Sighen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Archaic form meaning to let out a long, audible breath in sorrow, weariness or longing
2. Obsolete verb for exhaling deeply and audibly to show grief, relief or yearning
3. Old spelling of the verb to sigh, meaning to release a heavy breath from emotion

Etymology: "Sighen" is an obsolete form of "sigh," a verb that came into English from Middle English "sighen," which in turn descends from Old English "sīcan," meaning to sigh or to lament. The Old English verb is related to "sūcan," a word meaning to suck, so the sound of a sigh was linked to the sound of breathing in and out through the mouth. Middle English writers used "sighen" and "sihen" side by side, and the spelling with the "-en" ending reflects the verb's infinitive form in that period. Over time the infinitive lost its ending and the spelling settled into the modern "sigh," while the older form survived in poetry and archaic usage.

Synonyms: sigh, moan, groan