▪ I. † ween, n. Obs.
Forms: 1–2, 3–4 wen, 3–6 wene, (3 wæne), 4–5 weene; Sc. and north. 4–5 weyne, 4 vene, veyn, 5 weyn.
[OE. wén fem. (rarely masc. or neut.) corresp. to OFris. wên opinion, OS. wân masc., hope, OHG., MHG. wân masc., opinion, hope, etc. (mod.G. wahn fem., delusion), ON. ván fem., hope, Goth. wēn-s hope:—OTeut. *wǣni-z, f. Teut. and Indogermanic root *wen- to love.]
1. Opinion, belief. (Cf. wone n.)
| c 888 ælfred Boeth. xl. §3 Ne bið lof na ðy læsse, ac is wen þæt hit sie þy mare. a 1250 Ancr. R. 390 note, Efter monnes wene. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 73 Ðis ik wort in ebrisse wen, He witen ðe soðe ðat is sen. Ibid. 3271 Egipcienes woren in twired wen queðer he sulden folȝen or flen. a 1275 Prov. ælfred 215 in O.E. Misc. 115, & ich her ȝu wille leren wenes mine, wit & wisdome. |
2. Expectation, hope. (Cf. wone n.)
| Beowulf 383 (Gr.) Þæs ic wen hæbbe. c 1205 Lay. 28141 Of þine kume nis na wene for no weneð heo nauere to soðe þat þu cumen aȝin from Rome. a 1300 Floriz & Bl. 651 (Camb. MS.) To hire was mi meste wene, For to habbe to mi quene. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 88 It were betre be refused Than forto worchen upon weene. |
3. Probability, supposition; doubt.
| Beowulf 1845 (Gr.) Wen ic taliᵹe..þæt þe Sæ-Ᵹeatas selran næbben to ᵹeceosenne cyning æniᵹne. c 1205 Lay. 13503 Hit bið a muchele wæne whær ȝe i-seon me auere mare. Ibid. 18752 Þa ȝet hit weore a wene whar þu heo mihtes aȝe. c 1300 Cursor M. 1104 Bituixand þei þe southe had sene O thing þai wist noght bot a wene. |
4. Phrases. a. wen is, is wen: the probability is (that{ddd}), it is probable (that{ddd}).
| c 897 ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xi. 72 Forðæm hit is wen ðæt se ne mæᵹe oðerra monna scylde ofaðwean [etc.]. 971 Blickl. Hom. 235 Wen is þæt ic ᵹefyrenode. Ibid. 239 Cum nu mid us..þy læs wen is þæt hi us eft ᵹenimon. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John viii. 19 Ᵹyf ᵹe me cuþon, wen is þæt ᵹe cuþon minne fæder. c 1200 Ormin 7152, & wen iss þatt he wass forrdredd & serrhfull in hiss herrte. |
b. without(en (any) ween, but ween (Sc.), forout(en ween (Sc.): without doubt.
| c 1200 Ormin 4326 Þu findesst wiss wiþþutenn wen Rihhte ehhte siþe an hunndredd. c 1205 Lay. 6311 To soðen wihuten wene þe laȝe hehte Marciane. a 1300 Cursor M. 468 In þat curt þat is so clene, May na filth in dwell wituten wene. ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 574 Withouten wene, Wel semyde by hir apparayle She was not wont to gret trauayle. c 1374 ― Troylus iv. 1593 Er Phebus suster lucyna the shene, The leon passe out of þis ariete, I wol ben here with-outen ony wene. 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 162 Thai presit hym so fast, That, had he nocht the bettir beyn, He had beyn ded forouten veyn. Ibid. xix. 292 The erll sperit giff he had seyne The Inglis host; ‘ȝa, schir, but weyne’. c 1440 York Myst. xi. 104, I will go witte with⁓owten wene. c 1450 Holland Houlate 382 Of Scotland the wer wall, wit ȝe but wene, Our fais force to defend. c 1500 Lancelot 2880 The thrid..was o manly knycht, but weyne. c 1550 Rolland Crt. Venus iii. 51 Twentie and fiue, quhen thay war red but wene. |
▪ II. † ween, a. Obs. rare.
[a. ON. vǽnn:—OTeut. type *wǣnjo-, f. *wǣni- ween n.]
Beautiful.
| 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 945 Ho watz þe fayrest in felle.., & wener þen Wenore [Guenever], as þe wyȝe þoȝt. |
▪ III. ween, v. Obs. exc. arch.
(wiːn)
Pa. tense and pple. weened (wiːnd). Forms: 1 wénan, wǽnan, 2–4 wenen, 3 weone, 3–5 wen, 3–6 wene, 4–5 whene, Sc. ven(e, vein, 4–6 Sc. and north. weyn(e, 5 veyn, 6 wean, 6–7 Sc. wein(e, 4–7 weene, 5– ween; 3–4, 6 win(n, wyn(n. pa. tense 1 wénde, 3–6 wende, 3 wænde, 3–6 wend, 4 Sc. whende, vend, 5–6 Sc. weind, weynd; 3–6 went(e, 4 north. weint, 5 wentt, whente, (6 Sc. wont, wount, wint). pa. pple. 4–6 wend(e, went, 5 whent.
[A Common Teut. weak verb: OE. wénan corresp. to OFris. wêna to think, OS. wânian (MLG. wênen, wânen, LG. wanen), OLow Frankish wânan (MDu., Du. wanen to fancy, think), OHG. wânnen, wânen (MHG. wænen, mod.G. wähnen to suppose wrongly, imagine), ON. vǽna to hope, Goth. wēnjan to hope:—OTeut. *wǣnjan, f. *wǣni- ween n.
The word seems to have gone out of general use in the 17th c. It has survived as an archaism, esp. in the parenthetic formula illustrated in 1 h.]
1. trans. In regard to what is present or past: To think, surmise, suppose, conceive, believe, consider. In ME. often with well. a. Const. object-clause, with or without that.
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 55 Þa word þe he wenþ þæt him leofoste syn to ᵹehyrenne. 1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1137 Al þe tunscipe fluᵹæn for heom, wenden ðæt hi wæron ræueres. c 1200 Ormin 11585 Forr þatt te deofell shollde Wel wenenn þatt he wære mann. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1543 Ysaac wende it were esau. a 1300 Cursor M. 7557 Quat! wyns þou i am a hund? 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 10596 He went he had be hys brother. 1471 Caxton Recuyell (Sommer) 148 Whan they sawe Iupiter, they had went he had ben half man and half hors. 1530 Palsgr. 756/2 The castell which men wente had ben inprennable, is throwen downe nowe. 1532 More Confut. Tindale Wks. 455/1 If they had but tolde the myracles that Christ did, the countries to whom they were sent, woulde haue went that they had lyed. 1580 Fulke Martiall Confuted iv. 169 Let him looke in his lexicon, where I weene al his Greeke is. 1600 Holland Livy v. xxxix. 205 The Romanes..weening that there was none left alive. 1614 Camden Rem., Prov. 313 They that be in hell wene there is no other heauen. 1721 Colin's Mistakes iv. 3 Well I ween, That..Dan Spenser makes the fav'rite Goddess known. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. iii. xxxi, Some said that there were thousands ten; And others ween'd that it was nought But Leven clans, or Tynedale men. 1838 Mrs. Browning Deserted Garden xii, Though never a dream the roses sent Of science or love's compliment, I ween they smelt as sweet. 1848 Lytton Harold vi. i, But well I ween that Gryffyth will never keep troth with the English. |
† b. Const. infin. to ween to be or do = to think that one is or does. Obs.
| c 1200 Vices & Virtues 9 Sume weneð bien sacleas of ðessere senne [of swearing], for ðan ðe me nett hem to ðan aðe. c 1205 Lay. 24535 ælc wende to beon betere þene oðer. a 1300 Cursor M. 12119 Þof þou wen make-less to be, Þat nan in lare sal teche þe. c 1374 Chaucer Anel. & Arc. 96 So that she wende haue al his hert yknowe. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 15 Betwen tuo Stoles lyth the fal, Whan that men wenen best to sitte. c 1450 Knt. de la Tour cxi. 151 After this sorw, that she went to haue loste her sone, she hadde another. 1513 Douglas æneis i. Prol. 131 Quhen we best wene To haue Virgill red, understand, and sene, The richt sentence perchance is fer to seik. 1638 Junius Paint. Ancients 150 The parret..weening to see another parret in the glasse. |
† c. Const. obj. and compl. (n. or adj.). Obs.
| c 1230 Hali Meid. (1922) 10 Al is þet tu wendest golt, iwurðe to meastling. 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 40 Weenynge his liif glorios þat is vicious. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 12 Men schal nat wenyn euery thyng a lye For that he say it nat of ȝore ago. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode ii. lxvi. (1869) 100 Gretli j am abasht þat þou þat j wende a nice man answerest me so wel. 1533 More Answ. poysoned Bk. Wks. 1036/1 They..should shortlye perceiue in euery place where they wene themselfe many, how very few they be. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 44 Weene you..thee Greekish nauye returned? 1596 Spenser F.Q. vii. vi. 11 Shee her selfe more worthy thereof wend. |
† d. Const. obj. and infin. Obs.
| 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 534 So wis wenst þou þe be. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 96, I wot thou wolt nothing forbere Of that thou wenest be thi beste. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 265 That thai may be kend wenand thame self till have rychtwis caus. 1528 in Pocock Rec. Reform. I. 85 We wening the same to have been our way. 1570 Dee Math. Pref. 19 While the eye weeneth a round Globe..to be a flat and plaine Circle. 1606 Holland Sueton. 43 Kenning a farre of Pompeis gallies..and weening them to be his owne. |
† e. With simple object (usually a neut. pronoun): To think, believe, credit (something). Also, to surmise or suspect to exist. Obs.
| c 888 ælfred Boeth. xlii, Nis þæt ðeah no licumlice to wenanne, ac gastlice. c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 440 Þeah..us ᵹedafenað þæt we hit wenon swiðor þonne we unrædlice hit ᵹeseþan. c 1230 Hali Meid. (1922) 11 Hwen þus is of þe riche, hwat wenes tu of the poure. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 2154 Na man ille dede shuld wene Þar, whar gude lyf byfor has bene. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 244 Hit were a wonder to wene. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 1031 But herke, Pandare, o word, for I nolde That thow in me wendest so gret folye. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxvii. (Machor) 78 Þis quhen þe king had herd & sen, þe Ioy he had wald na man wen. c 1400 Rom. Rose 5672 Is no man wrecched, but he it wene. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 239 Neither must we here consyder, what the greatest multitude weneth, but what the trewthe is. 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xx. 117 Quhat sall we wene of tratours kene. c 1570 Pride & Lowl. (1841) 65 These matters..So straunge, and so incredible to weene. |
† f. coupled or contrasted with wit (wot, etc.).
| c 1290 Holy Cross 11 in S. Eng. Leg. 1 Ich wene þat ich wot Ȝwat þis somunce amounti schal. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 47 Þer wonys þat worþyly I wot & wene. 1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 771 But quhethir scho..Wenit, or vist it vitterly, It fell eftir all halely As scho said. c 1435 Torr. Portugal 1559 Wot ye well and not wene, Whan eyther of hem had other sene, Smertely rerid her dede. 1721 J. Kelly Sc. Prov. 69 Before I ween'd, but now I wat. |
g. ellipt. or absol. Usually with adv. or conj. (as, than, when, etc.).
| c 888 ælfred Boeth. xl. §2 Uton healdan unc þæt wit ne wenen swa swa þis folc wenð. c 1200 Ormin 9826 Annd tatt wass mikell wherrfeddleȝȝc Þatt dide hemm swa to wenenn. a 1225 Ancr. R. 222 Moni þet ne weneð nout bredeð in hire breoste sum liunes hweolp. c 1350 Will. Palerne 706 Ich am a mad man..Forto wene in þis wise. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xv. (Barnabas) 3 Bot þai wene wrang. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xv. 470 Riȝt so rude men..Louen and by-leuen by lettred mennes doynges, And by here wordes and werkes wenen and trowen. c 1400 Rule St. Benet 1019, I am wastid wor þan I wend. c 1450 Merlin i. 19 Thow art not so wyse as thow weneste. 1470–85 Malory Arthur vi. v. 189, I know you better than ye wene. a 1568 R. Ascham Scholem. i. (Arb.) 45 Which is an opinion not so trewe, as some men weene. 1601 Song of Mary in Farr S.P. Eliz. (1845) 432 Farre more they be than we can weene. 1615 Bp. Andrewes Serm. Nativ. x. (1629) 90 And sure, the way is not readie to hit;..It is but a foolish imagination, so to ween of it. 1746 Francis tr. Hor., Sat. ii. viii. 26 If haply right I ween. 1808 Scott Marm. i. xxi, Even our good chaplain, as I ween, Since our last siege we have not seen. 1850 Mrs. Browning House of Clouds viii, Named as Fancy weeneth. |
h. used parenthetically (esp. in I ween) rather than as governing the sentence. In verse often a mere tag.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. I. 157 Eiðer of þisse teres schedde þe apostel leste ich wene [L. fudit fortasse apostolus] þa þe he seide [etc.]. a 1225 Ancr. R. 210 Nis, ich wene, no mon þet [etc.]. c 1300 Havelok 655 Þre dayes þer-biforn, i wene, Et he no mete. c 1420 ? Lydg. Assembly of Gods 278 Of royall rychesse wantyd she noone I wene. c 1500 Nut-Brown Maid xxviii, Ye shape some wyle, me to begyle, and stele fro me I wene. 1564 A. Bacon tr. Jewel's Apol. (1859) 47 And do all they themselves, ween you, agree well together? 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 741 Nor turnd I weene Adam from his fair Spouse. 1764 H. Walpole Otranto iv, He, I ween, is no sacred personage. 1787 Burns Humble Petit. Bruar Water iii, A panegyric rhyme, I ween, Even as I was he shor'd me. 1819 Scott Ivanhoe iii, See what tidings that horn tells us of—to announce, I ween, some hership and robbery. 1835 Lytton Rienzi i. v, And never, I ween well, had she greater need of true friends than now. 1842 Barham Ingol. Leg. Ser. ii. Ingol. Penance 2 A stalwart knight, I ween, was he. a 1873 Deutsch Lit. Rem. (1874) 251 There will be a greater harvest still, we ween. |
2. In regard to what is future or contingent: To expect, anticipate, count on; to surmise, suspect; to think possible or likely. Const. object-clause, with or without that, etc.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xx. 10 Þa þe þær ærest comon wendon þæt hiᵹ sceoldon mare onfon. a 1225 Ancr. R. 178 Ne wene non of heie liue þet heo ne beo itempted. c 1290 Beket 2045 in S. Eng. Leg. 165 Wenst þou þat ichulle fleo? c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 384 Who wolde haue wend þat yn so lytel a þrowe Fortune oure Ioye wolde han ouerþrowe. 1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 210 My lif wend I thair suld be gane. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 182 [He] gafe the sauf condyt, wenand it wald be obeyde. 15.. Freiris of Berwik 246 Quha wenit that ȝe sa lait wald haif cum hame? 1535 Goodly Primer P ij, I had wente that I shulde haue gone to my graue in my beste dayes. |
† b. with direct object (n. or neut. pronoun).
In OE. the object is in the genitive. So (rarely) in early ME.
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 51 Ᵹif we ane hwile beoþ on hwylcum earfoþum þær we ures feores ne wenaþ. a 1240 Ureisun in Lamb. Hom. 187 Nai soþes nai. Ne wene hit neuer no mon. a 1250 Prov. Alfred 161 in O.E. Misc. 112 Monymon weneþ þat he wene ne þarf, longes lyues. a 1275 Prov. Alfred (2nd version) 650 Ac þanne þu hid lest wenest þe luþere þe biswiket. a 1300 Cursor M. 10128 Prophecies com al to end, Quen Iues alþerlest it wend. 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 317 Whan William was comen, & wende no tresoun, Sone was he nomen, & don in prisoun. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 81 Thei that wende pees Tho myhten finde no reles Of thilke swerd which al devoureth. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 1973 So nere hys herte the sorowe sought All-moste hys lyffe wolde no man wene. 1513 Douglas æneis vi. ii. 38 Ȝour first reskew..Furth of a Gregioun cetie sall be schaw, Quhilk thow lest wenis [L. quod minime reris]. |
| Prov. c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's T. 400 Hym thar nat wene wel that yuele dooth. 1670 Ray Prov. 227 (Scottish Proverbs) He that evil does, never good weines. |
c. With inf., present or perfect, with or without to († for to, † till): To expect, hope, wish; to purpose, intend, be minded.
| Beowulf 933 Ðæt wæs unᵹeara, þæt ic æniᵹra me weana ne wende..bote ᵹebidan. 1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1140, Eustace..wende to biᵹæton Normandi þær þurh. c 1205 Lay. 1848 Þa heo best wende to fleonne, þa weoren heo faie. c 1250 Owl & Night. 814 He [the fox] weneþ eche hunde at wrenche. a 1300 Cursor M. 6853 Your faas þat yow winnes [v.r. wenis] witstand Sal haue na might o fote and hand. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 5298 In-to Egipte þen schiped he, ffor wel wend he þer siker haue be. 1375 Barbour Bruce xviii. 50, I wend neuir till here that of the! 1470–85 Malory Arthur ii. vi. 83, I lytel wende to haue met with yow at this sodayne auenture. 1561 Hollybush Hom. Apoth. 17 b, A colde sweat brake out, so that he wened to dye straght waye. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. iii. 41 And ramping on his shield, did weene the same Haue reft away with his sharpe rending clawes. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, ii. v. 88 Thy Father..Leuied an Army, weening to redeeme, And haue install'd me in the Diademe. 1611 Bible 2 Macc. v. 21 Weening in his pride to make the land nauigable. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 86 They weend That self same day by fight, or by surprize To win the Mount of God. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. ii. xxix, Ye ween to hear a melting tale, Of two true lovers in a dale. 1854 J. S. Blackie in Blackw. Mag. LXXVI. 266 Beyond the bounds of earth to fly Impious he weened. |
d. ellipt. with adv. (e.g. least), or conj. (ere, sooner, than, etc.), instead of inf. or object-clause.
| c 888 ælfred Boeth. vii. §1 Þonne hy læst wenað. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxiv. 50 Þonne cymþ ðæs weles hlaford on þam dæᵹe ðe he na ne wenþ. a 1225 Ancr. R. 222 Ich chulle..worpen hire oðere half, & breden uerliche adun er he lest wene. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 9471 As he stod, er he lest wende, He was schot to deþe. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1376 That may fal soner than som wenes. 1375 Barbour Bruce xi. 23 And wis menis etling cumis nocht Till sic end as thai weyn alwayis. c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. v. 211 And heer an ende, er then y wende, y fynde. c 1450 tr. De Imitatione i. xxiii. 31 What houre we wene not þe sonne of man shal come. a 1600 Montgomerie Misc. Poems iii. 62 Quhen ȝe leist wein, ȝour baks may to the wall. 1814 Cary Dante, Par. xxxi. 53 Round I turned With purpose of my lady to inquire..But answer found from other than I weened. |
† 3. With neut. adj. or adv. and prep.: To think (much or highly) of; to feel or be affected towards; to trust in. Also without const. (cf. overween). Obs.
| 1340 Ayenb. 21 Þanne þe man wenþ more of him-zelue þanne he ssolde. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 109 Whan he most in his strengthe wende. Ibid. 222 Bot wolde god that grace sende, That toward me my lady wende As I towardes hire wene! 1593 G. Harvey Pierces Super. Wks. (Grosart) II. 125 He winneth not most abroad that weeneth most at-home. |
† 4. intr. with of, for: To dream of, look for, expect. Obs.
| 1589 Martins Months Minde E 1 b, Howbeit, it was not that so well, as they do ween for, (being perhappes reserued for his two sonnes hereafter). 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, v. i. 136 Weene you of better lucke, I meane in periur'd Witnesse, then your Master, Whose Minister you are..? |
5. In renderings of certain Latin words. † a. trans. To esteem, respect; to reckon or esteem equal to.
| c 1000 Lamb. Psalter lxxxvii. 5 Aestimatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum, ᵹewened ic eom mid nyþerastiᵹendum to seaðe. a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxxvii. 5, I am wened in ilka land To þas þat ere in flosche falland. Ibid. cxliii. 3 Lauerd, whilk es..sone of man, for þou wenest him [Vulg. quia reputas eum]? |
† b. To impute (an offence) to (a person). Obs.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter xxxi. 2 Seli man to wham noght wenes lauerd sinne [Vulg. cui non imputavit Dominus peccatum]. |
† 6. In impersonal use. Only in the absol. pres. pple. weening = it seeming, as (because, since) it seemed (to some one). Const. clause (usually with that) or inf. Obs.
| c 1450 J. Capgrave Life St. Aug. xxxiii. 42 For þat same had he do or þis tyme had not Valery sent him owt of þe weye, wenyng to many men þat he schuld not sone come a-geyn. c 1470 Gregory Chron. in Hist. Coll. Cit. Lond. (Camden) 234 Wenyng unto the thevys that the boxys hadde ben sylvyr ovyr gylt, but was but copyr. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 92 Wherof they were sore aferde.., wenyng to them that it had be the deuyl. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. (1812) I. cclxv. 391 They came..to a village called Puiernon, and toke their lodgynge, wenyng to them to be in surety. Ibid. ccclxxxv. 652 Y⊇ duke and his went to Berwyk, wenyng to the duke to haue entred into the towne;..but the capitane of the towne..refused to him the entre, and closed the gates agaynst hym and his. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 233 Aiax..in his madnesse..slewe a greate noumbre of theim, weenyng to hym that he had slain Ulysses and his coumpaignie. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 276 The common of Roane and of Beuioys..sodainely met with the Englishe Marshalles, wenyng to them they had bene Frenchmen. |