Awaken VS. awake

Question

Thank you for awakening the feeling. VS. Thank you for awaking the feeling.I think that the two words awaken and awake mean the same. What do you native English speakers think?Thank you so much.

Rover_KE · Accepted Answer

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In this context, I agree with you.

Mister Micawber · Answer

We have these verbs:

awaken awakened awakened
waken wakened wakened
awake awoke awoken
wake woke/waked woken/waked

I am never sure which one sounds best.

The American Heritage Dictionary says:

Usage Note:
The pairs wake, waken and awake, awaken have formed a bewildering array since the Middle English period. All four words have similar meanings, though there are some differences in use. Only wake is used in the sense "to be awake," as in expressions like waking (not wakening) and sleeping, every waking hour. Wake is also more common than waken when used together with up, and awake and awaken never occur in this context: She woke up (rarely wakened up; never awakened up or awoke up). Some writers have suggested that waken should be used only transitively (as in The alarm wakened him) and awaken only intransitively (as in He awakened at dawn), but there is ample literary precedent for usages such as He wakened early and They did not awaken her. In figurative senses awake and awaken are more prevalent: With the governor's defeat the party awoke to the strength of the opposition to its position on abortion. The scent of the gardenias awakened my memory of his unexpected appearance that afternoon years ago.

Regional Note:
Regional American dialects vary in the way that certain verbs form their principal parts. Northern dialects seem to favor forms that change the internal vowel in the verb, hence dove for the past tense of dive, and woke for wake: They woke up with a start. Southern dialects, on the other hand, tend to prefer forms that add an -ed to form the past tense and the past participle of these same verbs: The children dived into the swimming hole. The baby waked up early.

Enoon · Answer

AnonymousThank you for awakening the feeling. VS. Thank you for awaking the feeling.I think that the two words awaken and awake mean the same. What do you native English speakers think?Thank you so much.

awakening

That's pure instinct on my part, but it is strong. I have no explanation except that "awaken" seems more transitive to me.

Awaken VS. awake

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