Etymology

Formed within English on meke (adj.) + -en suffix; cp. the much more common ME v. (without suffix) meken. This causative formation is paralleled in Norw mjukne 'to become soft or pliable' and OSw miukna, Sw mjukna 'to become soft, to become tractable' (on the ablaut variant *mūk-; see Torp NnEO and Kroonen).

PGmc Ancestor

*meuk-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

mjúkr ‘soft, agile; meek, mild’
(ONP mjúkr (adj.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far mjúkr, Icel mjúkr, Norw mjuk, Dan myg, Sw mjuk; cp. Norw mjukne, OSw miukna, Sw mjukna

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

B1

Attestation

In contrast to the frequent and widespread v. meken, the causative v. only occurs in a handful of other texts: first in Cl and not again until c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719) and a1500 Leg.Cross BC (Wor F.172) (MED). It continues to be attested, albeit rarely, in MnE into the 19c. (OED3).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Cl 1328

On WA 2838 meke (emended by TPD to *meken) see under meke (v.).

Bibliography

MED mẹ̄kenen (v.) , MED mẹ̄ken (v.) , OED3 meeken (v.) , HTOED , Kroonen *meuka- ~ *mūka-, Torp NnEO mjuk; see further meke (adj.).