Inherited fromOld Englishwǣpman,wēpman,[1] from earlierwǣpnmann,wǣpnedmann; bysurface analysis,wepen(“weapon, penis”) +man(“man”).
The Southwest Midland formweopmon shows a development of/ɛ/ into/œ/ under the influence of the preceding/w/ and the following labial (likehweolp,tweolf,weob).[2]
- IPA(key): /ˈwɛpˌman/,/ˈwapˌman/
- (West Midland)IPA(key): /ˈwɛpˌmɔn/,/ˈwœpˌmɔn/
wepman (pluralwepmen)
- (chiefly Early Middle English) Aman; aperson ofmalegender orsex.
- ^“wē̆pman,n.”, inMED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007.
- ^Jordan, Richard (1974), Eugene Crook, transl.,Handbook of the Middle English Grammar: Phonology (Janua Linguarum. Series Practica;218)[1],The Hague:Mouton & Co. N.V.,→DOI,§ 34,page59.
