.), from Latin experientia "a trial, proof, experiment; knowledge gained by repeated trials," from experientem (nominative experiens ) "experienced, enterprising, active, industrious," present participle of experiri "to try, test," from ex "out of" (see ex- ) + peritus "experienced, tested," from PIE *per-yo- , suffixed form of root *per- (3) "to try, risk." Meaning "state of having done something and gotten handy at it" is from late 15c.

Origin and meaning of experience

experience (v.)

1530s, "to test, try, learn by practical trial or proof;" see experience (n.). Sense of "feel, undergo" first recorded 1580s. Related: Experienced ; experiences ; experiencing .

Entries linking to experience

"having experience, taught by practice, skillful through doing," 1570s, past-participle adjective from experience (v.).

"relating to or having experience, derived from experience, empirical," 1640s (implied in experientially ), from Latin experientia "knowledge gained by testing or trials" (see experience (n.)) + -al (1).

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Trends of experience

More to explore, share experience.

updated on October 13, 2021

Trending words

  • 2 . discombobulate
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  • 10 . manifest

Dictionary entries near experience

expenditure

experienced

experiential

experimental

experimentation

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a carefully planned test used to discover something unknown. : a carefully planned test used to discover something unknown.', '', '');"> : a carefully planned test used to discover something unknown.', '', '');"> , , ,
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experiments, experimenting, experimented
to perform an experiment; to explore by trying different things. , , ,
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Words or Phrases First Introduced Into the English Language in Early English Bible Translations [1]

The first recorded use of many of the words used in ordinary English today can be found in the early translations of the Bible into English. When John Wycliffe translated the Bible into English from Jerome’s Latin Vulgate in the fourteenth century, he enlarged the English language by adapting many Latin words into his English Bible. The words treasure and mystery , glory and horror , female and sex all owe their English usage to Wycliffe’s Bible. Tyndale, translating from the Hebrew and Greek in the 16th century, did not borrow as much from the Latin as did Wycliffe. He did coin words from the Dutch and Germanic sources (after all, he did his translation work while in those two countries) as well as French. Beautiful and ungodly were such words. Many of Tyndale’s coined words were compound words, such as fisherman , castaway , and busybody . Both of Wycliffe’s and Tyndale’s translations included phrases which readily entered the language with their Bible translations – phrases like a city on a hill , my brother’s keeper , ye of little faith , salt of the earth , and thirty pieces of silver . Below is a chart of words and phrases coined by the early English translators of the Bible.

Wycliffe’s translation from the Vulgate (1382/88)

Word Bible Passage Derivation
female Genesis 1:27 Jerome’s Vulgate used Latin . Wycliffe’s female was based on the related Latin word, . The English word had first appeared 7 years earlier.
sex Genesis 6:19 Jerome’s Latin uses here. Later translations replace “sex” with “kind”.
Sodom and Gomorrah Genesis 13:10
childbearing Genesis 25:24 Compounded of the Old English noun (“child”) and the verb (“to carry or bear”). KJV later uses the word in I Timothy 2:15.
wrinkle Genesis 38:14 Wycliffe describes Tamar as wearing “a rocket cloth with many wrynclis”. It probably comes from , past participle of the verb , meaning “to wind about.” This verb is also source of our verb “to wring”. Tyndale later used the word in Ephesians 5:27, “without spot or wrinkle.”
affliction Exodus 3:7 Derived from the Latin prefix (“to”) and the root (“to strike or beat against”)
graven image Exodus 20:4 Wycliffe’s spelling:
needlework Exodus 26:1 Coined by Wycliffe. KJV later uses “cunning work.” Other translations used the French derivative
consume Leviticus 16:23 The Latin root derives from “to buy”, which is also the root of
first fruits Numbers 18:12 Coined by Wycliffe. The Latin Vulgate equivalent, was used in Exodus 23:16.
cast Numbers 35:17
grasp Deuteronomy 28:29 Related to the Old Norse (from which come “grab”, “grip”, “gripe”.)
horror Deuteronomy 32:10;
Ezekiel 32:10
From Latin Vulgate’s . The Latin verb means “to bristle or shudder” and was associated with a forbidding terrain.
shibboleth Judges 12:6
problem Judges 14:15 From Jerome’s . This had been translated into the Latin from Greek, the prefix (“forward”) and the root verb (“to throw”).
affinity Ruth 3:13 From the Latin , a combination of (“to”) and (“border” or “limit”).
mutter II Samuel 12:19 From the Middle English . Later English translations use “whispering”.
seer I Samuel 9:9 Old English (“to see”). Luther used the related Germanic .
zealous I Kings 19:3 From Latin noun and Greek , meaning “ardent feeling.”
botch II Chronicles 34:1;
Isaiah 30:6;
Deuteronomy 28:27.
To repair or patch. From Old French (“lump”, “boil”, “swelling.”)
scrape Job 2:8 From Old English , sharing the Indo-European root , from which come sharo, shear, and scorpion.
wordy Job 16:21
contradiction Psalms 54:10 From Old French; a combination of Latin      (“against”) and (“to speak”)
glory Proverbs 17:6;
Luke 2:14;
Romans 1:23;
I Corinthians 10:31.
From Latin Vulgate ( ) and the French ( ).
bundle Song of Solomon 1:12 Probably from the Middle Dutch meaning “to bind.”
treasure Isaiah 39:6 From Latin in Jerome’s Vulgate.
childbearing Isaiah 49:21 From Old English (“child”) and (“to carry or to bear”).
feel Isaiah 59:10 From Old English , meaning “to grope”.
doubtful Ezekiel 12:24 Adjective from Old French verb
irrevocable Ezekiel 21:5 From Jerome’s Latin
ministry Ezekiel 44:13;
Colossians 4:17.
From Vulgate use of word for “office,”
liquid Ezekiel 44:30 From Latin
transfer Ezekiel 48:14 From Jerome’s Vulgate,
mystery Daniel 2:27;
Romans 16:25.
From Jerome’s Vulgate
Interpretation, interpret Daniel 5:14;
Daniel 5:16
From the Latin Vulgate.
reap the whirlwind Hosea 8:7
puberty Malachi 2:14 From Latin Vulgate,
salt of the earth Matthew 5:13
city set on a hill Matthew 5:14
ye of little faith Matthew 8:26
doctrine Matthew 15:9 From Jerome’s Vulgate.
keys of the kingdom Matthew 16:19
born again John 3:3
argument Acts 1:13
ecstasy Acts 3:10 From Jerome’s Vulgate.
exorcist Acts 19:13 From the Greek
civility Acts 22:28 Based on the Latin Vulgate, .
crime Acts 23:29; 25:16 From Jerome’s Vulgate, .
adoption Romans 8:23 From Jerome’s Vulgate,
conscience I Corinthians 8:7;
II Cor. 5:11;
I Peter 2:19
From Jerome’s Latin Vulgate.
all things to all men I Corinthians 9:22
excellent I Corinthians 12:31 From Latin Vulgate’s
ambitious I Corinthians   13:5 From Latin Vulgate’s
liberty II Corinthians 3:17 From Latin Vulgate’s
legacy II Corinthians 5:20 From Latin Vulgate.
communication II Corinthians 9:13 From Latin Vulgate, .
allegory Galatians 4:24 From Latin Vulgate’s Jerome’s transliteration of the original Greek
persuasion Galatians 5:8 From Latin.
offense; offend Philippians 1:10;
James 3:2
From the Latin Vulgate.
quiet I Thessalonians From Latin.
root of all evil I Timothy 6:10
uncertainty I Timothy 6:17 From Jerome’s Latin Vulgate.
novelty I Timothy 6:20 From Jerome’s Latin Vulgate.
quick and the dead I Peter 4:5
plague Revelation 9:18

Tyndale’s translation from the Hebrew and Greek (1525-26 & 1530/34)

Word Bible Passage Derivation
brother’s keeper Genesis 4:9
land of Nod Genesis 4:16
pillar of salt Genesis 19:26
full of days Genesis 35:29
coat of many colors Genesis 37:3
nurse Exodus 2:9
stranger in a strange land Exodus 2:22
Jehovah Exodus 6:3 Hebrew sacred and unpronounceable divine name, YHWH, combined with the vowels for the word “Adonai,” a less sacred name for God.
Passover Exodus 12:11 His own translation of the Hebrew
sin of the fathers Exodus 20:5
eye for eye Exodus 21:24
scapegoat Leviticus 16:8 A combination of and .
eat, drink, and be merry Ecclesiastes 8:15
viper Matthew 3:7
Acts 28:3
From Jerome’s Latin Vulgate.
no man can serve two masters Matthew 6:24
judge not Matthew 7:1
blind lead the blind Matthew 15:14
seventy times seven Matthew 18:22
beautiful Matthew 23:27 From the Latin , “pretty” or “lovely” and the Old French ,
housetop Matthew 24:17 Literal translation of the Greek .
thirty pieces of silver Matthew 26:14
brokenhearted Luke 4:18 Combination of Anglo-Saxon (“to break”) and
fisherman Luke 5:2 Wycliffe translated the Latin , “fishers”; Tyndale developed the compound “fishermen.”
cast the first stone John 8:7
stiff-necked Acts 7:51
sorcerer Acts 13:6 From the Latin root as connected with fate and chance.
uproar Acts 21:38 English variant of Dutch and German .
undergird Acts 27:17
ungodly Romans 5:6 From Middle Dutch
castaway I Corinthians 9:27;
II Corinthians 13:5
suffer fools gladly II Corinthians 11:19
infidel I Timothy 5:8 From Latin
two-edged sword Hebrews 4:12
seashore Hebrews 11:12
busybody I Peter 4:15 Compound of Old English and
alpha and omega Revelation 1:19 First and last letters of Greek alphabet.
rose-colored Revelation 17:3

Coverdale’s translation (1535)

Word Bible Passage Derivation
Zealous I Kings 19:10 From Latin and Greek .
bloodthirsty Psalms 25:9
daytime Psalms 22:2
Blab Proverbs 15:2 Old Norse and Old Dutch
slaughter Isaiah 22:13 From Old Norse and Old English related to .
sprinkler Jeremiah 52:18 Old English/Germanic
consumer Malachi 3:2 From Latin.
blood money Matthew 27:6
voiceless Acts 8:32

Geneva Bible (1560)

Word Bible Passage Derivation
burnt offering Genesis 8:20; 22:2.
network Exodus 27:4
my cup runneth over Psalms 23:5
stargazer Isaiah 47:13
holier than thou Isaiah 65:5
Ancient of Days Daniel 7:9
house divided Matthew 12:25
Get thee behind me, Satan Matthew 16:23
through a glass darkly I Corinthians 13:12

King James’ Bible (1611)

Word Bible Passage Derivation
Not live by bread alone Matthew 4:4

[1] Based upon Stanley Malless and Jeffrey McQuain’s Coined by God . London and New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 2003.

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Definition of experiment noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

  • to do/perform/conduct an experiment
  • laboratory experiments
  • The results of the experiment were inconclusive.
  • in an experiment The 30 subjects in each experiment were divided into two groups.
  • during an experiment The temperature was kept constant during the experiment.
  • experiment on somebody/something Many people do not like the idea of experiments on animals.
  • experiment with somebody/something The experiment with cells from other species was unsuccessful.
  • by experiment Facts can be established by observation and experiment.
  • formulate/​advance a theory/​hypothesis
  • build/​construct/​create/​develop a simple/​theoretical/​mathematical model
  • develop/​establish/​provide/​use a theoretical/​conceptual framework
  • advance/​argue/​develop the thesis that…
  • explore an idea/​a concept/​a hypothesis
  • make a prediction/​an inference
  • base a prediction/​your calculations on something
  • investigate/​evaluate/​accept/​challenge/​reject a theory/​hypothesis/​model
  • design an experiment/​a questionnaire/​a study/​a test
  • do research/​an experiment/​an analysis
  • make observations/​measurements/​calculations
  • carry out/​conduct/​perform an experiment/​a test/​a longitudinal study/​observations/​clinical trials
  • run an experiment/​a simulation/​clinical trials
  • repeat an experiment/​a test/​an analysis
  • replicate a study/​the results/​the findings
  • observe/​study/​examine/​investigate/​assess a pattern/​a process/​a behaviour
  • fund/​support the research/​project/​study
  • seek/​provide/​get/​secure funding for research
  • collect/​gather/​extract data/​information
  • yield data/​evidence/​similar findings/​the same results
  • analyse/​examine the data/​soil samples/​a specimen
  • consider/​compare/​interpret the results/​findings
  • fit the data/​model
  • confirm/​support/​verify a prediction/​a hypothesis/​the results/​the findings
  • prove a conjecture/​hypothesis/​theorem
  • draw/​make/​reach the same conclusions
  • read/​review the records/​literature
  • describe/​report an experiment/​a study
  • present/​publish/​summarize the results/​findings
  • present/​publish/​read/​review/​cite a paper in a scientific journal
  • Further experiments will be carried out to verify this result.
  • The results were obtained from four independent experiments.
  • proved by experiment
  • If the conditions are not right, the experiment will not work.
  • In these experiments, chilling is necessary.
  • Pavlov's famous experiment with the dog and the dinner bell
  • The appropriate concentration of the drug is best determined by experiment.
  • NASA carried out experiments to ascertain the effects of weightlessness.
  • This pattern emerged clearly in the experiment.
  • confirm something
  • demonstrate something
  • find something
  • by experiment
  • during an/​the experiment
  • in an/​the experiment

Take your English to the next level

The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app

old english word for experiment

This is the Difference Between a...

This is the Difference Between a Hypothesis and a Theory

In scientific reasoning, they're two completely different things

Dictionary Entries Near experiment

experiential time

experimental

Cite this Entry

“Experiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/experiment. Accessed 17 Aug. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on experiment

Nglish: Translation of experiment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of experiment for Arabic Speakers

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What’s the geographic distribution of different pronunciations of the word "experiment"?

ᴛʟᴅʀ : Which regions say the word experiment with its stressed syllable sounding like the word spare , and which regions say that word’s stressed syllable like the word spear ?

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a survey question!

When it comes to pronouncing the word experiment , there appear to be two dominant North American pronunciations that are rather distinct from one another.

Many people have the SQUARE vowel, as though the word spare were embedded in it. Discounting the rhotic, this appears to be the FACE vowel. (But sᴇᴇ ʙᴇʟᴏᴡ if you don’t merge merry–marry–Mary .)

Some people have the NEAR vowel, as though the word spear were embedded. Discounting the rhotic, this appears to be the FLEECE vowel.

(I’ve used Wells lexical sets here instead of the International Phonetic Alphabet in the hopes of making this question more accessible to a broader readership.)

Is there any geographic data on the distribution of these various different pronunciations? If not, can we surmise or infer any?

Does it matter whether it’s a noun or a verb?

Burying Barrie’s berries

Listening more closely, those from the first set aren’t all quite the same: a minority have the DRESS vowel there, not the FACE vowel. These speakers do not have the merry–marry–Mary merger, so they say it with the stressed vowel of berry , which for them is different from the one in Barrie or bury .

For me, those are all the same. Because my own accent ignores the tense–lax distinction before a rhotic, I still perceive both of those subtypes as having the same phoneme, and it is only when listening carefully as one does when transcribing an unknown language that I can make out a FACE/DRESS distinction between some sets of speakers.

After listening to a hundred samples , I’m now certain that there are a few speakers with the NURSE vowel there, as though the word spur were embedded. There might be some who shorten up FLEECE to the KIT vowel, but due to tense–lax neutralization , I’m not very accomplished at distinguishing tense vowels like FACE or FLEECE from lax ones like DRESS or KIT before phonemic /r/. Wikipedia notes :

In many North American dialects, there are ten or eleven stressed monophthongs; only five or six vowel contrasts are possible before a following /r/ in the same syllable (peer, pear, purr, par, pore, poor ).

It’s the first two (or three) of those that I’m talking about here.

An earlier version of this question narrowly transcribed the SQUARE version as [ɛksˈpʰeɻəmɛnt] and the NEAR version as [ɨgzˈbiːɻəmɪnt]. That's probably over-exaggerating differences of assimilatory voicing, aspiration, and reduction — aspects that are not the main point of my question. I’m just trying to divvy people up into the SQUARE group versus the NEAR group to see whether there are specific regional patterns in these two variations.

Dictionaries are a poor source for geographical data of finer granularity than grouping an entire country or even continent together, but here’s what they said:

The OED has /ɛkˈspɛrɪmənt/ for both noun and verb.

Cambridge has UK /ɪkˈsper.ɪ.mənt/ US /ɪkˈsper.ə.mənt/

Collins has UK /ɪkˈspɛrɪmənt/ (noun), /ɪkˈspɛrɪˌmɛnt/ (verb) and US /ɛkˈspɛrəmənt/, /ɪkˈspɛrəmənt/; also, & for v. usually, /ɛkˈspɛrəmɛnt/, /ɪkˈspɛrəmɛnt/; often, /ɛkˈspɪrəmɛnt/, /ɪkˈspɪrəmɛnt/.

MacMillan has noun /ɪkˈsperɪmənt/, verb /ɪkˈsperɪˌment/.

What I’m looking for here is more finely-grained geographic grouping than just US-vs-UK the way those dictionaries provide.

Any Geographical Data?

I’ve looked to see whether the usual suspects for such things have any geographical descriptions of these two versions, preferably maps, but came up empty-handed.

I suspect that even in the absence of such maps, the distinct phonological processes at work in the two versions may be sufficiently characteristic of one or another region of North America that a good answer to the question of which regions say which of these could be formulated.

  • pronunciation

Community's user avatar

  • 2 do you have any recording of the voiced version? –  David Haim Commented Jan 10, 2018 at 12:23
  • 1 Exit has a similar pronunciation divide; unlike experiment , I don't beleive the g version is purely American. –  Tim Lymington Commented Jan 10, 2018 at 12:54
  • 1 @tchrist I agree that these speakers say something like (ɪ/ə)kspir(ɪ/ə)m(ɪ/ə)nt except maybe one female speaker who actually says it with ɛ . my non-acedemic-non-native theory is that these people sort of merge the pronunciation of "experiment" and "experience" since they're very close both in pronunciation, writing and in meaning. –  David Haim Commented Jan 10, 2018 at 12:55
  • 1 @PeterShor I did mention that some speakers have /ɛr/ not /er/ there, but that this was hard for me to distinguish because I've merged those. Nonetheless, in a recent sampling I made in pursuits of answers, all the UK speakers had /ɛr/ not /er/, even the Scot who of course had other interesting properties as well. The Scot clearly did not have the merger. –  tchrist ♦ Commented Jan 13, 2018 at 21:09
  • 1 @DavidHaim Very much so. It's a monophthong for many of us before /r/, among other places. Notice the IPA transcriptions from the various dictionaries have no diphthong there. –  tchrist ♦ Commented Jan 14, 2018 at 13:28

3 Answers 3

Here are my thoughts, guesses, and the small amount of evidence that I have gathered.

The pronunciation of experiment with the "merry" vowel (which is the same as the "square" vowel for speakers with the merry-Mary merger, and the same as the "nurse" vowel for speakers with the " ferry–furry merger ") seems likely to be more widespread: as indicated in the original question, it's the main pronunciation given by dictionaries. It's also the pronunciation that would be "expected" based on theoretical considerations: a single vowel letter (other than <u>) in a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed, non-word-final syllable tends to correspond to a "short" vowel in pronunciation (this is sometimes called "Luick's Law"; it's also related to the phenomenon called "trisyllabic laxing", although that name is usually used to refer to some kind of process supposed to specifically affect the pronunciation of certain kinds of derived words, and it seems a bit questionable to me to classify "experiment" as "derived" because even though we can identify an ending -ment and an initial element experi- that occur in other words, both would be bound morphemes; no word like *experi occurs in English as a free base).

I suspect the pronunciation of experiment with the "near" vowel arose either due to influence of the spelling (the pronunciation of "e" in contexts like this tends to be rather unpredictable), the influence of the pronunciation of the related word experience (where the "near" vowel is regular because of the occurence of unstressed "i" before another vowel in the next syllable ), or some combination of both.

The phonetic similarity of the vowels might also have contributed to the development and maintenance of the variation. (There are a number of other words of Greek or Latin origin spelled with "erV" (where "V" is any vowel letter) that show variation between these two vowels, such as feral, sclera , query , inherent, coherent, adherent, hysteria —although in these words the "near" vowel is actually preferred by prescriptivists because the vowel occurs in a stressed penultimate syllable, or before unstressed "i" followed by another vowel—and (atmo)spheric(al), for which most prescriptive sources seem to prefer the short vowel, but the long vowel of "near" seems to be common, probably in large part because of influence from the related noun (atmo)sphere. )

I think spelling pronunciations and analogical changes tend to have less clearly defined regional distributions than regular sound changes/mergers, so I am not sure if it would be possible to determine any geographical trends. Like you, I haven't found any source that addresses this question.

The use of the "near" vowel is denounced by Charles Harrington Elster, author of the prescriptive pronunciation guide The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations. The relevant entry is available as part of the examples on PBS's website at " What Speech Do We Like Best? ":

Experiment ek-SPER-uh-mi̲nt or ek-SPAIR-uh-mi̲nt. The first syllable is often, and acceptably, lightened to ik-. Do not say ek-SPEER-uh-mi̲nt. Properly, there is no spear in experiment.

Examples from the past

The variant with the "near" vowel doesn't seem to be particularly recent. It was warned against in an issue of the San Bernardino Daily Sun from Monday, August 4, 1947:

There is no "spear" in experiment. The "e" in the second syllable should have the short (eh) sound as in error, errand. Be sure to say: ek-SPEHR-i-m'nt. [...] Two other words which [sic] the second syllable "e" is heard erroneously as "ee" are severity, as "suh-VEER-i-tee," and sincerity as "sin-SEER-i-tee." But, like the second syllable "e" of experiment the "e's" should be short (eh) as: suh-VEHR-i-tee, sin-SEHR-i-tee.

("Take my word for it", by Frank Colby)

There seems to be some evidence of this pronunciation from the 19th century in the form of the spelling "expeeriment" that seems to have been used intentionally by some authors in dialogue to indicate the pronunciation with the "near" vowel. The context suggests that the authors viewed it as a pronunciation that might be heard from "substandard" speakers.

Here are some examples I found using Google Books, going from most to least recent:

"Now, let's try an expeeriment !" said he, quite in the tone of a Franklin, or a scientific philosopher of modern days. "There's nawthin' like expeerimental conclusions. Jes' you turn your back toward the door, an' I'll turn the lock. There! Did you hear it, sir? Good! hardly noticed it at all, you say? Ah! I thought so; that'll do finely! Well, we'll try the hinges, now. How does it go, sir? Couldn't hear 'em at all, hey? Ha, ha! My expeeriment 's bean a suck cess. ..."

(p. 511, The Latimers: a tale of the western insurrection of 1794 , by the American author Henry Christopher McCook)

"I guess Thorne's well-meanin' enough," said the other pacifically. "He's a scientific feller, and he's jist wantin' to expeeriment a bit." "Well, he kin expeeriment all he wants to with his iron and stuff, but I'd advise him to let flesh and blood alone."

(p. 298, Alan Thorne , by Martha Livingston Moodey)

Interestingly, some of the even earlier results for "expeeriment" on Google Books suggest that at one point, some authors associated this pronunciation with dialectal Scottish English, although I don't know if this was an accurate perception or if it was solely based on stereotypes or misconceptions about how Scottish speakers pronounced vowels. (And even if this pronunciation was in fact commonly heard from Scottish speakers in the past, I don't know if that's at all related to the use of the pronunciation with the "near" vowel by some present-day American English speakers).

I found a source (" Overt and Covert Scots Features in Ulster Speech ", by G. Brendan Adams) that says that Scots may have the "feel" vowel in some contexts where English has the "pet" vowel, giving the examples "heid" = "head", "sweit" = "sweat", "frein" = "friend", "deid" = "dead" and "weel" = "well". But the words head, sweat, friend, dead all originally had long vowels, and well seems to have maybe had a long vowel in Old English, so the use of [i] in these words in Scots actually seems like a retention of vowels that English shortened rather than the result of any kind of Scottish [ɛ] > [i] change that didn't occur in English. I know very little about this however so this is just my rambling thoughts.

I'm far frae discooragin' ye frae tryin' the expeeriment .' An he baggit the ciller,--ha, ha, ha!"

(p. 31, The Adventures of Mick Callighin, M.P.: A Story of Home Rule; And, The De Burghos , by W. R. Ancketill)

This book is set in Ireland, but the speaker here has a Scottish accent for some reason; on a previous page he says "Cawmill they ca' me in Coonty Doon ; we're a' Scoatch in thae pairts" (p. 26).

But a' the whilk time I ganged o'er the Atlantic, just for the sak of expeeriment , an' travel, and sic like--naething ither, tent ye--for I were weel aff at hame, in Embro', an' might ha'e hangit half the ceety

(p. 4, "The Barber's Letter", Ps and Qs )

One thing I wondered was if we could look at rhymes to see evidence of how people pronounced it, but the short-e pronunciation seems to only have one rhyme, in "merriment" (used by the Victorian poet Robert Browning in the poem " The Glove ": "Amid the Court's scoffing and merriment,— / As if from no pleasing experiment") and the long-e pronunciation only a possible rhyme for American English speakers in the obscure word " diriment " (for speakers with the serious-Sirius merger) or maybe a nonce-word "cheeriment" derived from "cheery".

Examples from the present

A similar question was asked on the GameSpot Forums, in the thread When did it become "Ex-peer-i-ment"? from 2002. But the participants there didn't seem to know of any regional patterns within the US either. The original poster said:

I've been noticing this more and more, lately. I used to think it was a regional thing in the US, although I wasn't really clear what region it was.

In a later post, he says

I've lived in Boulder, Colorado for most of my life but I'm originally from New York. My "accent" would be consistent with the Denver Metropolotan area, which as far as the US goes is one of the more "unaccented" examples of American English (or so I've been told).

herisson's user avatar

  • I hadn't considered words like query or coherent that can have either of SQUARE or NEAR as well, just like experiment . That you've identified a bunch of other words with the same variation (but not veeriation) may well suggest that it is not just from the influence of experience . That said, I've not heard anyone say severity or sincerity with the NEAR vowel. –  tchrist ♦ Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 5:10
  • @tchrist: Actually, I think I myself vacillated a bit on "severity" in the past: I would definitely use SQUARE today, but I think that's at least in part because I "know" that it's the "correct" way to say it. "Seveerity" doesn't sound particularly improbable to me. But I agree that this doesn't seem to be a particularly widespread pronunciation, unlike "expeeriment", which is common enough to have gotten into some dictionaries. I'd guess "variation" is safe at least in part because the spelling with "a" doesn't mesh well with a pronunciation with NEAR. –  herisson Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 5:13
  • @tchrist: Another thing that may or may not be relevant is that the first vowel of "variation" only has secondary stress. John Walker’s entry (1791) for " variation " interestingly says that "Mr. Sheridan has given this a the short sound of the Italian a" (although Walker doesn't agree with this transcription, as he views it as irregular) –  herisson Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 6:15
  • 1 @DavidHaim: IPA isn't very precise in general, and IPA for English vowels specifically is a pain because the "pluricentric" nature of standard English and the long and widespread tradition of transcription means that there are a lot of different ways to transcribe things, and some people get a bit dogmatic about their way being the best. Depending on different things, the vowel in "square" could be transcribed variously as /ɛː/, /ɛ/, /eə/, /ɛə/, /e/, /eː/, or any of these with a rhotic hook. The vowel in "near" could be transcribed as /ɪː/, /ɪ/, /ɪə/, /i/... –  herisson Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 16:12
  • 2 @DavidHaim: ...and the vowel of "dress" can be transcribed as /e/ or /ɛ/. Using only a single one of these transcription variants would I think give my answer a sense of false precision, while using all of them would be a pain. You can read about these kinds of variations in phonetics, or just in transcription, in any source that gives a somewhat comprehensive coverage of English vowel phonology, but that's not really what this question is about, so I didn't want to get into that here. –  herisson Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 16:13

Some data from major pronunciation dictionaries:

LPD-3 (Wells 2008):

noun (BrE): ɪk ˈsper ɪ mənt (the main variant); ek-, ək-, -ə- (alternative variants)

verb (BrE): ɪk ˈsper ɪ ment (the main variant); ek-, ək-, -ə- (alternative variants)

noun (US): -ˈspɪr-

verb (US): -ˈspɪr-

CEPD-18 (Roach, Setter & Esling 2011):

noun: ɪkˈsper.ɪ.mənt, ek-, ˈ-ə-

verb: ɪkˈsper.ɪ.ment, ek-, ˈ-ə-

The Routledge Dictionary of Pronunciation for Current English (Upton & Kretzschmar 2017):

enter image description here

  • It seems worthwhile to draw attention here to fact that your first two references are using /e/ to mean [ɛ]. Even though most people are used to seeing the /r/ phoneme not actually meaning a real [r], using /e/ for [ɛ] the way Wells has always done is not something everyone is aware of. –  tchrist ♦ Commented Jan 16, 2018 at 2:13
X - peri - ment

and I come from Manchester, UK.

Does this help?

JMP's user avatar

  • 2 No, not really, although I appreciate the attempt. In the first place, I'm not trying to run a survey; those don't work in our format. I'm trying to get a description of where each of several pronunciations are commonly said, described either in prose or on a map, or both. Second, you cannot use English letters to specify a pronunciation. For non-specialists, it is probably best to indicate which other words have the same rhyme for you, such as pear or pair or payer or mare or mere , or the same vowel as nurse or mirror or nearer or berry . Specialists might try IPA. –  tchrist ♦ Commented Jan 14, 2018 at 17:35

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old english word for experiment

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noun as in investigation, test

Strongest matches

analysis , attempt , enterprise , examination , exercise , experimentation , measure , observation , operation , practice , probe , procedure , research , search , study , trial , undertaking , venture

Strong matches

agreement , assay , check , dissection , essay , fling , proof , quiz , rehearsal , scrutiny , speculation , try , try-on , tryout , verification

Weak matches

dry run , R and D , research and development , trial and error , trial run

verb as in investigate, test

analyze , examine , explore

assay , diagnose , probe , prove , research , sample , scrutinize , search , speculate , study , try , venture , verify , weigh

fool with , futz around , mess around , play around with , practice with , put to the test , shake down , try on , try on for size , try out

Example Sentences

IBM hopes that a platform like RoboRXN could dramatically speed up that process by predicting the recipes for compounds and automating experiments.

The hope there is for improved sensitivity in searches for dark matter or experiments that might reveal some long-sought flaws in our standard model of particle physics.

The experiment represents early progress toward the possible development of an ultra-secure communications network beamed from space.

The new experiment represents, however, the first time scientists have applied machine learning to “validation,” a further step toward confirming results that involves additional statistical calculation.

At first, the sites amounted to experiments on the outer edges of the crypto universe, but in 2020 they have started to attract real money.

To put it rather uncharitably, the USPHS practiced a major dental experiment on a city full of unconsenting subjects.

If the noble experiment of American democracy is to mean anything, it is fidelity to the principle of freedom.

A classroom experiment seeks to demonstrate what it looks like.

This video, courtesy of BuzzFeed, tries a bit of an experiment to get some answers.

In the fall of 1992, Booker became a vegetarian “as an experiment,” he said, “and I was surprised by how much my body took to it.”

With Bacon, experientia does not always mean observation; and may mean either experience or experiment.

I made the experiment two years ago, and all my experience since has corroborated the conclusion then arrived at.

But this is quite enough to justify the inconsiderable expense which the experiment I urge would involve.

He commenced to experiment in electro-pneumatics in the year 1860, and early in 1861 communicated his discoveries to Mr. Barker.

Readers will doubtless be familiar with the well-known experiment illustrating this point.

Related Words

Words related to experiment are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word experiment . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

noun as in critical test

  • conclusive test
  • crucial test
  • decisive test
  • definitive test
  • genuineness
  • proving ground
  • substantiation
  • test of value
  • verification

verb as in try, make effort

  • do level best
  • exert oneself
  • give a fling
  • give a whirl
  • give best shot
  • give it a go
  • give it a try
  • give old college try
  • go the limit
  • have a crack
  • have a go at
  • make a run at
  • shoot the works
  • take a stab at
  • take best shot
  • try one's hand at

noun as in try, effort

  • all one's got
  • one's all
  • one's darnedest
  • one's level best
  • undertaking

Viewing 5 / 44 related words

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

IMAGES

  1. Words Used In Experiment

    old english word for experiment

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  3. Words used in Experiments 1 and 2

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  4. List of words used in the experiment

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  5. 90+ Old English Words That Are Worth Reviving!

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  6. Experiment Words

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COMMENTS

  1. experiment

    experiment. (n.). mid-14c., "action of observing or testing; an observation, test, or trial;" also "piece of evidence or empirical proof; feat of magic or sorcery," from Old French esperment "practical knowledge, cunning; enchantment, magic spell; trial, proof, example; lesson, sign, indication," from Latin experimentum "a trial, test, proof, experiment," noun of action from experiri "to try ...

  2. experiment, n. meanings, etymology and more

    The earliest known use of the noun experiment is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for experiment is from before 1382, in Bible (Wycliffite, early version). experiment is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French.

  3. Old English Translator

    Type (or copy/paste) a word into the area to the right of "Word to translate" and click / press the 'To Old English' button. The Old English equivalent of Modern English words where the search word is found is the description are shown. For example, type 'land' in and click on 'Modern English to Old English'!

  4. Experiment etymology in English

    Old English. Old French. Old High German. Old Norse. Polish. Portuguese. Proto-Indo-European. Russian. Scottish Gaelic. Spanish. Swedish. Tagalog. ... English. English word experiment comes from Latin ex (out of, from) and Latin *perior, which is likely a derived form from Proto-Indo-European *per- (try, dare, risk) Etymology of experiment ...

  5. experimental

    "having experience," from experiment (n.) + -al (1). Meaning "based on experiment" is… See origin and meaning of experimental. ... with a physical barrier; close up by filling, stuffing, or plugging," from Old English -stoppian (in forstoppian "to stop up, stifle"), a general West Germanic word, cognate with Old Saxon stuppon, West Frisian ...

  6. American Heritage Dictionary Entry: experiment

    The much-anticipated Fifth Edition of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language is the premier resource about words for people who seek to know more and find fresh perspectives. Exhaustively researched and thoroughly revised, the Fifth Edition contains 10,000 new words and senses, over 4,000 dazzling new full-color images, and authoritative, up-to-date guidance on usage from the ...

  7. experiment

    experiment (plural experiments) A test under controlled conditions made to either demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried . conduct an experiment. carry out some experiments.

  8. Experience & Experiment are the Same Word?

    In all languages derived from Latin—unfortunately not English—the word for 'experience' and the word for 'experiment' are the same…So your own experience is a form of experimentation that produces useful information. ... from Old French esperience "experiment, proof, experience" (13c.), from Latin experientia "a trial, proof ...

  9. Old English Dictionary: Find Old English Words

    This is an online version of Mary Lynch Johnson's (1897-1984) PhD Dissertation A Modern English - Old English Dictionary.It was written in 1917 and first published in 1927. Johnson based much of her work on John R. Clark Hall's A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary for the Use of Students (1916). She worked as a professor of English at Meredith College, Raleigh, North Carolina.

  10. experimental, adj. & n. meanings, etymology and more

    The earliest known use of the word experimental is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for experimental is from around 1449, in the writing of Reginald Pecock, bishop of Chichester and religious author. experimental is formed within English, by derivation.

  11. experiment verb

    Word Origin Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin experimentum, from experiri 'try'. Compare with experience and expert . See experiment in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary See experiment in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

  12. List of English words of Old English origin

    This is a list of English words inherited and derived directly from the Old English stage of the language. This list also includes neologisms formed from Old English roots and/or particles in later forms of English, and words borrowed into other languages (e.g. French, Anglo-French, etc.) then borrowed back into English (e.g. bateau, chiffon, gourmet, nordic, etc.).

  13. Old English Vocabulary: Your First 700 Words

    old-english. This is a list of approximately 700 of the most common or useful Old English words, given in normalized Early West Saxon forms. The goal of this list is to provide you with a relatively small core vocabulary to study so that you can move on to reading texts quickly. I recommend you use a spaced repetition system such as Anki to ...

  14. Old English Core Vocabulary

    The list below presents some 500 Old English words which could be regarded as literary core vocabulary - perhaps the most important words in Old English, a language spoken and written in England ca. 450-1100. Some of the words listed here are among the most frequent in Old English literature; some are of particular importance on account of their literary or linguistic usage.

  15. experience

    experience (n.) experience. (n.) late 14c., "observation as the source of knowledge; actual observation; an event which has affected one," from Old French esperience "experiment, proof, experience" (13c.), from Latin experientia "a trial, proof, experiment; knowledge gained by repeated trials," from experientem (nominative experiens ...

  16. 50+ Old English Words and Their Modern Meanings

    Old English words may sound foreign & intimidating, but when you learn their modern meaning, they begin making sense. Discover an abundant list of them here!

  17. experiment

    The meaning of experiment. Definition of experiment. Best online English dictionaries for children, with kid-friendly definitions, integrated thesaurus for kids, images, and animations. Spanish and Chinese language support available

  18. English Words/Phrases from Early Translations

    Below is a chart of words and phrases coined by the early English translators of the Bible. Wycliffe's translation from the Vulgate (1382/88) Word. Bible Passage. Derivation. female. Genesis 1:27. Jerome's Vulgate used Latin femina. Wycliffe's female was based on the related Latin word, femella.

  19. Experiment Definition & Meaning

    Experiment definition: An innovative act or procedure. A test under controlled conditions that is made to demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy of something previously untried.

  20. experiment

    in an experiment The 30 subjects in each experiment were divided into two groups. during an experiment The temperature was kept constant during the experiment. experiment on somebody/something Many people do not like the idea of experiments on animals. experiment with somebody/something The experiment with cells from other species was unsuccessful.

  21. Experiment Definition & Meaning

    experiment: [noun] test, trial. a tentative procedure or policy. an operation or procedure carried out under controlled conditions in order to discover an unknown effect or law, to test or establish a hypothesis, or to illustrate a known law.

  22. dialects

    When it comes to pronouncing the word experiment, there appear to be two dominant North American pronunciations that are rather ... and well seems to have maybe had a long vowel in Old English, so the use of [i] in these words in Scots actually seems like a retention of vowels that English shortened rather than the result of any kind of ...

  23. 75 Synonyms & Antonyms for EXPERIMENT

    Find 75 different ways to say EXPERIMENT, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.