Coughen

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. A regional variant of the verb meaning to expel air from the lungs with a sudden harsh noise
2. An informal dialect form describing the act of clearing the throat or chest with a sharp, forceful breath
3. Dialect verb for forcing out air from the airways in a sudden, rough burst, usually to clear the chest

Etymology: In Middle English, "coughen" was a regular form of the verb we now write as "cough." It descended from Old English "cohhian," the same kind of sound-imitating verb that produced the modern word. The "-en" ending was a common verb ending of the period, so the older form simply kept it. Over the following centuries the "-en" dropped away, leaving the shorter form that is standard today. "Coughen" survived longer in Scots and northern dialects, where it is still recorded as a variant spelling.