cicen
/ˈt͡ʃi.ken/neuter
The word for chicken in Old English is cicen. If unsure, use cicen. Wiktionary also lists ċȳcen.
Meaning: bird (noun)
Ways to say it
| Old English | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cicen | /ˈt͡ʃi.ken/ /ˈki.t͡ʃen/ |
neuter |
| ċȳcen | neuter |
This term refers to the bird.
Which one should you use?
The form ċȳcen and the form cicen are both neuter nouns used to refer to the bird.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both ċȳcen and cicen are neuter nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃi.ken/. The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word cicen may have originated from a repetitive sound like kukkīną, mimicking the actual noise a bird makes.
- The term cicen did not originally refer to the species as a whole, but specifically to the young of the bird.
- The spelling ċȳcen uses a dot over the 'c' to tell the reader to pronounce it as 'ch' instead of 'k'.
Example sentences for Old English are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Mildryth and Osric are looking at animals in the yard.
- MildrythHwæt is þis cicen?What is this chicken?
- OsricHit is mīn nīwa cicen.It is my new chicken.
- MildrythIs hit gōd cicen?Is it a good chicken?
- OsricGēa, hit is swīþe gōd.Yes, it is very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chicken” translations and entries cicen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cicen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
