waxen

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English waxen, from Old English weaxen, ġeweaxen, from Proto-Germanic *wahsanaz, past participle of Proto-Germanic *wahsijaną (“to wax, grow, increase”), equivalent to wax +‎ -en (past participle ending).

Adjective

waxen (comparative more waxen, superlative most waxen)

1. (UK, dialectal) Grown.

Derived terms

• half-waxen

 

Verb

waxen

1. (archaic) alternative past participle of wax.

Etymology 2

Equivalent to wax +‎ -en (plural simple present ending).

Verb

waxen

1. (obsolete) plural simple present of wax
   • 1540, Thomas [Cranmer], “A Prologue or Preface […]”, in The Byble in Englyshe, […] (Great Bible), [2nd edition], [London]: […] Edward whytchurche, signature [i], verso:

     And they that occupye them bene in moche ſauegarde, and hauen greate conſolacyon, and bene the readyer vnto all goodnes, the ſlower to all euyll, and yf they haue done any thing amyſe, anone euen by the ſyght of the bookes theyꝛ conſciences bene admoniſhed, and they waxen ſoꝛy ⁊ aſhamed of the facte.

   • 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “September. Ægloga Nona.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC, folio 35, verso:

     When the rayne is faln, the cloudes wexen cleare.

   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], signature B3, verso:

     and then the whole Quire hould their hippes, and loffe,
     and waxen in their myrth, and neeze, and ſweare
     a merrier hower was neuer waſted there.

Etymology 3

From Middle English waxen (“made of wax”), from Old English weaxen (“waxen, made of wax”), equivalent to wax +‎ -en (“made of”).

Adjective

waxen (comparative more waxen, superlative most waxen)

2. Made of or covered with wax.

   a waxen tablet

   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:

     She is fair; and so is Julia that I love—
     That I did love, for now my love is thaw’d;
     Which, like a waxen image, ’gainst a fire,
     Bears no impression of the thing it was.

3. Of or pertaining to wax.
4. Having the pale smooth characteristics of wax, waxlike, waxy.
   • 1950, Mervyn Peake, chapter 28, in Gormenghast‎^[1], Penguin, published 1969, page 185:

     It was hard to imagine that the broken thing had once been new; that those withered, waxen cheeks had been fresh and tinted. That her eyes had long ago glinted with laughter.

5. Easily molded, influenced, or bent; yielding, impressible.
   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXI, page 35:

     The traveller hears me now and then,
     ⁠And sometimes harshly will he speak:
     ⁠‘This fellow would make weakness weak,
     And melt the waxen hearts of men.’

6. (rare) Easily effaced, as if written in wax.

Derived terms

• waxen chatterer
• waxen image
• waxen vein
• woad-waxen

Translations

of or pertaining to wax

• Bulgarian: восъчен (vosǎčen)
• Ingrian: vahain
• Latin: cēreus
• Scottish Gaelic: cèireach
• Welsh: cwyraidd (cy)

having characteristics of wax

• Ingrian: vahain
• Scottish Gaelic: cèireach
• Welsh: cwyraidd (cy)

Middle English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwaksən/, /ˈwɛksən/

Etymology 1

From Old English weaxan, from Proto-West Germanic *wahsijan, from Proto-Germanic *wahsijaną.

Alternative forms

• waxenn, waxin, waxyn, waxe, wax, wexen, wexsyn, wexe, wexi, vexen

Verb

waxen

2. To grow (become larger):
   1. To grow up; to become fully grown.
      • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[2], published c. 1410, Matheu 13:31-32, page 6v, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

        An oþer parable iheſus puttide foꝛþ to hem. / ⁊ ſeide / þe kyngdom of heuenes is lijk to a coꝛn of ſeneuey · which a man took ⁊ ſewe in his feeld · / which is þe leeſt of alle ſeedis / but whanne it haþ woxen .· it is the mooſt of alle woꝛtis · ⁊ is maad a tre / ſo þe bꝛiddis of þe eir comen ⁊ dwellen in þe bowis þerof.

        Jesus put another parable forwards to them, saying: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in their field; / it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is the largest of all plants; it becomes a tree, so the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

   2. To wax (of the moon); to rise (of the tide).
3. To increase in amount; to multiply
4. To increase in magnitude; to magnify
5. To appear; to arise.
6. To change; to turn (to or into something)
7. To become, to assume (a quality or state)

Usage notes

Already in Old English, this verb's conjugation varied; in Northumbria, the original class 6 conjugation was retained, while elsewhere, the verb went over to class 7; this variation persists in Middle English. Further variation results from levelling of forms during the Middle English period.

Conjugation

Conjugation of waxen (strong class 7/6 or weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) waxen, waxe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	waxe	wex, wox, waxed
2nd-person singular	waxest, waxt	wexe, woxe, wex, wox, waxedest
3rd-person singular	waxeth, waxt	wex, wox, waxed
subjunctive singular	waxe	wexe1, woxe1, waxed1
imperative singular		—
plural2	waxen, waxe	wexen, wexe, woxen, woxe, waxeden, waxede
imperative plural	waxeth, waxe	—
participles	waxynge, waxende	(y)waxen, (y)waxe, (y)woxen, (y)woxe, (y)wexen, (y)wexe, (y)waxed

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

Derived terms

• faxwax
• wax
• waxynge

Descendants

• English: wax
• Scots: wax

References

• “waxen, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From wax (“wax”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Alternative forms

• waxyn, waxe, wax, wexen

Verb

waxen

2. to wax (apply wax to; cover in wax)
3. (rare) to stop (a hole)

Conjugation

Conjugation of waxen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) waxen, waxe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	waxe	waxed
2nd-person singular	waxest	waxedest
3rd-person singular	waxeth	waxed
subjunctive singular	waxe
imperative singular		—
plural1	waxen, waxe	waxeden, waxede
imperative plural	waxeth, waxe	—
participles	waxynge, waxende	waxed, ywaxed

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

Descendants

• English: wax

References

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

Etymology 3

From wax (“wax”) +‎ -en (“made of”).

Adjective

waxen

2. (hapax) waxen (made of wax)

Descendants

• English: waxen

References

• “waxen, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.