Acweorna

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To grow weak, fade, or gradually decline until one wastes away, as used in Old English texts
2. Describing the act of failing or languishing slowly, sinking into decay or weariness over time
3. Expressing a state of gradual decline, where strength and vigour slowly drain away from a person

Etymology: Acweorna is an Old English word meaning "quern" or "hand mill," the stone device for grinding grain into flour. Its Old English form is a compound of "ac-" and "weorna," and its story has to be pieced together from the stone itself. The second element, "weorna," is generally linked to the verb "weorpan" ("to throw"), though the exact connection is debated among scholars, and some readers will recognize it as a relative of the modern "quern." The surviving Old English record is thin, which means this word appears mainly in glossaries and a handful of texts rather than in everyday prose. What makes the word worth a closer look is that it survives in the same context as its more familiar relative, "cweorn," which is the direct ancestor of modern "quern." The two forms show how Old English speakers could build related names for the same object from different roots. The "ac-" element is uncertain, and the word is best understood as a rare, specialized term for a grinding stone rather than a common household name.

Synonyms: wither, decay, waste away

Antonyms: flourish, thrive