wake, awake, awaken, waken
- wake, awake, awaken, waken
Our language has several verbs to express waking from sleep and waking someone from sleep. Awake-awaked and awake-awoke are correct, of course, but somewhat formal: "I awoke him." Awaken-awakened-awakened is even more formal than awake: "I awakened him." More commonly used than either is wake-waked or woke: "I woke him." Waken-wakened-wakened is less used than wake-waked-waked: "I waked him." Most commonly used of all are wake up-waked up or woke up: "I waked up (or woke up) at dawn." "She waked up (or woke up) her sister at dawn." Each of the verbs mentioned may be used transitively or intransitively, but awake is largely used intransitively (When did you awake?) and waken transitively (She wakened me early). Wake is the only one of these terms regularly used with up: "Wake up, you sleepyhead." The most commonly used past participle of wake is waked (not woken or woke); the preferred past participle of awake is awaked (not awoke): "After I had waked him, I discovered my error." "I must have awaked several times that night."
Dictionary of problem words and expressions.
Harry Shaw.
1975.
Look at other dictionaries:
awaken — See awake, awaken See wake, awake, awaken, waken … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
awake — See awake, awaken See wake, awake, awaken, waken … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
waken — See wake, awake, awaken, waken … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
wake — See wake, awake, awaken, waken … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
wake — wake1 waker, n. /wayk/, v., waked or woke, waked or woken, waking, n. v.i. 1. to become roused from sleep; awake; awaken; waken (often fol. by up). 2. to become roused from a tranquil or inactive state; awaken; waken: to wake from one s daydreams … Universalium
wake — I [[t]weɪk[/t]] v. waked woke, waked wok•en, wak•ing, 1) to become roused from sleep; awake; awaken; waken (often fol. by up) 2) to become roused from a tranquil or inactive state; awake: to wake from one s daydreams[/ex] 3) to become cognizant… … From formal English to slang
waken — wakener, n. /way keuhn/, v.t. 1. to rouse from sleep; wake; awake; awaken. 2. to rouse from inactivity; stir up or excite; arouse; awaken: to waken the reader s interest. v.i. 3. to wake, or become awake; awaken. [bef. 900; ME waknen, OE waecnan; … Universalium
waken — I. v. n. See wake. II. v. a. 1. Wake, awake, awaken, rouse from sleep, arouse. 2. Excite to action, put in motion, arouse. 3. Excite, stir up, rouse to action, call forth … New dictionary of synonyms
awake — awake, awaken, wake, waken 1. forms. Although the history of these words, and in particular of the various forms of past tense and past participle, is highly complex (see the OED entry), in current use awake and wake can be paired as strong verbs … Modern English usage
waken — awake, awaken, wake, waken 1. forms. Although the history of these words, and in particular of the various forms of past tense and past participle, is highly complex (see the OED entry), in current use awake and wake can be paired as strong verbs … Modern English usage
