folden

See also: Folden

English

Etymology

From Middle English folden, yfolden, From Old English fealden, ġefealden, from Proto-Germanic *faldanaz, past participle of *falþaną (“to fold”), equivalent to fold +‎ -en. Cognate with Dutch gevouwen, German gefalten.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -əʊldən

Verb

folden

1. (obsolete) past participle of fold

Anagrams

• enfold, fondle

Danish

Noun

folden c

1. definite singular of fold

Middle English

Alternative forms

• foldyn, ffolde, folde, volden, volde
• (Northern) falde, ffalde, fawlde

Etymology

From Old English fealdan, from Proto-West Germanic *falþan, from Proto-Germanic *falþaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɔːldən/
• (Northern ME) IPA^(key): /ˈfaldən/
• (Southern ME) IPA^(key): /ˈvɔːldən/

Verb

folden (third-person singular simple present foldeth, present participle foldynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative feld, past participle folden)

1. To bend; to flex:
   1. To fold; to bend over.
   2. To be bent; to curve.
   3. To twist; to braid.
2. To hug; to cuddle.
3. To wrap or cover; to coat.
4. To buckle; to collapse.
5. To defeat; to bring down.
6. (of a book, etc.) To snap shut.

Usage notes

• Weak forms of this verb are not found before the end of the 14th century.

Conjugation

Conjugation of folden (strong class 7 or weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) folden, folde
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	folde	feld, folded
2nd-person singular	foldest	felde, feld, foldedest
3rd-person singular	foldeth	feld, folded
subjunctive singular	folde	felde1, folded1
imperative singular		—
plural2	folden, folde	felden, felde, foldeden, foldede
imperative plural	foldeth, folde	—
participles	foldynge, foldende	folden, folde, folded, yfolden, yfolde

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: fold
• Scots: fald, fauld

References

• “fōlden, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.