awaken
pronunciation
How to pronounce awaken in British English:
UK [əˈweɪkən]
How to pronounce awaken in American English:
US [əˈwekən]
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- Verb:
- cause to become awake or conscious
- stop sleeping
- make aware
Word Origin
- awaken (v.)
- Old English awæcnan (intransitive), "to spring into being, arise, originate," also, less often, "to wake up;" earlier onwæcnan, from a- (1) "on" + wæcnan (see waken). Transitive meaning "to rouse from sleep" is recorded from 1510s; figurative sense of "to stir up, rouse to activity" is from c. 1600. Originally strong declension (past tense awoc, past participle awacen), already in Old English it was confused with awake (v.) and a weak past tense awæcnede (modern awakened) emerged and has since become the accepted form, with awoke and awoken transferred to awake. Subtle shades of distinction determine the use of awake or awaken in modern English. Related: Awakening.
Example
- 1. His crow would awaken the whole village .
- 2. Indeed , foods and eating may powerfully awaken memory and its associated mood .
- 3. Satyagraha might awaken in them an awareness of the profound evil of industrial civilization .
- 4. Some people get to sleep but then awaken during the night .
- 5. When the string of the mind is properly attuned to the universe then at each point the universal song can awaken its sympathetic vibrations .