spake

== English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /speɪk/ Rhymes: -eɪk === Etymology 1 === From Middle English spake, spak, from Old Norse spakr (“wise, gentle, quiet”), from Proto-Germanic *spakaz (“wise, clever”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peǵ- (“to understand; intelligent, attentive”). Cognate with Swedish spak (“manageable”), Danish spag (“quiet, gentle, timid, tame”). ==== Adjective ==== spake (comparative more spake, superlative most spake) (obsolete) Quiet; tame. (obsolete) Ready; prompt. ===== Derived terms ===== spakely === Etymology 2 === From Middle English spak, from Old English spæc, first and third person singular past tense of specan (“to speak”). More at speak. ==== Verb ==== spake (archaic) simple past of speak === Etymology 3 === Alternative form. ==== Noun ==== spake (plural spakes) (Scotland) Alternative form of spoke (of a wheel). === Etymology 4 === Uncertain. Possibly a variant of spoke, which has a variety of extended senses in English dialects and in Scots (including a tree branch or cutting, a windmill's arm, a birdcage's perch, and a bar for carrying a coffin), though none closely matching this. ==== Noun ==== spake (plural spakes) (Wales, mining) A type of wagon on rails used for carrying workers in and out of a colliery. ===== Descendants ===== → Welsh: sbêc === References === William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “spake”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “spake”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. === Anagrams === peaks, Pasek, -speak, Paske, Peaks, speak, Paeks, Akpes, sapek, kapes, pesak == Middle English == === Etymology 1 === ==== Noun ==== spake (Lincolnshire) alternative form of spoke === Etymology 2 === ==== Verb ==== spake first/third-person singular past indicative of speken == Swedish == === Adjective === spake definite natural masculine singular of spak