▪ I. † ˈinne, adv. and prep. Obs.
Forms: α. 1–2 innan, 2–3 innen, (2 inna). β. 1–5 inne, (4–5 ynne).
[OE. had two derivatives of in-: αOE. innan adv. and prep. (of motion and position) with gen., dat., acc., = OS. innan, OFris. inna adv. and prep. with dat., acc., OHG. innana, innan adv. and prep. with gen., dat., acc. (MHG., mod.G. innen), Goth. innana, ON. innan adv. and prep. with gen.; βOE. inne adv. of position, = OS., OFris. inne adv., Goth. inna, ON. inni adv., OHG. inna, inni, inne adv. and prep. ‘within’. These two words were originally different in sense, innan being orig. ‘from within’, but in late OE. there remained little or no distinction between innan and inne as adverbs; the main difference being that inne was only an adv., while innan was both adv. and prep. A few examples of innan as prep. are found in 12th c.; and innen adv. occurs in Hatton Gospels and Layamon. Inna prep. in Lamb. Hom. may be an error for innan or inne. But the ordinary early ME. form for both adv. and prep. was inne, frequent in Southern writings of 12–14th c. It is very rare in the Kentish of Shoreham and the Ayenbite, in which the prep. is regularly ine. In northern works, from Cursor Mundi onwards, and in Midland works after the time when final -e became mute, inne (ynne) appears to be merely an occasional spelling of in.]
A. adv.
1. Of position.
(α) innan, innen: From within; on the inside, within.
| Beowulf (Z.) 2332 Breost innan weoll þeostrum ᵹeþoncum. a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 1322 (Gr.) ᵹeofon-husa mæst..innan and utan eorðan lime ᵹefæstnod wið flode. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 308 Smire mid þa eaᵹan innan. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxiii. 27 Hiᵹ synt innan fulle deadra bana. Ibid. Mark vii. 21 Innan of manna heortan yfele ᵹeþancas cumað. c 1160 Hatt. G. ibid., Innen of manne heorten yfele ᵹeþances cumæð. c 1205 Lay. 21153 Þer wes innen igrauen, mid rede golde stauen, an on-licnes deore, of drihtenes moder. |
(β) inne: In, within, inside, in-doors.
| c 855 O.E. Chron. an. 491 Her ælle and Cissa..ofsloᵹon alle þa þe þær inne eardedon. c 893 K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §23 Þonne þær bið man dead..he lið inne unforbærned. Ibid., Ealle þa hwile þe þæt lic bið inne, þær sceal beon ᵹedrync and pleᵹa. c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. ii. ix. [xii.] (1890) 128 Hwæðer he þe ute þe inne wære. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 352 Sie se drenc þær inne þær se seoca man inne sie. c 1050 in Kemble Cod. Diplom. IV. 228 On ðam scyran..ðe Ordric abbud hæfð land inne. a 1100 Gerefa in Anglia (1886) IX. 260 ᵹe inne ᵹe ute. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 51 Þer wunieð fower cunnes wurmes inne. a 1225 St. Marher. 10 To beoren me in to his balefule hole þer he wuneð inne. a 1225 Ancr. R. 160 Þe engel wende in to hire,—þeonne heo was inne..al hire one. 1340 Ayenb. 203 Þer ne may go oute of þe uete, bote zuych ase þer is inne. c 1340 Cursor M. 1674 (Trin.) Plastre [the timber] wel wiþoute and ynne. c 1386 Chaucer Monk's T. 13 Yet fel he for his synne Doun in to helle where he yet is Inne. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xi. 129 The Contree is not worthi Howndes to dwelle inne. c 1430 Syr Tryam. 167 Of a thyng that now ys ynne. 1460–70 Bk. Quintessence i. 9 In which þei ben ynne. |
2. Of motion. inne: In (to a place). Not in OE.
(In later instances, perh. only var. spelling of in.)
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 58 Ȝif eni unwrie put were, & best feolle þer inne. a 1300 Cursor M. 13789, I ne may to þat watir wynne For oþere goon bifore me Inne. 13.. Coer de L. 3303 So that ye lat us inne come. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1347 It were ful hard wyþ assaut to comen inne. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 37 Thurgh which division cam inne. Ibid. II. 2 Thus bringth he many a meschiefe inne [rime beginne]. a 1400 Sir Perc. 436–7 Thedir inne wille I. He went inne. 1486 Bk. St. Albans E ij a, A Rowte of wolues where thay passin inne. |
B. prep.
1. Of position: In, within.
(α) innan, innen, (inna). (In OE. with gen. or dat., or acc. of time.)
| c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. xlvii. 359 Innan his ᵹeðance. c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) cxlii[i]. 4 Is me ænge gast innan hreðres. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. ix. 10 Þa he sæt innan huse [Lindisf. in hus; Rushw. in huse; Hatton innen huse]. Ibid. xxi. 12 Ealle þa þe ceapodun innan þam temple [Lindisf. in temple, Rushw. in þæm temple]. a 1100 O.E. Chron. an. 789 (Laud MS.) He wæs bebyrᵹed..innan þære cyrican. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 21 Gif he bidð inna þa sunne, and in þon þonke he is al for-loren. Ibid. 27 Þe deofel þet to soþe þe rixat in-nan him þet [etc.]. Ibid. 43 Innan þan sea weren .vii. bittere uþe. |
(β) inne. (Found esp. at the end of a relative clause, or after its object in verse.) Not in OE.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 3 Þer drihten rad inne þe weye. Ibid. 21 He wuneð inne fule sunne. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 53 Holie mihtes þe wunieð on hire alse folc inne burh. c 1200 Ormin 3506 And till þatt illke bottle Þatt he wollde inne borenn ben. Ibid. 19036 Her i þiss Crisstendomess lif Þatt Cristess hird iss inne. c 1205 Lay. 454 Þat Dardanisc kun..woneð in þisse londe..inne þeowedome. c 1290 Beket 942 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 133 Þe furste offize is propre inov: to þe stat þat he was Inne. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 571 His chawmber he liþ inne. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 163 As a Laumpe þat no liht is Inne. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 222 Poul meneþ bi þis sleep synne þat foolis lyven ynne. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 41 And eek in what array that they were Inne [rime bigynne]. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) ii. 13 In the Hows, that it is inne. c 1420 Avow. Arth. xxxiii, Bothe my dethe and my lyfe Is inne the wille of thi wife. c 1450 Merlin 18 The tyme..that I was ynne conceyved. |
2. Of motion: Into.
(α) innan. (Only in OE., with acc.)
| c 875 O.E. Chron. an. 868 Her for se ilca here innan Mierce to Snotengaham. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. x. 5 Ne ga ᵹe innan samaritana ceastre. Ibid. xxi. 21 Ahefe þe upp and feall innan þa sæ. |
(β) inne. (Not in OE.)
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 27 Ne þe deofel mey nefre cumen in-ne him for his gode werkes. Ibid. 33 Ne kimeð he nefre inne heoueneriche. c 1200 Ormin 3530 Þatt hus þatt bræd is inne don. a 1400 Sir Perc. 1711 The childe wanne owt of study, That he was inne sett. c 1420 Sir Amadace (Camden) xxii, Lette the cors go inne his graue. |
3. After believe: = in, on, upon.
| 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 597 For loue of þe lord þat we leuen inne. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xv. 166 Thei maken Ymages lyche to tho thinges, that thei han beleeve inne. |
▪ II. inne
obs. f. in adv. and v., inn n. and v.