sprecan
/ˈspre.kɑn/
To speak in Old English is sprecan.
The verb sprecan is used to express the ability to communicate using a language.
Meaning: to be able to communicate in a language (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
Sprecan is a strong verb, and its infinitive ends in -an like most Old English infinitives. In the present indicative, ic sprece means "I speak" and hē spricþ means "he speaks". The past tense forms are spræc for the singular and spræcon for the plural. Note that the noun for 'speech' or 'word', spræc, is related to this verb.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of sprecan is /ˈspre.kɑn/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- While sprecan means 'to speak', Old English also had cweþan, the everyday verb for 'to say', which survives in the old word 'quoth'.
- The verb sprecan shares a common root with the Old High German word sprechan, illustrating the shared ancestry of English and German.
Examples in context
- hē spricþHe speaks
- hēo spricþShe speaks
- hit spricþIt speaks
- hīe sprecaþThey speak
- Ic can sprecan Englisc.I can speak English.
Example conversation
Eadric and Eadgyth are discussing their language skills.
- EadricEadgyth, canst þu sprecan Francisc?Eadgyth, can you speak French?
- EadgythNe, ic ne mæg sprecan þæt.No, I cannot speak that.
- EadricHwilce tungan canst þu?Which languages do you know?
- EadgythIc can sprecan Englisc and Lǣden.I can speak English and Latin.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sprecan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
