▪ I. fain, a. and adv.
(feɪn)
Forms: α. 1 fæȝen, fæȝn, 3 fæin, fein, vein, vayn, 3–6 fayn(e, (5 faynne), 4 (fyne), 4–5 feyn(e, 4–7 faine, 5 fyene, 5–6 fane, 6 faint, (fayen, feene), (7–9 feign), 3– fain. Also compar. 3 fenre. β. 3–4 faȝe(n, 3 vawe, 4–5 fawe(n, (5 faue).
[OE. fæᵹen, fæᵹn = OS. fagan, fagin, ON. feginn; allied to OE. ᵹeféon (pa. tense feah), OHG. (gi-) fehan (pa. tense fah) to rejoice.]
A. adj.
1. Glad, rejoiced, well-pleased. Often in phrases, full fain, glad and fain. Const. of; also followed by inf. or subord. clause. Now chiefly dial. or poet.
| α Beowulf 1633 Ferdon forð þonon feþelastum ferhþum fæᵹne. c 888 ælfred Boeth. xl. §5 Ic bio swiþe fæᵹn ᵹif ðu me lædest þider ic ðe bidde. c 1205 Lay. 4891 Þe duc þer fore fain wes. a 1300 Cursor M. 20452 (Cott.), I am ful fain yee ar me mid. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 4552 Of þair dede þai sal be fayn. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 974 Bot þen was þis wrechede mon full fayne. c 1460 Towneley Myst. 84 Now in hart fulle fane. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 589 He..of thair cuming wes so glaid and fane. a 1569 A. Kingsmill Man's Est. i. (1580) 7 He is very faine of the findyng of suche a fielde. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 114 Are glad and faine by flight to saue themselues. 1640 J. Dyke Worthy Commun. 56 Then full faine wilt thou be to have Christ Jesus receive thy soule. 1664 Floddan F. vii. 65 And of his welfare all were fain. 1787 Burns Twa Dogs 137 My heart has been sae fain to see them. 1801 Wordsw. Cuckoo & Night. xxvi, I should be wondrous fain That shamefully they one and all were slain. 1863 Mrs. Gaskell Sylvia's L. I. 195 My master is quite fain of his company. 1876 Morris Sigurd iii. 176 And fain and full was my heart. |
| β 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 218 So þat hii mette hem þer, boþe hii were wel vawe. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 3800 War-for y am wel fawe. |
b. Proverb.
| 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. v. in Ashm. (1652) 157 Fayre promys makyth folys fayne. 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 69 There may you see..the faire wordes that make fooles faine. 1829 Scott Anne of G. iv. Fine words to make foolish maidens fain. |
2. Const. to with inf. Glad under the circumstances; glad or content to take a certain course in default of opportunity for anything better, or as the lesser of two evils.
| α c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1725) 28 Þei were fayn to ask pes. 1393 Gower Conf. III. 230 He was faine him self to save. 1559 in Strype Ann. Ref. I. App. ix. 26 They were faine to patche uppe the matter with a little piece of paper clapped over the foresaid wordes. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, ii. i. 153, I must be faine to pawne..my Plate. 1631 Gouge God's Arrows ii. §26. 170 Men were faine to eate horse-flesh. 1693 Locke Education §89. 105 Castalio was fain to make Trenchers at Basle to keep himself from starving. 1812 Combe (Dr. Syntax) Picturesque xvi. (Chandos) 60 Pleas'd with the prospect he was feign To yawn, and go to sleep again. 1839 Thirlwall Greece VII. liv. 52 He was fain to take shelter in a canal. 1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal II. vi. 115 Christabel was fain to make the best of her life at Mount Royal. |
| β c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 208 To fle sone he was wel fawe. |
b. This passes gradually into the sense: Necessitated, obliged.
| 1513 More Rich. III in Grafton Chron. II. 785 Pinkye..so loste his voyce, that he was fayne to leave off. 1579 Fenton Guicciard. ii. (1599) 75 Lodowyke..was feene with teares to acknowledge his cowardize. 1676 Hale Contempl. i. 103 In this condition, he is fain to bear his burdensom Cross towards the place of his Execution. a 1682 Sir T. Browne Tracts 7 Many plants are mentioned in Scripture under such names as they are fain to be rendred by analogy. 1685 H. More Paralip. Proph. 315 A Cannon of so vast a bigness, that it was fain to be drawn by seventy yoke of Oxen. 1722 Sewel Hist. Quakers (1795) I. Pref. 23, I have been fain to trust the oversight..of my work to others. 1841 D'Israeli Amen. Lit. (1867) 360 Ascham, indeed, was fain to apologise for having written in English. 1884 F. M. Crawford Rom. Singer I. 93 He was fain to acknowledge that she was right. |
3. Disposed, inclined or willing, eager. Const. † of, † for, to with inf. arch. or dial.
| c 1205 Lay. 6994 For elchen vuele he wes fein. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 237 So it farus bi folk þat fain is to teche. a 1605 Montgomerie Natur passis Nurriture 34 To fang his friendship they war fane. 1802 R. Anderson Cumberld. Ball. 32 The..sleet and snaw are nought at aw, If yen were fain to gang! 1851 Gallenga Mariotti's Italy 75 The gentle and respectful behaviour of the soldiery in what they were fain to look upon as a land of conquest. 1884 W. C. Smith Kildrostan 83 Vain for a man to think that he Can hide what a woman is fain to know! |
† b. Apt, wont. Obs.
| 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. viii. 37 Whose steadie hand was faine his steed to guyde. 1650 Jer. Taylor Holy Living i. §1. 7 To a busie man temptation is fain to climbe up together with his businesses. |
† 4. Well-disposed, favourable. Const. of or dat. Also in phr. fair and fain. Obs.
| c 1205 Lay. 12719 Lauer king Aldroein Ofte þe wurðe godd fæin [c 1275 fain]. c 1305 11,000 Virgins 134 in E.E.P. (1862) 69 Ourse of britaigne Þo hi fonde such a creatoure, so fair & so fayne. c 1440 Sir Gowther 679 Fader, and Sone, and Holy Gost, Of owre sowles be fayne. [a 1850 Rossetti Dante & Circ. i. (1874) 77, I..saw Love coming towards me, fair and fain.] |
B. adv. Gladly, willingly, with pleasure. Frequent in I, he, etc. would († had) fain; otherwise Obs. or arch.
| α c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 35 Ic walde fein pinian and sitten on forste and on snawe. a 1225 Ancr. R. 192 Vor uein wolde þe hexte cwemen ou. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. 272/53, I chulle þe telle fayn. c 1440 York Myst. xx. 121 And if þou wolde neuere so fayne. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 430/3 The soppes of which he fayne ete. 1513 Douglas æneis ix. iv. 64 To bring agane Eneas full fane thai wald. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cxxv. 151 The kyng..demaunded of them whyther they wolde faynest go. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. iv. 10 A mirrhour..Wherein her face she often vewed fayne. 1610 Shakes. Temp. i. i. 72, I would faine dye a dry death. 1709 Berkeley Th. Vision §86, I would fain know wherein consists that sharpness. 1801 Southey Thalaba x. iv, He full fain would sleep. 1858 Neale Bernard de M. 32 My spirit seeks thee fain. 1874 Morley Compromise (1886) 85 Those who would fain divide the community into two great castes. 1876 Morris Sigurd iii. 173 She..kisseth her sweet and fain. 1880 R. Broughton Sec. Th. ii. vii, She had fainer not. |
| β c 1330 King of Tars 1058 Ageyn the soudan he gan hyghe, And wolde hym sle ful fawe. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 308 Þanne wolde þay wel faȝe, ȝif þei miȝt helpe to Þat sir Olyuer hadde be slaȝe. |
▪ II. † fain, n. Obs.
[f. prec.]
Gladness, joy.
| c 1340 Cursor M. 3852 (Laud MS.) Laban then he did to calle for fayne of hym his frendis alle. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 2086 Alsone als he saw him stand For fayn he liked fote and hand. c 1440 Bone Flor. 844 Syr Garcy went crowlande for fayne. |
▪ III. † fain, v.1 Obs.
Forms: 1 fæᵹenian, fæᵹnian, fahnian, 2 faȝenien, 3 faȝnien, fainen, (fawe), 3–6 fayne, (4 feyn), 3–7 faine. See also fawn v.
[OE. fæᵹnian, fæᵹenian (f. fæᵹen, fain) = ON. fagna, OS. faganôn, faginôn, OHG. faginôn, feginôn, Goth. faginôn.]
1. intr. To be delighted or glad, rejoice. Const. of (earlier gen.), on, in; with to and inf. also, to desire, wish.
| c 888 ælfred Boeth. xxx. §1 Ne sceal he..to unᵹemetlice fæᵹnian ðæs folces worda. a 1000 Boeth. Metr. i. 66 Fæᵹnodon ealle. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark xiv. 11 Þa hi þis ᵹehyrdon hi fahnodon [c 1160 Hatton G. fageneden]. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 135 Fele shule faȝenien on his burde. c 1205 Lay. 21843 Þa fainede swiðe folc an hirede Of Arðures cume. a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 199 Ȝif þu wult hit iðauien iwis he wule ðurchut fawe. a 1300 E.E. Psalter v. 12 And fayne sal alle þat hope in þe. a 1340 Hampole Psalter xxxi. 14 Ffaynes in lord & glades rightwis. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 246 Clerkis shulde..feyn to be discharged of erþeli goodis. a 1400–50 Alexander 1745 Feyne all with fairnes & fayne at þou may. c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun 417 And thogh some tyme be gude the werld make man to fayne. 1596 Spenser F.Q. v. xii. 36 [She] faynes to weave false tales. |
b. To pretend kindness. Cf. fawn v.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 194 Hwonne ou ne wonteð nowiht, þeonne ueineð he mid ou. |
2. trans. To make glad. Hence to welcome (a person); also, to congratulate (const. of).
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1441 Eliezer..broȝt him a wif..He faȝnede hire wið milde mod. a 1300 E.E. Psalter xlii[i]. 4 God þat faines mi youthede al. a 1375 Joseph Arim. 243 Þei..faynede me wiþ wordes, Bote þei hateden me. a 1400–50 Alexander 2 Fayn wold þai here Sum farand þing efter fode to fayn þere her[t]. 1480 Robt. Devyll 10 Of hys companye no man us fayne. |
3. To rejoice in, enjoy; also, to take to gladly, show preference for. rare.
| 1483 Caxton Cato E viij, I wyl not that ye..suppose that..synnars faynen [L. lucrari] theyr synnes wythout to haue..punycyon..in thys world or in the other. 1606 Warner Alb. Eng. xvi. ci. (1612) 399 The sprewsest Citie-Lads for her would faine the Countrie-aire. |
Hence † ˈfaining ppl. a., gladsome, affectionate; also, longing, wistful.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 12732 Clunestra..Resayuit hym..With a faynond fare. 1596 Spenser Hymns, Hon. Love 216 His heavens queene..in his fayning eye Whose sole aspect he counts felicitye. |
▪ IV. fain, v.2 Chiefly School slang, orig. dial.
(feɪn)
= fen v.2 Used in the expression fains or fain(s I, fain it, fainit(e)s: see quots.
| 1870 N. & Q. 4th Ser. VI. 415/2 ‘Fains’, or ‘Fain it’—A term demanding a ‘truce’ during the progress of any game, which is always granted by the opposing party. Ibid. 517/1 A boy who had ‘killed’ another at marbles, that is hit his marble, would call out ‘Fain it’, meaning ‘You mustn't shoot at me in return’; or if a boy was going to shoot, and some inequality of surface was in his way, which he would have cleared away, his antagonist would prevent him by calling out ‘Fain clears’. Ibid. 517/2 If a prefect wants anything fetched for him and does not say by whom, those who wish to get off going say ‘Fain I’. 1889 Barrère & Leland Dict. Slang, Faints [sic], in vogue among schoolboys to express a wish temporarily to withdraw from participation in the particular sport or game being played. 1891 Farmer Slang, Fains! Fainits! Fain it! 1913 C. Mackenzie Sinister St. I. i. vii. 103 He could shout ‘fain I’ to be rid of an obligation and ‘bags I’ to secure an advantage. 1927 W. E. Collinson Contemp. English 14 The custom of putting oneself out of the game altogether by crossing the fingers and saying pax! or faynights! [feinaits] or both together. 1948 J. Betjeman Coll. Poems (1958) 150 ‘I'd rather not.’ ‘Fains I.’ ‘It's up to you.’ 1960 Guardian 1 July 9/7 The Englishman..could remain absolutely pax and fainites. 1969 I. & P. Opie Children's Games i. 18 This rule is so embedded in children's minds that their immediate response to the proposal of a game is to cry out..‘Me fains first’. Ibid., He must safeguard himself by saying in one gulp, ‘Let's-play-Tig-fains-I-be-on-it’. |
▪ V. fain(e
obs. ff. of feign.