释义 |
▪ 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. c888ælfred Boeth. xl. §5 Ic bio swiþe fæᵹn ᵹif ðu me lædest þider ic ðe bidde. c1205Lay. 4891 Þe duc þer fore fain wes. a1300Cursor M. 20452 (Cott.), I am ful fain yee ar me mid. 1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 4552 Of þair dede þai sal be fayn. c1420Chron. Vilod. 974 Bot þen was þis wrechede mon full fayne. c1460Towneley Myst. 84 Now in hart fulle fane. 1535Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 589 He..of thair cuming wes so glaid and fane. a1569A. Kingsmill Man's Est. i. (1580) 7 He is very faine of the findyng of suche a fielde. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 114 Are glad and faine by flight to saue themselues. 1640J. Dyke Worthy Commun. 56 Then full faine wilt thou be to have Christ Jesus receive thy soule. 1664Floddan F. vii. 65 And of his welfare all were fain. 1787Burns Twa Dogs 137 My heart has been sae fain to see them. 1801Wordsw. Cuckoo & Night. xxvi, I should be wondrous fain That shamefully they one and all were slain. 1863Mrs. Gaskell Sylvia's L. I. 195 My master is quite fain of his company. 1876Morris Sigurd iii. 176 And fain and full was my heart. β1297R. Glouc. (1724) 218 So þat hii mette hem þer, boþe hii were wel vawe. c1380Sir Ferumb. 3800 War-for y am wel fawe. b. Proverb.
1471Ripley Comp. Alch. v. in Ashm. (1652) 157 Fayre promys makyth folys fayne. 1579Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 69 There may you see..the faire wordes that make fooles faine. 1829Scott 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. αc1330R. Brunne Chron. (1725) 28 Þei were fayn to ask pes. 1393Gower Conf. III. 230 He was faine him self to save. 1559in 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. 1593Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, ii. i. 153, I must be faine to pawne..my Plate. 1631Gouge God's Arrows ii. §26. 170 Men were faine to eate horse-flesh. 1693Locke Education §89. 105 Castalio was fain to make Trenchers at Basle to keep himself from starving. 1812Combe (Dr. Syntax) Picturesque xvi. (Chandos) 60 Pleas'd with the prospect he was feign To yawn, and go to sleep again. 1839Thirlwall Greece VII. liv. 52 He was fain to take shelter in a canal. 1882M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal II. vi. 115 Christabel was fain to make the best of her life at Mount Royal. βc1330Arth. & Merl. 208 To fle sone he was wel fawe. b. This passes gradually into the sense: Necessitated, obliged.
1513More Rich. III in Grafton Chron. II. 785 Pinkye..so loste his voyce, that he was fayne to leave off. 1579Fenton Guicciard. ii. (1599) 75 Lodowyke..was feene with teares to acknowledge his cowardize. 1676Hale Contempl. i. 103 In this condition, he is fain to bear his burdensom Cross towards the place of his Execution. a1682Sir T. Browne Tracts 7 Many plants are mentioned in Scripture under such names as they are fain to be rendred by analogy. 1685H. More Paralip. Proph. 315 A Cannon of so vast a bigness, that it was fain to be drawn by seventy yoke of Oxen. 1722Sewel Hist. Quakers (1795) I. Pref. 23, I have been fain to trust the oversight..of my work to others. 1841D'Israeli Amen. Lit. (1867) 360 Ascham, indeed, was fain to apologise for having written in English. 1884F. 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.
c1205Lay. 6994 For elchen vuele he wes fein. 1340–70Alex. & Dind. 237 So it farus bi folk þat fain is to teche. a1605Montgomerie Natur passis Nurriture 34 To fang his friendship they war fane. 1802R. Anderson Cumberld. Ball. 32 The..sleet and snaw are nought at aw, If yen were fain to gang! 1851Gallenga 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. 1884W. 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.
1596Spenser F.Q. iv. viii. 37 Whose steadie hand was faine his steed to guyde. 1650Jer. 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.
c1205Lay. 12719 Lauer king Aldroein Ofte þe wurðe godd fæin [c 1275 fain]. c130511,000 Virgins 134 in E.E.P. (1862) 69 Ourse of britaigne Þo hi fonde such a creatoure, so fair & so fayne. c1440Sir Gowther 679 Fader, and Sone, and Holy Gost, Of owre sowles be fayne. [a1850Rossetti 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. αc1175Lamb. Hom. 35 Ic walde fein pinian and sitten on forste and on snawe. a1225Ancr. R. 192 Vor uein wolde þe hexte cwemen ou. c1290S. Eng. Leg. 272/53, I chulle þe telle fayn. c1440York Myst. xx. 121 And if þou wolde neuere so fayne. 1483Caxton Gold. Leg. 430/3 The soppes of which he fayne ete. 1513Douglas æneis ix. iv. 64 To bring agane Eneas full fane thai wald. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cxxv. 151 The kyng..demaunded of them whyther they wolde faynest go. 1590Spenser F.Q. i. iv. 10 A mirrhour..Wherein her face she often vewed fayne. 1610Shakes. Temp. i. i. 72, I would faine dye a dry death. 1709Berkeley Th. Vision §86, I would fain know wherein consists that sharpness. 1801Southey Thalaba x. iv, He full fain would sleep. 1858Neale Bernard de M. 32 My spirit seeks thee fain. 1874Morley Compromise (1886) 85 Those who would fain divide the community into two great castes. 1876Morris Sigurd iii. 173 She..kisseth her sweet and fain. 1880R. Broughton Sec. Th. ii. vii, She had fainer not. βc1330King of Tars 1058 Ageyn the soudan he gan hyghe, And wolde hym sle ful fawe. c1380Sir 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.
c1340Cursor M. 3852 (Laud MS.) Laban then he did to calle for fayne of hym his frendis alle. c1400Ywaine & Gaw. 2086 Alsone als he saw him stand For fayn he liked fote and hand. c1440Bone 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.
c888ælfred Boeth. xxx. §1 Ne sceal he..to unᵹemetlice fæᵹnian ðæs folces worda. a1000Boeth. Metr. i. 66 Fæᵹnodon ealle. c1000Ags. Gosp. Mark xiv. 11 Þa hi þis ᵹehyrdon hi fahnodon [c 1160 Hatton G. fageneden]. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 135 Fele shule faȝenien on his burde. c1205Lay. 21843 Þa fainede swiðe folc an hirede Of Arðures cume. a1240Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 199 Ȝif þu wult hit iðauien iwis he wule ðurchut fawe. a1300E.E. Psalter v. 12 And fayne sal alle þat hope in þe. a1340Hampole Psalter xxxi. 14 Ffaynes in lord & glades rightwis. c1380Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 246 Clerkis shulde..feyn to be discharged of erþeli goodis. a1400–50Alexander 1745 Feyne all with fairnes & fayne at þou may. c1450Mirour Saluacioun 417 And thogh some tyme be gude the werld make man to fayne. 1596Spenser F.Q. v. xii. 36 [She] faynes to weave false tales. b. To pretend kindness. Cf. fawn v.
a1225Ancr. 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).
c1250Gen. & Ex. 1441 Eliezer..broȝt him a wif..He faȝnede hire wið milde mod. a1300E.E. Psalter xlii[i]. 4 God þat faines mi youthede al. a1375Joseph Arim. 243 Þei..faynede me wiþ wordes, Bote þei hateden me. a1400–50Alexander 2 Fayn wold þai here Sum farand þing efter fode to fayn þere her[t]. 1480Robt. Devyll 10 Of hys companye no man us fayne. 3. To rejoice in, enjoy; also, to take to gladly, show preference for. rare.
1483Caxton 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. 1606Warner 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.
c1400Destr. Troy 12732 Clunestra..Resayuit hym..With a faynond fare. 1596Spenser 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.
1870N. & 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’. 1889Barrère & 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. 1891Farmer Slang, Fains! Fainits! Fain it! 1913C. 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. 1927W. 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. 1948J. Betjeman Coll. Poems (1958) 150 ‘I'd rather not.’ ‘Fains I.’ ‘It's up to you.’ 1960Guardian 1 July 9/7 The Englishman..could remain absolutely pax and fainites. 1969I. & 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. |