▪ I. † lain, n.1 Obs.
Also 5–6 layn(e, 6 lane.
[f. lain v.; cf. ON. leyni neut., hiding-place, {iacu} leyni in secret.]
Concealment; chiefly in without lain (or but lain) lain, without concealment or disguise.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 13966 (Cott.), I sal spek of his sisters tua, þat was martha, wit-vten lain, and als sua mari magdalain. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xvi. 146, I kepe not layn, truly Syn thay cam by you last, An othere way in hy thay soght. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. I. 306 To say the suith but lane. 1560 Rolland Crt. Venus iii. 760 The fourt I can find ȝit withoutin lane. 1575 Wyfe Lapped in Morrelles Skin 83 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 184 Her mother doth teach her, withouten layne To be mayster of her husband another day. |
▪ II. † lain, n.2 Obs.
Also 6 laine, 6–7 lane.
[? f. lain pa. pple. of lie v.1]
A layer, a stratum.
| 1577 Harrison England ii. xii. (1877) I. 235 In plastering..of our fairest houses ouer our heads, we vse to laie first a laine or two of white morter tempered with haire, vpon laths. 1584 R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. xiii. xxx. 279 The bottome being no deeper than as it may conteine one lane of corne or pepper glewed thereupon. 1677 Plot Oxfordsh. 260 After every six inches thickness of Corn, a stratum of Pebbles,..then Corn again to the same thickness, and so SSS [i.e. stratum super stratum] to ten lains apiece. c 1682 J. Collins Making of Salt in Engl. 121 The Meat..is pack'd..with Salt betwixt every Lane or Lay. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Laines (in Masonry), Courses or Ranks laid in the building of Stone or Brick-walls. |
▪ III. lain, v. Obs. exc. Sc.
Forms: 4, 6 leyn(e, (6–7 lean(e, 7 lene), 4–5 (9 Sc.) layn(e, 4–6 lane, lain(e.
[a. ON. l{obar}yna to conceal, corresponding to OE. l{iacu}(e)ᵹnan to deny, OS. lôgnian (Du. loochenen), OHG. loug(i)nen (MHG. löugenen, G. läugnen, leugnen), Goth. (and OTeut.) laugnjan; f. OTeut. *laugnâ str. fem. represented by OHG. lougna denial, ON. laun (Sw., Da. lön) secrecy, concealment; f. Teut. root *laug- (: leug- : lug-): see lie n.1, v.2
Phonologically some of the forms might descend from OE. (Anglian) *léᵹnan; but the examples seem to show the specially ON. development of sense.]
trans. To conceal, hide; to be silent about, disguise (a fact). Also absol. not to (or at) lain: not to be concealed. Hence laining, vbl. n.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 1549 (Cott.) In sua lang time, es noght to lain, þe planetes all ar went again. Ibid. 2738 (Gött.) Abraham..fra þe wil i noght leyne mi priuite. c 1350 Will. Palerne 906, I wol it nouȝt layne. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints, Symon & Iudas 162 Of our kine gyf þou wil frane, we are hebreis, nocht to layne. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 419 Gret wele Lucius, thi lorde, and layne noghte þise wordes. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 703 Thou mon be ded, es noght at laine, For my lord that thou has slayne. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 100 But þai layned it to his ffader. c 1420 Avow. Arth. xxxiii, Hit is atte the quene wille Qwi schuld I layne? c 1440 York Myst. xxv. 101 This tydyngis schall haue no laynyng. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (1858) II. 648 Makdufe..in nothing wald lane, How Makcobey bayth wyfe and barnis had slane. 1598 R. Bernard tr. Terence, Adelphi iii. iii, He lained nothing [L. nihil reticuit]. 1638 R. Brathwait Bessie Bell iv, ‘Las, maidens must faine it; I love though I laine it. a 1650 Earle Westmorld. 120 in Furnivall Percy Folio I. 305 Duke Iohn of Austria is my Masters name, he will neuer Lene it vpon the sea. a 1802 Jamie Telfer xxx. in Child Ballads (1890) IV. 7/1, I winna layne my name for thee. 1862 A. Hislop Prov. Scot. 212 Women and bairns layne what they ken na. |
▪ IV. lain
pa. pple. of lie.