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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wen(e, v. Also: wein(e, weyn(e, wean, wane, waine, wend, ven, vein, weind. P.t. also winit, wend(e, wenede, weind, weynd, vend, went, wint, wynt, wont, wount. P.p. weyne. [ME and e.m.E. wene(n (c1175), wenenn (Orm), wende(n (Layamon), ween(en (Wyclif); p.t. wende (Layamon), wend (Cursor M.), went (Manning), weend (1667); p.p. wened (a1300), wend (Chaucer), went (Caxton), OE wénan, MLG wênen, wânen, MDu. wanen, ON vǽena.]

1. tr.To surmise, suppose; think, believe, know (something is or was the case). a. With clause object.pres. a1400 Leg. S. v 408.
The [bischope] wes abaysit thane, As veinand that the haly man Had askit hym sum money a1400 Leg. S. x 97.
Be thire wechis here wrocht are, That gere fele men wene that thai Throw tryget are Goddis verray a1400 Leg. S. xv 1.
Swme men wenis that Barnabas Ane of the apostolis was; Bot thai wene wrang a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 879.
He wald oftymys ger men ven That sewine hedis on hym had ben ?1438 Alex. ii 4255, 4257.
For sik man wenes weill that he is worth, That failȝeis all quhen he cumis furth, And sik wenes he is worth na thing, That is oft worthy in preuing 1456 Hay I 3/25.
Mony notable clerkis … wenys thai understand wele the glosyng of ancien prophecies c1460 Thewis Wysmen 332.
Ignorans and neglygens … makis thaim sone for to be frend, To gar men vein at thai ar kinde 1513 Doug. vii iv 184.
Gyf that my mynd can ocht ymagyn rycht, I weyn that he suldbe the sammyn knycht 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 26.
Thay held thame quiet … weaning that vther menis actioun sould be thair promotiounp.t. 1375 Barb. i 504.
The lord the Brwis hard his carping And wend he spak bot suthfast thing 1375 Barb. xiv 428.
Sum of thar mekill ost has sene Thar come & wend [C. wende weill, 1571 weind weill] thai had bene Thar wittalouris a1400 Leg. S. vi 541.
I wende myn cistere Mygdony Had bene a fowle, but nov se I That wyser wyfe ma nocht be a1400 Leg. S. xlv 253.
Julyane went wittirly, & al vthire, it had bene sorcery ?1438 Alex. ii 2606.
Thay weind he had bene slane With the strakes that he ȝude c1420 Wynt. iii 53.
His famyle … That was the chambure than wytht out Wende [W. wenyt] the kyng had syttand bene On the priwe 1460 Hay Alex. 53.
Thay war sa dred thai weynd all haid bene lorn 1460 Hay Alex. 2973.
Thay wenid all, sone deliuerit to haue bene a1500 Henr. Fab. 1445.
We weind ȝe had bene deid, Elles wald we not haue dancit ouer ȝour heid c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 201.
I wend I josit a geme and I haif geit gottin; He had the glemyng of gold and wes bot glase fundin 15.. Clar. ii 1704.
I weinit our knichts sould thair ransoum bring For to have gevin Clariodus ȝour sone 1559–60 Misc. Maitl. C. III 227.
Sche … saw ane young man quhilk sche weynd haid beyne Williame Rantoun 1587 Bk. Univ. Kirk II 709.
He weined that [before] James Stewart and Lady Elisabeth [etc.] … had bein the persecuters of the kirk, bot now he finds … that the king himselfe hes bein the persecuter(b) a1500 Sir Eger 1497.
He heard … great horsemen ridand, He wont there had been mo then one, Looked and saw but him alone a1568 Bann. MS 140a/33.
Thy wyif wount ane man scho gatt, Of thé quhen that thow wes weill brankit a1568 Bann. MS 257a/17.
Befoir I wount [pr. womit] and now I wait 1626 Garden Worthies 102.
This martiall … man … So warlick was, that all the wulgar wont He hade been Mars(c) 1535 Stewart 58333.
He wynt that ilk duke had bene deid 15.. Clar. ii 287.
I winit ȝe had beine ane knicht, And ȝe ane preacher ar becumin richt

b. With infinitive.(a) 1375 Barb. iv 217 (C).
He wend to wit certante Of that that nane may certane be ?1438 Alex. i 2689.
He wint weill to haif slane him thare 1456 Hay I 241/23.
Or ellis traist wele, quhen thai wene best to do, thai sall [etc.] a1500 Henr. Fab. 2010.
Thow wenis to drau the stra befoir the cat a1500 Seven S. 2548.
My masteris and I to wesy wend Quhat of my passage mycht appere c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xiv 34.
So few till wend this mischief till amend 1513 Doug. i Prol. 131 (Sm.).
Quhen we best wene To haue Virgill red, understand, and sene, The richt sentence perchance is fer to seik 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4417 (B).
Tak thair a neidill for ȝour cace … Had ȝe it in till a quyet place, Ȝe wald not wane [Ch. waine] to flend 15.. Sym & Bruder 67.
To tak a justing of that javell The bryd wount nocht to bruk him(b) a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxix 39.
Hir freindis ay weindis To caus hir to revok

c. With object. Also followed by infin. and with omission of infin.(1) 1375 Barb. iv 772.
Bot quhether scho … Wenyt [C. Wenit] or wist it witterly It fell efter all halyly As scho said 1375 Barb. xv 437.
Quhat wene ȝe, is thar nane That euer is worth bot he allane a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 78.
This quhen the king had herd & sen, The ioy he had wald na man wen a1400 Leg. S. l 770.
He … gert Katrine before hyme be Brocht … & schaw hir poliste fare & schene, That forhungerit [he] wenede had bene 1513 Doug. iii Prol. 26.
Quhat wenys thou, frend? 1570 Sat. P. xx 117.
Quhat sall we wene of tratours kene(2) 1456 Hay I 265/28.
That thai may be kend wenand thame self till have rychtwis caus and querele c1460 Thewis Wysmen 409.
Thai wen thare-self visest of all, And vthir folk fulys thai call 1513 Doug. ii i 22.
The Grekis thame ful secretly withdrew, We wenyng thame hame passit and adew [etc.]

d. ellipt. or absol. 1375 Barb. vi 24.
I drede that … his trawaill may bring till end That at men quhile full litill wend [C. vend] a1400 Leg. S. xv 3 (see a above). a1500 Henr. Fab. 2245.
Bot ȝit the volff wes neirar nor he wend, For in ane busk he lay a1500 Seven S. 600.
God wait gif … ȝour quene Be sa lele as scho garris ȝow wene c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 117/62.
Willelmo Gray, … Myne awne deir cusing, as I wene 1513 Doug. i Prol. 369.
Many hundreth other termys … Quhilkis in our langage suythly as I weyn Few men can tell me cleirly quhat thai meyn 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5665.
Ypocras said tak vp that herb sa grene, For it is full of vertew as I wene 1604-31 Craig v 6.
You seeme … a strayed stranger, if I right weine

e. In parenthetic use. a1500 Lanc. 2982.
Madem, yhone knycht disponit [not], I weyn, To help ws more 1513 Doug. i ix 20.
Wp stuide Enee … Als gratius for to behald, I wene, As evor bone by craft of hand wele dycht 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1422 (B).
But dowt this is Dame Chestetie, I wene [Ch. weine] a1578 Pitsc. I 376/28.
The tyme is schort that we haue heir I wein c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxiv 25.
Bott sowme will say, I wein, And lauche Goddis word to scorn

2. To expect, anticipate, hope, intend (something to be the case). a. With clause object. 1375 Barb. xix 692.
Thai wene [C. weyne] we may na-gat away Bot rycht quhar thai ly a1400 Leg. S. vi 461.
Quhen men venis beste that thai Sal lyfe in lykine & in play, Than cumys ded vnwenandly ?1438 Alex. i 2380.
Thay wenit Dauclene sould die richt thair. Bot strenth come to him sone agane 1456 Hay I 182/26.
He … gafe the sauf condyt, wenand it wald be obeyde a1500 Rauf C. 649.
He trowit that the wy had wittin of Wymond he wend, Bot to his raifand word he gaue na rewaird 1513 Doug. iv vi 49.
Wenyt thou [L. sperasti], onfaithfull wight Thou mycht haue hyd fra me sa fals a slycht 1513 Doug. vi v 167.
Desist, and ces to weyn with thy prayer The goddis decrete at thou may brek or steir a1540 Freiris Berw. 240 (B).
Quha wenit that ȝe sa lait wald haif cum hame? a1568 Bann. MS 158b/80.
Sic ane boy may ȝe wene sall nevir cum to grace

b. With infinitive. 1375 Barb. ii 291.
Thai that wenys to rest all nycht 1375 Barb. xviii 50.
I wend neuer till her that of thé a1400 Leg. S. v 423.
I wend til haf wel done thane, Quhen I betaucht thé that mane a1400 Leg. S. xl 508.
He … lap thare-one [sc. a coble] forout drede, In his purpos venand to spede ?1438 Alex. i 2399.
Ȝon proud king wenes richt weill To ding vs all to deid 1456 Hay I 206/21.
Gif a merchand off France wald begyle ane othir, and pas in Ingland wenand, for caus of the weris, to be haldin thare and nocht do resoun a1500 Henr. Fab. 2218.
As the foxe with dissimulance and gyle Gart the wolf wene to haif worschip for euer 1513 Doug. iii Prol. 22.
Weyn thai to murdrys me with thar dispyte? Or is it Virgill quham thame list bakbyte? a1585 Polwart Flyt. 754 (T).
The thingis I said, gif thow wald now deny, Weining to wry the veritie with wylis

c. With object. Also with clause complement. a1400 Leg. S. x 417.
Quhat wene ȝe that he sal do now? a1450 Fifteen Ois 339.
Bot as Thou God wes thair than sene Be Thy cleir woce and mycht be weyne Quhen Thou meiklie cryit a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 709.
He that evill dois never gude weins

d. ellipt.or absol. 1375 Barb. xi 23.
Wys mennys ay cummys nocht To sic end as thai wene [C. weyn] all-wayis c1420 Wynt. viii 4588.
Thai mete that tyme ma than thai wend 1531 Bell. Boece II 122.
This woman … schew, gif he continewit in adultre, he sall nocht eschew divine punitioun, quhen he leist wenit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5741.
Scho will dissaue ȝour grace quhen ȝe leist wene 1596 Dalr. II 52/25.
God vses to relieue His awne … quhen tha leist weine 1604-31 Craig i 35.
Hee les woorth nor I weind a1605 Montg. Misc. P. iii 62.
Quhen ȝe leist wein, ȝour baks may to the wall

3. intr.a. To expect, look for in (a person) that something should be the case. b. To believe, trust in, of (a person).a. c1420 Wynt. viii 6769.
The lorde … Saide, ‘Cowsyng, I wend noucht in thé That thow the fyrst suld failyeand be'b. a1500 Seven S. 2259.
Ȝe sall be comptit als wnwys As he that in his wyf couth weyne Syne was begylit all bedene 1680 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 200.
Some people who have not great experience are jealous of everie thing and weining of themselves, bot men in publict trust are usuallie just and true to their clients even against their freinds