▪ I. sain, v. Now arch. and dial.
(seɪn)
Forms: 1 seᵹnian, sénian, sæᵹnian, 2 seinian, 4–5 seyne, 4–6 sayn(e, 8–9 sein, 3–7 saine, 3–9 sane, 3– sain; pa. tense 4–5 saynned; pa. pple. 8 saint.
[OE. seᵹnian = OS. segnon (MDu. zechenen, Du. zegenen), OHG. seganôn (MHG. segenen, mod.G. segnen to bless), ON. signa to sign with the cross, bless (Sw. signa, Da. signe to bless); ad. L. signāre to sign (in eccl. use to sign with the cross), f. sign-um sign n., whence OE. seᵹn sign, banner, MLG. segen, MDu. zeghen sign of the cross, blessing (Du. zegen blessing), OHG. segan sign of the cross (MHG., mod.G. segen blessing).]
1. trans. To make the sign of the cross on (a thing or person) in token of consecration or blessing; or for the purpose of exorcizing a demon, warding off the evil influences of witches, poison, etc.
| a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. v. §2 (1890) 396 Þa sang he orationes ofer hiene & hiene ᵹeblætsade & ᵹesægnade [L. dixit orationem, ac benedixit eum]. c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives iii. 114 Þa stod se hælend..and mid his halᵹum handum husel senode. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 127 We sculen ure forheafod..mid þere halie rode tacne seinian. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxvii. (Machor) 599 With þat þe cop in hand tuk he, & sanyt It dewotly. a 1400 St. John Evang. 228 in Horstmann Altengl. Leg. (1881) 471 Þou..saynede þe coppe [of poison] swetely and suppede it off syne: Thow hade no harme. 1508 Kennedy Flyting w. Dunbar 457 Quhen that the schip was saynit, et vndir saile, Foul brow in holl thow preposit for to pas. 1575–6 Durham Depos. (Surtees) 272 Then the said Umphray saynd the said Thomas and corssed hym, and spyttyd, and said, ‘Away, devill’, many tymes. 1701 J. Brand Descr. Orkney, Zetl., etc. (1703) 62 Especially on Hallow-Even, they use to sein or sign their Boats and put a Cross of Tar upon them... Their Houses also some use then to sein. 1802 Scott Minstr. Scot. Bord. II. 179 note, Many of the vulgar account it extremely dangerous to touch any thing which they may happen to find without saining (blessing) it, the snares of the enemy being notorious and well attested. 1887 W. Stokes tr. Tripartite Life St. Patrick 37 Patrick sained [Irish senais] the earth and it swallowed up the wizard. Ibid. 111 Patrick sained their hands, and their hands grew stiff. |
b. refl. To cross (oneself).
| a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iv. xxv. §5 (1890) 348, & þa him ᵹebæd & hine ᵹesegnode mid Cristes rode tacne. a 1300 Cursor M. 7986 He..Bitaght him þan to godd at kepe, And sanid him and fel on-slepe. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints i. (Petrus) 521 Sanct petir sowne come in hy, and sanyt hym with þe Rycht hand. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 456 Þanne sat sleuthe vp and seyned hym swithe [v.r. to A. v. 229 seynide hyme faste], And made avowe to-fore god for his foule sleuthe. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 966 Thow saynned the vnsekyrly to seke to þese mountez. c 1450 Merlin iv. 66 And she lifte vp hir hande, and hir sayned [printed fayned], and seide, ‘A mercy god!’ 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 444, I sane me as I war ane sanct. 1588 A. King tr. Canisius' Catech., Confession 15 Needful alsua is it..to saine ws aft, putting beffoir our eyes Christ Iesus crucifide. 1728 Ramsay Monk & Miller's Wife 159 Bess sain'd herself, cry'd ‘Lord, be here!’ 1768 Ross Helenore (1789) 65 She—frae the ill o't sain'd her o'er and o'er. 1788 Shirrefs Poems (1790) 332 She'd raise her hands, and sain hersel', And think you on the road to Hell. 1828 J. Ruddiman Tales & Sk. 62 I sained mysel' thrice this morning before I had seen the face o' man. |
† c. intr. for refl. Obs. rare.
| c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 7 Þan þis monke saynyd for mervell & said, ‘sur, whi say ye so?’ 1571 Satir. Poems Reform. xxviii. 24 And with that word I went sum thing abak, And bad say on, and, with God saif me, sanit. |
2. trans. To bless.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxii. 5 Swa sal I saine þe in life mine. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 746 Now sayned be þou sauiour. a 1400 Sir Perc. 287 So Criste mote me sayne. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 6080 And with his goddis he hem sayned, And bad hem gon In here name. c 1460 Towneley Myst. vi. 106 And thou [Jacob] shal full well saynyd be. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xiii. 41 Sum sanis the Sait, and sum thaim cursis. 1616 T. Scott Philomythie (ed. 2) B 1, Against wise vigilant Statists, who like Ianus, Looke both waies squint, and both waies guard and sane vs. 1721 Kelly Sc. Prov. 120 God sain your Eye, Man. Spoken when you commend a Thing without blessing it. 1780 Archie O Cawfield xxxvii. in Child Ballads (1889) III. 488/2 For the man had needs to be well saint That comes thro the hands o Dicky Ha. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxix, God sain us. 1824 Byron Juan xvi. Beware! beware vi, Heaven sain him! fair or foul. 1848 Kingsley Saint's Trag. ii. vi, Mary sain us! 1898 N. Munro John Splendid ii. 19 Blow, present, God sain Mackay's soul! |
b. esp. in conjunction with save.
| c 1460 Towneley Myst. iv. 107 So now god the saif and sayne! 1710 Ruddiman Gloss. to Douglas s.v. Sane, Hence Scot. Bor. the expression, God safe you and sane you. a 1839 Praed Poems (1864) I. 146 Mary, Mother, sain and save! 1842 Browning In a Gondola Poems 1863 I. 210 They trail me, these three godless knaves, Past every church that sains and saves. 1894 Crockett Raiders xl. 336 Guid save us an' sain us! I like not this day. |
¶ c. app. associated by some mod. writers with L. sānāre to heal (see sane v.).
| 1832 J. H. Newman Sonn., ‘They do but grope’ in Lyra Apost. (1836) 47 As if such shapes and moods, which come and go, Had aught of Truth or Life in their poor show, To sway or judge, and skill to sain or wound. 1896 A. E. Housman Shropshire Lad xiv, There flowers no balm to sain him. |
3. trans. To secure by prayer or enchantment from evil influence. Cf. bless v.1 3.
| 1670 Ray Prov. 293 Saine (bless) you weill fra the Devil and the Lairds bairns. 1721 Kelly Sc. Prov. 288 Sain your self from the Dee'l and the Laird's Bairns. 1768 Ross Helenore 6 The jizzen-bed wi' rantree leaves was sain'd. 1848 Kingsley Saint's Trag. ii. viii, While angels..Will sain us from the roaming adversary With scent of Paradise. |
Hence † sained ppl. a.; ˈsaining vbl. n.
| 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 102 Than ma na sanyne me save fra that auld Sathane. 1593 Napier Plain Discov. Rev. St. John 58 Beside their daylie crossings with their right hande on their fore-heads, which they cal saning. 1888 Edmonston & Saxby Home Naturalist 214 Jaimie instantly turned back, for he knew that they had power at such times, and the saining might be neglected. |
▪ II. sain
obs. f. saint, say v., see v., seine (net).