[Ads-l] spin-span-spun

[Barretts Mail]

Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix has at least three instances of “span” as the past tense of “to spin.”

I have the 2003 First Canadian Edition.

p. 715 in The Only One He Ever Feared
… as the centaur’s arm, holding its bow, span off and landed with a crash on the floor...

This occurs at least twice more. 

The OED gives span and spun as equal past forms of the verb to spin. 1882 is the most recent citation for span.

Lexico does not mention span (https://www.lexico.com/definition/spin <https://www.lexico.com/definition/spin>)
Merriam-Webster does not mention span (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spin <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spin>)

Wiktionary says span is archaic (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spin#Verb <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spin#Verb>)

Word Hippo says span is archaic or nonstandard (https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-past-tense-of/spin.html <https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-past-tense-of/spin.html>)

Benjamin Barrett (he/his/him)
Formerly of Seattle, WA
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org