# welken
## Dutch
### Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch welken, from Old Dutch *wilken, from Proto-West Germanic *wilkijan; according to Kluge, ultimately related to Proto-West Germanic *wolkn (“cloud”). Akin to German welken, English welk.

#### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛlkən

#### Verb

welken
* to wither

##### Derived terms

* verwelken

### Etymology 2

Dative masculine and neuter singular, and dative plural (all genders), of welk.

#### Pronoun

welken
* (relative, dated) to which, to whom

##### Declension
## German
### Etymology

From Middle High German welken, from Old High German welkēn. According to Kluge, ultimately from the root of Wolke (“cloud”).

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)
* Audio:(file)

### Verb

welken (weak, third-person singular present welkt, past tense welkte, past participle gewelkt, auxiliary haben)
* to wither

#### Conjugation

$^1$Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.

#### Derived terms

* Welkung
* verwelken

#### Related terms

* Welken
* abwelken, dahinwelken, hinwelken
* welk

### Further reading

* “welken” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
* “welken” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
* “welken” in Duden online
* “welken” in OpenThesaurus.de

## Middle English
### Etymology 1

From Old English wolcnu, plural of wolcen, wolcn, from Proto-West Germanic *wolkn, from Proto-Germanic *wulkaną.

#### Alternative forms

* welkne, welkene, wolken, wolkne, walkyn, wolkene, walkene, walkne, welkyn, walkon
* weolcne, wolcn, wlcne, wolcnu, walcne, weolkne, wolcne (Early Middle English)

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈwɛlkən/, /ˈwɛlk(ə)nə/, /ˈwɔlkən/, /ˈwɔlk(ə)nə/

#### Noun

welken
* The atmosphere; the area where weather happens.
* The space or air surrounding the Earth or; the heavens or welkin.
** 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Clerke of Oxenfordes Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC, folio liiii, verso, part 6:Thus hath this pytous day a blyſful ende / For euery man & woman doth hys myght / Thys daye in myrth and reuel to dyſpende / Tyl on the welken ſhone the ſterres bryght / For more ſolempne in euery mannes ſyght / Thys feeſt was, and greater of coſtage / Then was the reuel of her mariageThus hath this piteous day a blissful end / For every man & woman doth his might / This day in mirth and revel to dispend / Till on the welkin shone the stars bright / For more solemn in every man's sight / This feast was, and greater of costage / Than was the revel of her marriage
* A division or layer of this space; an atmospheric region.
* (Early Middle English) A cloud (mass of water droplets)

##### Descendants

* English: welkin

##### References

* “welken, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-07-20.

### Etymology 2

Possibly related to or from Middle Low German welken or Middle Dutch welken, ultimately related to Proto-West Germanic *wolkn (“cloud”). Compare also Middle English walwen (“to fade, wither”), from Old English wealwian.

#### Alternative forms

* welkyn, welke, welk

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈwɛlkən/

#### Verb

welken
* To become dry or aged; to decay or wither (of plants or people)
* (rare) To crinkle or become roughened or creased.
* (rare) To turn or grow desolate or lifeless.

##### Conjugation

| infinitive | (to) welken, welke | (to) welken, welke |
| | present tense | past tense |
| 1st-person singular | welke | welked |
| 2nd-person singular | welkest | welkedest |
| 3rd-person singular | welketh | welked |
| subjunctive singular | welke | welked |
| imperative singular | welke | — |
| plural$^1$ | welken, welke | welkeden, welkede |
| imperative plural | welketh, welke | — |
| participles | welkynge, welkende | welked, ywelked |
$^1$Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

##### Descendants

* English: welk
* Scots: welk

##### References

* “welken, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-07-20.