Giscian

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Old English verb meaning to feel a strong wish or yearning for something one lacks
2. To long for or crave something, expressing a desire that has not yet been fulfilled
3. An archaic verb describing the act of wanting or hankering after a thing

Etymology: "Giscian" appears to be an Old English verb, and its ending suggests a weak verb of the kind that formed many words for sounds and bodily actions, such as gasping, sobbing, or hiccupping. Its closest relatives are probably in the family of the English "gasp," which came into Middle English from Scandinavian sources and was tied to Old English words for gaping and gulping.