maymen

Middle English

Alternative forms

mahaymen, maheyme, mayme, mayn, mayne, maynyn
maynhe (Northern)

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman mahaimer, alteration of Old French mahaignier, mehaignier after Frankish *hammjan (“to restrict”); thus equivalent to maym (“injury”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix). Forms with /n/, /ɳ/ continue the unaltered Old French form.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmæi̯mən/, /ˈmæi̯nən/, (possibly) /maˈæi̯mən/, /mæi̯ˈæi̯mən/
(Northern) IPA^(key): /ˈmæi̯ɳə/, /ˈmaɳə/, /ˈmɛɳə/

Verb

maymen (third-person singular simple present maymeth, present participle maymende, maymynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle maymed)

To maim; to physically injure as to impair.
(figuratively) To ruin or destroy.

Conjugation

Conjugation of maymen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) maymen, mayme
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	mayme	maymed
2nd-person singular	maymest	maymedest
3rd-person singular	maymeth	maymed
subjunctive singular	mayme	maymed
imperative singular	mayme	—

plural¹	maymen, mayme	maymeden, maymede
imperative plural	maymeth, mayme	—

participles	maymynge, maymende	maymed, ymaymed

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

English: maim
Middle Scots: mainȝie, menȝe
- Scots: meingyie (obsolete)

References

“maimen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

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