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Fain
Definitions
- 1 Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased. UK, archaic, dialectal, poetic
"VVhat is the truſt or ſtrength of fooliſh man? / They that of late vvere daring vvith their ſcoffes, / Are glad and faine by flight to ſaue themſelues."
- 2 Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased.; Glad, contented, or satisfied to do something in the absence of a better alternative. UK, archaic, dialectal, poetic
"[T]hey vvere faine to patche uppe the Matter vvith a little piece of Paper clappid over the foreſaid VVordes, […]"
- 3 Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased.; Compelled or obliged to. UK, archaic, broadly, dialectal, poetic
"Penker in his ſermõ [sermon] ſo loſt his voice that he was faine to leaue of [off] & come downe in the middes."
- 4 Chiefly followed by to, or (obsolete) for or of: eager or willing, or inclined. UK, archaic, dialectal
"Man and Birds are fayne of climbing high."
- 5 Favourable, well-disposed. archaic, obsolete
"I felt a spirit of love begin to stir / Within my heart, long time unfelt till then; / And saw Love coming towards me, fair and fain, / (That I scarce knew him for his joyful cheer,) / Saying, "Be now indeed my worshipper!"."
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- 6 Accustomed, apt, wont. archaic, obsolete
"[S]carcely ſhe could ryde, / And eke through heauie armes, vvhich ſore annoyd / The Prince on foot, not vvonted ſo to fare; / VVhoſe ſteadie hand vvas faine his ſteede to guyde, / And all the vvay from trotting hard to ſpare, / So vvas his toyle the more, the more that vvas his care."
- 1 having made preparations wordnet
- 1 Chiefly preceded or followed by would.; With joy or pleasure; gladly. archaic, obsolete
"And in her hand ſhe held a mirrhour bright, / VVherein her face ſhe often vevved fayne, / And in her ſelfe-lou'd ſemblance tooke delight; / For ſhe vvas vvondrous faire, as any liuing vvight."
- 2 Chiefly preceded or followed by would.; By choice or will; willingly. archaic, obsolete
"Now vvould I giue a thouſand furlongs of Sea, for an Acre of barren ground: Long heath, Brovvne firrs, any thing; the vvills aboue be done, but I vvould faine dye a dry death."
- 1 with pleasure wordnet
- 1 A surname.
- 1 To be delighted or glad about (someone or something); to rejoice in; also, to favour or prefer (someone or something). archaic, obsolete, rare, transitive
"Hovv often vvould the Svvaines prepare their Morrice & their May / To haue a ſight of her, vvhen all enamoured vvent their vvay? / The ſprevvſeſt Citie-Lads for her vvould faine the Countrie-aire, / And that their prouder Girles had but adultrate beauties ſvvaire, […]"
- 2 To make (someone) glad; to gladden; hence, to congratulate (someone); to welcome (someone). archaic, obsolete, transitive
- 3 To celebrate or worship; specifically, to offer an oblation which is not a sacrificial blót (“ceremonial offering”). Germanic, archaic, intransitive, obsolete
- 4 Chiefly followed by of, in, on, or to: to be delighted or glad; to rejoice. archaic, intransitive, obsolete
"A diſtaffe in her other hand ſhe had, / Vpon the vvhich ſhe litle ſpinnes, but ſpils, / And faynes to vveaue falſe tales and leaſings bad, / To throvv amongſt the good, vvhich others had diſprad."
- 5 To desire, to wish. archaic, intransitive, obsolete
Etymology
From Middle English fain (“enjoyable, pleasing; fond of; glad, pleased; good, suitable; happy, joyful”), from Old English fægen (“happy, joyful, fain”), from Proto-West Germanic *fagan (“glad”), from Proto-Germanic *faganaz (“glad”), from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- (“joyful; pretty”). Cognates * Old Norse fagna (“to rejoice”), feginn (“glad, joyful”) * Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌲𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌽 (faginōn, “to rejoice”) * Old High German fehan, gifehan (“to rejoice”) * Old Saxon fagan, fagin
From Middle English fain (“eagerly, willingly; gladly, joyfully”), from fain (adjective): see etymology 1.
From Middle English fainen (“to be glad or joyful, rejoice; to make happy, gladden; to welcome; of an animal: to show happiness, as by wagging the tail; to act fawningly or flatteringly”), from Old English fæġnian (“to be glad, rejoice; to celebrate; to be delighted with, applaud; to wish for”), from Proto-West Germanic *faginōn (“to be glad, rejoice; to make glad, gladden”), from Proto-Germanic *faginōną (“to be glad, rejoice”), from *faganaz (“glad”): see further at etymology 1. Doublet of fawn.
* As a Jewish surname, variant of Fein. * As an English surname, variant of Fayne. * As a French surname, from placenames deriving from Latin fanum (“temple”) and Vulgar Latin *fangus (“mud, swamp”).
See also for "fain"
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