Obs. Forms: 2 wene, 2–3 wane, weane, 3 wæne, wone, 4 wan, woon. [perh. an extension (? starting from the inflected forms) of OE. wéa wk. masc. misery. The vowel of OE. wá adv. and int. ill, WOE, or of OE. wáwa wk. masc. misery, may have influenced the forms, but cf. fone, etc. extended forms of FEW a. which are phonologically very similar.] Misery, woe.
a. 1200. Moral Ode, 151, in O. E. Hom., I. 169. Eure he walde her inne wawe and ine wene [v.r. wane] wunien, Wið þet he mihte helle pine bi-flien.
c. 1205. Lay., 2198. Heo stureden heora wepnan wane wes on folke. Ibid., 2203. & him seolf mid wæne [c. 1275 onneþe] ferde into ane watere. Ibid., 5655. Þeo chihtes weoren vnwepned þa þe wæne heo was ȝeueðe.
c. 1225. Ancr. R., 114. Al þet flesch þunccheð sur oðer bitter; þet is, pine & weane, & teone, & alle meseise.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 9. Worldliche wunne þat tu wendes to biȝeten, ant hauest ifunden weane þrin, & wondraðe riue.
c. 1330. King of Tars, 66. Jhesu,… Let me nevere that day isee A tiraunt for to take. For Marie love,… Arst yif him wan and wrake.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 419. Kyng Fortigern sat on Þe water side, and was wel ful of woon [L. Vortiger sedit anxius].
b. Comb. † wan-, † wen-sið, misery; † wænslaht, slaughter.
c. 1205. Lay., 539. Þa Grickes neoren noht warre of heore wensiðe [c. 1275 mochele harme]. Ibid., 3088. & þu scalt worðen warchen, & wonien in wansiðe [c. 1275 ine wowe]. Ibid., 9520. Faren wit swullen to-somne, & mid fehten hit to-dælen; makien wæn-slahtes.
Hence † Wanliche a. [-lich, -LY1], miserable, wretched.
c. 1205. Lay., 25990. Þa six swin he gon æten alle…. Al biwaled on axen, wanliche weoren þa sonden. Ibid., 30288. Nu we maȝen wepen and wanliche i-beren.
